Events Manager / Coordinator

About the role

Do you thrive at planning successful events and networking engagements? Are you a project-planning enthusiast who leaves no detail unattended? Do you excel at managing deadlines, budgets, and vendors in fast-paced environments? Potomac Haven seeks a highly organized and dynamic Events Coordinator to elevate meetings, conferences, expos, and other events for a federal customer. The Events Coordinator will work closely with our Events Manager to provide white-glove event support to agency leadership, executives, staff, speakers, and guests, and ensure federal personnel are fully prepared to engage with varied audiences. Preferred candidates will have proven experience managing in-person, virtual, and hybrid events within federal agency settings. Note: Candidates will be required to report to Northern Virginia offices and be willing to travel on occasion to support offsite events.

More About Potomac Haven We are an award-winning, woman-owned management consulting and professional services firm. We help our customers achieve their goals by providing multi-talented, dedicated professionals to fulfill their mission. Our customers include the Administration for Children and Families, Bureau of Industry and Security, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, DoD Washington Headquarters Services, General Services Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard, among others.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive run of show planning for internal and external meetings, events, conferences, and exhibits, venue selection and coordination, speaker coordination and invitations, trade show and exhibits design, meeting collateral, onsite support, compliance, and reporting.
• Review and research event objectives, audiences, and stakeholder context to ensure federal staff are fully prepared for effective engagement and outreach.
• Work closely with communications team to manage, track, and forecast inventory of educational resources, outreach materials, exhibits, and equipment, coordinating with vendors and partners.
• Ensure all event materials, exhibits, and interactive experiences comply with federal requirements (e.g., Section 508).
• Adapt planning and execution for in-person events to hybrid and virtual formats.
• Set up and manage virtual meeting spaces, breakout rooms, polls, whiteboards, and other interactive components as well as moderating and/or engaging with participants in chat.
• Collaborate with public affairs, congressional, and facility security teams as needed for speakers, guests, media, and special intergovernmental guests.
• Travel on occasion to support events, primarily within the United States, such as SXSW, Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
• Assist in end-to-end planning and project management for multiple high-profile, large-scale events concurrently, including rapid-response and emergent requests.
• Oversee all logistical elements for designated events, including but not limited to contracting venues, catering, and other services (i.e. electric, internet, rentals, etc.) and managing suppliers.
• Design engaging outreach formats (e.g., expos, networking sessions, breakout or concurrent sessions) and provide pricing and procurement coordination for signage and décor in alignment with agency branding.
• Coordinate trade-show booth design and buildout, inventory management, staffing (e.g., setup, display, breakdown), and shipping to and from events, and handle any emergent onsite needs.
• Collaborate with Events Project Manager to recommend speakers and moderators for events, where possible, and assist in their preparation (e.g., collect and manage RSVPs, bios, headshots, and other required materials; furnish logistical information).
• Review and coalesce presentations, conduct dry runs and tech checks to prepare presenters.
• Develop and distribute surveys, produce reports on activities (e.g., attendance, projected vs actual cost, feedback, etc.).

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in hospitality management, hospitality and tourism management, business administration, marketing, communications or a related field; OR 10+ years of experience in lieu of degree
• Minimum 8+ years of progressive experience planning and executing events of 100 attendees or more
• Minimum 5+ years of experience managing expositions and trade-show activities such as SXSW, CES, etc.
• Exceptional project management, communication (spoken and written), and customer service