Conference & Meeting Planner

Major Duties and Responsibilities:Serve as the subject matter expert for internal or external meeting and event logistics, including by providing guidance and education to stakeholders through the planning processPartner with colleagues to understand meeting and event goals and requirements, providing superior customer service and guidance as a logistics expertManage all logistical aspects of meetings and events in alignment with the goals, specifications, and budgetDevelop and manage timeline requirements, ensuring milestones are reached according to schedule and clear communication is provided to activity manager on progress to meeting deadlinesDevelopment of RFPs for site selection, review responses, document site recommendations with rationale, negotiate contractsManage room set up and AV requirements ensuring proper equipment and services are ordered and providedDocument and manage food and beverage requirementsCoordinate pre and onsite management of registration directly or in collaboration with vendor(s)Establish and monitor hotel room blocks, coordinate reservations, and provide housing list(s) to hotel(s) for member leadership, staff, faculty, vendors, etc.Arrange offsite events including set up, food and beverage, and transportation needs (e.g., faculty dinner, committee reception and/or dinner)Manage ground transportation requirementsProvide onsite management for all logistical detailsDevelop and maintain processes and documents used to manage signage, including capturing text, costs, sizes, sign locations and all other detailsOversee onsite placement of signage in coordination with venue(s)Oversee shipping to venues for meetings and events and return shipping processesSetup onsite staff office, including room setup, supplies, food & beverage requirementsManage meeting budgets to specifications, including setting up direct billing, and processing invoices which include reviewing reconciling and coding expensesServe as the subject matter expert for internal or external meeting and event logistics, including by providing guidance and education to stakeholders through the planning processPartner with colleagues to understand meeting and event goals and requirements, providing superior customer service and guidance as a logistics expertManage all logistical aspects of meetings and events in alignment with the goals, specifications, and budgetDevelop and manage timeline requirements, ensuring milestones are reached according to schedule and clear communication is provided to activity manager on progress to meeting deadlinesDevelopment of RFPs for site selection, review responses, document site recommendations with rationale, negotiate contractsManage room set up and AV requirements ensuring proper equipment and services are ordered and providedDocument and manage food and beverage requirementsCoordinate pre and onsite management of registration directly or in collaboration with vendor(s)Establish and monitor hotel room blocks, coordinate reservations, and provide housing list(s) to hotel(s) for member leadership, staff, faculty, vendors, etc.Arrange offsite events including set up, food and beverage, and transportation needs (e.g., faculty dinner, committee reception and/or dinner)Manage ground transportation requirementsProvide onsite management for all logistical detailsDevelop and maintain processes and documents used to manage signage, including capturing text, costs, sizes, sign locations and all other detailsOversee onsite placement of signage in coordination with venue(s)Oversee shipping to venues for meetings and events and return shipping processesSetup onsite staff office, including room setup, supplies, food & beverage requirementsManage meeting budgets to specifications, including setting up direct billing, and processing invoices which include reviewing reconciling and coding expensesRequired Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree4+ years of experience in meeting planning and registration and housing managementAt least 2+ years of experience working in a team environment with internal and external constituenciesProven track record of successfully planning and executing large-scale, complex conference and meeting planning experience that includes working with convention centers and multiple hotelsStrong customer service skills with proven demonstrated abilities to interact professionally and pleasantly with internal and external clientsExperience planning the logistical aspects of meetings (e.g., working with hotels, event venues, audiovisual vendors, caterers, décor companies)Experience with developing RFPs, sourcing venues and overnight rooms, negotiating contracts, and implementing contract agreementsStrong interpersonal skills that support teaming with a broad array of stakeholders including medical professionals, executive leaders, contractors, consultants, partners, and internal colleaguesDemonstrated ability to organize complex projects, be attentive to details, and deliver accurate work which will influence the success of a projectAbility to work in a fast-paced environment managing multiple meetings and events and the associated tasks simultaneously, to set priorities, and to meet established deadlinesAbility to prioritize under tight timelines to solve problems, while maintaining composure and a positive attitude with meeting and event stakeholdersFlexible and able to work well in a collaborative environment with internal and external constituentsFamiliarity with developing and monitoring budgets and expendituresExcellent creative thinking and proactive problem-solving skillsStrong oral and written communication skills necessary to interface with relevant stakeholdersSuperior organizational skills, highly detail oriented and dedicated to accuracyKnowledge of industry standards and guidelines related to meeting and event planning and implementationExcellent time management skills and ability to staff meetingsAbility to carry out responsibilities independentlyRequirement to periodically work outside of standard work hours to meet deadlines, including the publishing of news from scientific meetings.Ability to be onsite in support of job responsibilities (anticipated at approximately 15% of time annually; may require travel and be up to one week at a time) including work during the evenings and weekendsProficiency with Microsoft Suite of Products (Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel, Outlook) and Adobe ProfessionalAbility and willingness to learn new software applications as necessaryDesired Qualifications:Knowledge of industry standards and guidelines related to medical meetings and eventsExperience with contract negotiations and implementation of contract agreementsExperience using SalesforceCertified Meeting Planner (CMP) Certification