Job Summary – The Event Specialist is responsible for supporting the planning, coordination and execution of association and corporate meetings, conferences, trade shows and special events. This role will work closely with Client Directors, association teams, corporate clients, vendors and venues to ensure all event logistics are organized, accurate and delivered with a high level of professionalism.

The Event Specialist must be comfortable managing planning details from pre-event coordination through onsite execution, including banquet event orders, venue and vendor communication, contract review, registration support, food and beverage planning, room block coordination, event timelines and onsite logistics. The Event Specialist reports to the assigned Client Director or Account Lead for each client or event.

Core Values

• Passion
• Enthusiasm
• Collaboration
• Candor
• Solutions Oriented
• Accountability
• Purpose

Major Responsibility Areas (MRAs)

• Support the planning and execution of association and corporate conferences, meetings, trade shows, board meetings, networking events and special programs.
• Review, organize and manage BEO’s, ensuring accuracy across food and beverage counts, room sets, audiovisual needs, timelines, guarantees, floorplans and event logistics.
• Assist with contract review and negotiations for hotels, venues, vendors, speakers, entertainers, transportation, audiovisual providers and other event partners.
• Coordinate with venues and vendors to confirm event details, deadlines, pricing, concessions, attrition, cancellation terms and other key contract requirements.
• Support food and beverage planning, including menu selections, dietary restrictions, guarantees, pricing review and final event order confirmations.
• Manage and maintain event timelines, production schedules, planning documents, checklists and internal status updates.
• Support registration processes, including attendee tracking, registration reporting, badge preparation, confirmation communications and onsite registration desk management.
• Assist with hotel room block management, including reservation tracking, pickup reports, cutoff dates, attrition monitoring and communication with hotel partners.
• Coordinate exhibitor, sponsor and attendee logistics as needed, including show services, floorplans, signage, shipping, lead retrieval and onsite support.
• Support the development and review of event materials, including agendas, signage, programs, mobile app content, speaker materials, scripts, surveys and attendee communications.
• Participate in internal and client planning meetings, prepare notes and follow up on assigned action items.
• Communicate professionally and promptly with clients, attendees, members, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors and internal team members.
• Respond within 24 hours to event-related inquiries received via email or phone from clients, attendees, members, sponsors, exhibitors and vendors.
• Support onsite event execution, including registration, room set reviews, vendor coordination, speaker support, attendee assistance, sponsor/exhibitor support and troubleshooting.
• Assist with post-event wrap-up, including invoice review, budget reconciliation support, attendee surveys, vendor follow-up and event recaps.
• Manage own time allocation to budget and communicate proactively regarding priorities, deadlines and potential overages.
• Approximately 40% of time may be devoted to travel for client-related event obligations, including occasional evenings, weekends and international travel.

Required Skills

Technical

Experience reviewing banquet event orders, event contracts, room sets, floorplans, registration lists, hotel rooming lists and vendor agreements.

Knowledge of event planning processes for conferences, meetings, trade shows, board meetings and corporate programs.

Experience with or willingness to learn association management systems and event platforms such as MemberClicks, YourMembership, Higher Logic, Cvent, Eventbrite or similar tools.

Knowledge and/or willingness to learn Microsoft Office 365, project management tools, registration systems, email marketing platforms, survey tools and other event, marketing and administrative software as identified.

Ability to review event budgets, vendor estimates, invoices and contracts with strong attention to accuracy.

Interpersonal

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Strong proofreading and detail-review skills, especially related to contracts, BEOs, event timelines and attendee-facing materials.

Exceptional organization, diligence and follow-through with the ability to manage multiple events, clients and deadlines at once.

Professional, polished and solutions-oriented communication style with clients, vendors, venues, attendees and internal team members.

Ability to remain calm, flexible and resourceful in a fast-paced environment, including onsite event settings.

Strong judgment and confidence in identifying potential issues before they become problems.

Core Competencies

Customer Orientation: Demonstrates eagerness for satisfying external and internal customers quickly, professionally and effectively.

Attention to Communication: Ensures that information is shared with those who need to be kept informed. Keeps managers, clients and team members informed about progress, deadlines and potential concerns; avoids surprises.

Initiative: Anticipates what needs to be done before being asked or before the situation requires it.

Fostering Collaboration: Provides assistance, information and support to colleagues, clients and vendors to build and maintain strong working relationships.

Problem Solving: Identifies event-related issues, evaluates possible solutions and helps move decisions forward in a calm and practical manner.

Attention to Detail: Reviews event documents, contracts, timelines, BEOs and communications carefully to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Education/Experience

5+ years of event planning, meeting coordination, hospitality, association management, corporate event or professional services experience.

Experience supporting association conferences, corporate meetings, trade shows or multi-day events preferred.

Experience working with hotels, venues, caterers, audiovisual vendors or other event partners preferred.

CMA works on a hybrid schedule, with 3 days in the office and 2 days working remotely.