Job Description
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Manager, Events is charged with managing and supporting events for the Sundance Institute. This work includes building operational/logistical plans and executing events, securing venues, building run of shows, managing budgets, etc. Our Manager, Events will also manage a team of seasonal event staff to produce a slate of events during the annual Sundance Film Festival.
Working closely under the Associate Director, Events, the Manager, Events is a key member of the Advancement Department and the Institute Operations team. The Manager will plan, produce, and support Institute, partner, and experiential events including Advancement events like national fundraisers and cultivation events, among others.
This full-time position is based out of our Park City, Utah office with regular opportunities for remote work. Extended hours, including mornings, evenings, and weekends will be required at key points throughout the year. Occasional travel to work onsite at Institute events, festivals, and labs will be required.
Top priorities include but are not limited to
• Managing timelines, procedures, and deadlines related to the Events Department across multiple departments and stakeholders, including maintaining an accurate Festival Event Calendar.
• Managing and building the annual Festival events and venues budgets, as well as budgets for other assigned events, including reconciling event expenses and revenue, and tracking and processing invoices.
• Preparing and routing Festival contracts for approval with the Finance and Legal Departments.
• Attending operational meetings to update and collaborate with internal departments to meet all event needs.
• Working closely with the Corporate Advancement Department to oversee corporate sponsor activations at events and assist official groups in event planning.
• Facilitating special events and local consent permitting with Park City, Summit County, and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC), including preparing applications, providing supporting documentation, and submitting for approval.
• Overseeing Festival beverage logistics, including estimating projections, processing orders, coordinating deliveries, preparing a distribution plan, and ensuring compliance with Utah state laws.
• Continually building relationships with Official Providers, In-Kind Partners, city officials, the DABC, venue owners, and vendors to retain and grow current partnerships while soliciting and developing new partnerships.
• Identifying, negotiating rates, and hiring all necessary vendors and venues, as well as conducting ongoing venue research and working to create new venue opportunities.
• Ensuring strategic development goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and programming elements are incorporated into future Festival planning.
• In partnership with the Associate Director and Advancement team, acting as a strategist for fundraising and cultivation events to engage donors and prospects and grow revenue as well as planning, managing, and supporting events nationwide.
• Managing Festival seasonal employees, including selecting and training individuals in collaboration with Associate Director and delegating appropriate and meaningful work to ensure employees are effective in their roles.
• Establishing training plans and content, and conducting staff training in collaboration with other departments.
• Leveraging existing regional travel plans and activities of Sundance Institute programs to partner and incorporate cultivation and stewardship opportunities.
• Supporting program concepts, creating runs of show, and managing events onsite to ensure all elements are executed successfully (production, tech, program participation, remarks, food & beverage, guest relations, vendors, entertainment, etc.)
• Managing travel for guests and entertainment for assigned events.
• Soliciting and managing attendance at events by working directly with Advancement department colleagues.
• Tracking invites, RSVPS, and attendance lists in NetSuite database and issuing accurate acknowledgement letters by working directly with Advancement department colleagues.
• Working directly with the Marketing team on invite workflows and invitations, design approvals, and advancement deliverables, including credit lines, logo recognitions, line listing, etc.
• Performing research on current trends in the event industry and incorporating best practices into events to meet or exceed industry standards.
You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.
• 3 years experience producing events, including food and beverage logistics as well as cultivation and stewardship events.
• Strong leadership skills with a background that includes demonstrated excellence in managing employees.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills to work effectively with all levels of staff, external vendors, and a variety of people.
• Experience managing, meeting budget constraints, meeting revenue goals.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.
• Ability to move, lift, and carry items up to 50 lbs. and to stand and walk for extended hours daily (12+ hours).
• Knowledge of Splash That, NetSuite, and other event databases preferred.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to maintain multiple projects simultaneously preferred.
You will be successful in this role if you...
• Support the Associate Director, Events with strategy, creation and execution of all Institute events to help drive donations, stewardship, and press as prioritized by each event
• Help to identify and cultivate new event models and opportunities
• Creatively identify how best to integrate events and event best practices as an extension of live and digital experiential activities (e.g. partner events, panels, private screenings, etc.)
• Lead and optimize all event operational systems (e.g. invitations, vendor agreements, location relationships and lists, etc.)
In addition to an annual salary of $54,000.00, this position comes with awesome benefits & perks, including:
• 25 paid holidays
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• Paid sick, family, and medical leave
• 401(k) with automatic 3% employer contribution after one year of employment
• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)
Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rj98b2-54-224-70-148-42 in your application.