Event Manager

POSITION TITLE

Event Manager

REPORTS TO

Senior Manager, Event Operations

DEPARTMENT

Event Operations

SUPERVISES

None

UPDATED

April 2024

WORK SCHEDULE

This role requires flexibility to support MoPOP’s daytime and evening event operations, including weekends and holidays.

SALARY

$68,972.80

Position Summary

The Event Manager effectively manages all logistics for internal programming and external clients to create high quality events at MoPOP. This includes comprehensive administrative functions and effective coordination with partner departments, contract partners and vendors to ensure successful execution of all events. This role supports all activities planned, with all levels of complexity, within the iconic Frank Gehry-designed museum building. This is a high-volume environment where work productivity, process efficiency and effective communication skills are a must.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (other duties as assigned)

Strategic Event Planning and Coordination:

Manage all aspects of event execution for Venue Experiences and MoPOP Publicly Ticketed and Strategic Partner Events that have an anticipated high attendance and complex production requirements.
Support the Venue Experiences sales team by participating in client site visits, providing sample floor plans, advising on production feasibility and costs, and sharing best practices for event flow and logistics.
Act as the primary contact for clients throughout the event planning process, ensuring clear communication, understanding of event objectives, and collaboration on design, layout, production, logistics, and vendor coordination.
Ensure that all events have signed contracts, deposits, and insurance coverage on file before the event date.
Develop comprehensive event timelines, floor plans, production schedules, cost estimates, client summaries, and prepare final invoices.
Provide leadership and delegate tasks effectively to supporting team members, stage managers, and production staff.
Maintain clear, consistent, and up-to-date communication regarding event logistics with the Event Operations Team, vendors, community partners, campus contacts, city events office, and internal departments.
Participate in or lead production and operational meetings to ensure professional coordination across departments.
Advance all artist requirements, coordinate AV, backline, and hospitality, and schedule load-ins, soundchecks, and loadouts.
Direct all technical production aspects including developing the Run of Show and coordinating script read-throughs, tech rehearsals, and sound checks.
Utilize diagramming software to create event layouts for efficient space use and guest experience.
Manage internal work orders for event services and track change orders efficiently.
Manage vendor contracts and gather required paperwork.
Develop staffing plans for both internal and vendor teams to ensure event needs are met.
Collaborate with the catering team on all food and beverage logistics and operations, ensuring alignment on timing and staffing and service levels.
Ensure compliance with State regulations, permits, and licenses.

Onsite Event Management:

Arrive onsite prior to load-in to prepare all event documents, brief the event support team, and connect with the catering team, MoPOP operational departments, and vendor leads.
Manage the load-in, setup, and tear down of all event-related items, including rentals, AV, staging, equipment, furniture, and décor.
Conduct final walkthroughs with clients to address any last-minute issues or concerns before the event.
Monitor operations throughout the event to ensure compliance with regulations, contracts, timely event services, staffing levels, building security, guest safety, and client satisfaction.
Respond to emergency situations and Code of Conduct violations by following MoPOP’s escalation policy.
Maintain communication concerning any guest of client issues with your Manager and Venue Experiences Lead throughout the event.
Facilitate post-event closeouts, communicate final costs to accounting, collect and file all post-event reports, enter notes into the event management platform, follow up on any issues, and lead debriefs as needed.

Additional Responsibilities:

Ensure MoPOP consistently delivers exceptional guest and client experiences at all events.
Foster and maintain strong relationships within the organization, with partners, and the MoPOP community.
Support and promote our internal culture, empowering staff to uphold our mission to the highest standards.
Contribute to a consistent customer service standard across all departments.
Work to ensure customer service is ingrained at the core of the team and is reflected outward to our guests and other staff.
Commitment to participating in anti-racism work, learning about the ways institutional racism impacts the workplace, and supporting teammates in operationalizing DEIA strategies in the department.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Minimum of 5 (five) years of experience in event planning, coordination, and production, preferably in the arts, entertainment, or hospitality fields.
Ability to demonstrate a deep understanding of venue operations and the process required to plan and manage complex productions within the boundaries of the venue’s capabilities and limited resources.
Extensive knowledge of event permitting and regulations, industry best practices, and safety guidelines.
Excellent relationship-building skills through positive communications.
Highly values collaboration and can work across teams with the ability to influence and lead with kindness and respect to others.
Approaches conflict with a willingness to understand and a genuine desire to find a mutually agreeable solution.
Must be detail-oriented, with strong organizational skills to manage a continuous workflow in a high volume, multi-tasking environment.
Ability to handle stress and stay organized, focused, even-tempered, and congenial when faced with multiple deadlines.
Willing to work a flexible schedule as determined by business volume.
Willing to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Most events end late at night and staff are responsible for their own transportation and/or parking. Please see Staff Benefits for more information.
Proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite.
Experience using event management software and diagraming programs a plus.

Benefits

This regular full-time position includes Medical/Vision insurance, Dental insurance, Life/AD&D/LTD insurance, 3.08 hours of accrued Vacation per bi-weekly pay period, Seattle Sick/Safe, 2-7 Floating Holidays dependent on hire date, 8 Company Holidays paid throughout the year, EAP, 401k plan with vested match schedule once eligible, and subsidized transportation benefits for Orca Pass or parking.

Why MoPOP

We’re really glad you’re thinking about joining the team at MoPOP! We believe pop culture is a universal language capable of building connections across a range of people, no matter our differences in race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, education, socio-economic status, ethnicity, country of origin, or any other characteristic that makes us who we are. For more than twenty years, we have been showcasing how music, film, fashion, video games, sports, and more spark those connections and create a lasting cultural impact.

MoPOP provides both a physical space and an emotional and intellectual opportunity for people from any background to explore, find and build community, and recognize their own creative potential. This applies not only to our guests, but also to our staff — be it in designing an educational program to engage the next generation of creators, trying to reach a new audience with a marketing initiative, preserving an artifact in our collection, or providing excellent customer service to a visitor. If this sounds like something you’d be into, we’d love to hear from you!

MoPOP’s Mission and Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility 

Our mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities. A nonprofit grounded in five core values — open arms, creative exchanges, light bulb moments, pursuing excellence, and excitement — MoPOP is actively committed to ongoing learning in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). In partnership with our community, we hope to also develop safe spaces for their application. This includes taking steps to continue increasing our awareness of institutional “-isms,” as well as uncovering and undoing the ways they show up in museum culture. We recognize this is a process that requires intentionality, energy, and resources, and we are developing a DEIA framework that can cultivate a work environment and museum experience that is truly welcoming for all.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We believe that having staff, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds enables us to better meet our mission and encourage BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA+ individuals to apply. We acknowledge that our work to build safe spaces and better systems for traditionally marginalized groups is ongoing and will require constant vigilance and expect all MoPOP employees to be part of our DEIA journey.

Please email jobs@MoPOP.org if you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process.

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