Planning Manager

About the role

We’re looking for a Planning Manager who will be dedicated to the client’s Signature Events Team. Planning Managers will commit to building and maintaining strong client relationships while providing high touch, best-in-class meeting and event services.

Responsibilities

• Work with client to finalize all logistics; air travel, ground transportation, food & beverage, meal guarantees, meeting space, room set, audio/visual, production, off-site events, activities, and special needs.
• Fully understand the contract and addendum process and plan according to the contracted rooms and space and contracted terms and conditions.
• Able to work cross functionally with other support teams to manage all needs of the program including registration managers, web builders, and project accountants.
• Complete vendor search, proposal process, and contract negotiations for ancillary vendors (off-site events, ground transfers, activities).
• Understand and effectively adhere to client meeting policies and SLAs.
• Lead and participate in Kick Off and planning calls; provide ongoing client consultation.
• Attend site inspections and planning visits.
• Manage all pre-program logistics including vendor communications, DMC bidding and management, group travel, registration website testing, and shipping coordination.
• Manage ground transportation requests, payments, and on-site coordination.
• Oversee meeting budgets using Cvent, including reporting, invoice reconciliation, COI submissions, and accruals.
• Provide on-site meeting execution support including attendee and rooming list management, VIP requests, staffing coordination, and pre-con meetings.
• Conduct final bill reconciliation, manage venue disputes, update budgets, and lead meeting debriefs.
• Travel to, manage, and execute all assigned programs on-site
• Able to travel more than 50% annually (to all assigned programs for onsite execution)

Qualifications

• Cvent Meeting Management Technology experience (registration, budgets and reconciliation).
• Strong attention to detail and customer service skills; ability to work independently without supervision.
• Proactively add value through consultation to the client regarding best practices and additional ways to make their event successful.
• Must be able to work independently in the absence of supervision with strong attention to detail and customer service skills.
• Strong and accurate verbal and written communication skills; capable of proactive problem solving, anticipating, initiating, and resolving customer or vendor issues.
• Ability to work well under pressure and adapt to ever-changing scenarios, managing a high volume of events simultaneously.
• Ideal candidate possesses 5+ years in a lead planner role.

Skills

• Ability to work productively in home-based office without disruption.
• Ability to think outside the box and tap into creative solutions for client needs.

Benefits

• Flexible Working
• Room to Grow
• Everyone has a voice
• Make your move
• We’ve got you covered