Corporate Events Manager

Driven Brands™, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is the largest automotive services company in North America, providing a range of consumer and commercial automotive services, including paint, collision, glass, vehicle repair, oil change, maintenance, and car wash. Driven Brands is the parent company of some of North America’s leading automotive service businesses including Take 5 Oil Change®, Meineke Car Care Centers®, Maaco®, 1-800-Radiator & A/C®, Auto Glass Now®, and CARSTAR®. Driven Brands has approximately 4,800 locations across the United States and 13 other countries, and services tens of millions of vehicles annually. 

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The opportunity: your role at Driven Brands

The Events Manager will be a member of the Driven Advantage team, the procurement shared services function of Driven Brands.  In this role, you will have lead and shared responsibility for corporate events from planning through logistics to meeting closure.  As such, the Events Manager will have responsibility for multi-million-dollar event budgets that support corporate and franchise brands.

What we look for:

• You are curious and have a drive to continually learn – We are looking for people that see opportunities instead of challenges and question the “why” behind everything we do.
• You have an agile, growth-oriented mindset - What you know matters. But the right mindset is just as important in determining success. We’re looking for people who are innovative, can work in an agile way and keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
• You measure success and take accountability – You’re a person that believes in following things through to their conclusion and takes responsibility for results – positive or negative.

Your key responsibilities:

Project Management – 40%

• Project management – Manage overall project timeline and deliverables including client expectations and business objectives
• Event venue selection and Request for Pricing (RFP) processes with assistance from outside contractors.
• Manage and negotiate vendor contracts for all external event needs including, but not limited to AV/Production, photography and videography, on-site transportation, security, signage and décor design, promotional apparel and items, keynote speakers, food and beverage, and more.
• Source and manage outside partners to provide an excellent customer experience from planning to registration to completion of a meeting / convention.
• Monitor attrition and cancellation dates and policies; ensure contracted services are executed.
• Manage Partner sponsorship program for events against contracts including sponsor communications, sponsorship package and revenue management, and convention booth management.
• Manage all on-site branding, signage, and recognition for conferences and sponsor recognition.
• Perform frequent reviews on internal data, reservations and lodging, housekeeping, scheduling, meeting operations, contractor services, conference rooms, onsite experience and F&B.
• Reconcile invoices, manage invoices and incoming receivables for sponsorships.
• Work closely with security team to ensure risk assessments are completed.
• Ensure secure communication goes out to all attendees, invited guests, contractors, and hotel partners.
• Maintain website, documentation, and references for secure travel, as needed.
• Manage travel arrangements as necessary for internal events.
• Assist with post-event evaluation and debrief sessions to identify areas of success and improvement.

Relationship Management – 40%

• Independently interfaces with day-to-day client contact to ensure business objectives are executed.  

• Creates and maintains event specifications documentation for project team and client.  

• Facilitates kickoff meeting and working sessions with client and stakeholders.  

• Conducts regularly scheduled status meetings from pre-planning through program operation with client and stakeholders. 

• Acts as project team leader, communicates program requirements to team.  

• Provides onsite leadership and support to clients, suppliers, and facilities to ensure all functions or programs occur as planned while monitoring service levels and resolving challenges.
• Work collectively with internal teams including Executive-level stakeholders, Learning & Development, HR, EAs, Marketing, Creative Services and others. 

Financial Management – 20%

• Create budget forecasts and manage forecast to budget to ensure events occur within meeting budget; track changes and savings.
• Responsible for timely and accurate program reconciliation and invoice processing.

• Responsible for program and/or internal supplier revenue forecasting and changes and updating financial systems.  

Minimum Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in event management or related hospitality role
• Experience working on large-scale multi-day events, ideally 1,000 attendees+, including complex and overlapping agenda priorities including General Session, breakouts, tradeshow elements, etc.
• Customer service orientation
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
• Project management, budget and contract management experience
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of peers and business partners, foster and manage working relationships in a matrixed environment
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to tie event results back to strategic business objectives using data and analytical metrics.
• Strong negotiation skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; event management or registration software a plus
• Sense of urgency and independent initiative toward accomplishing objectives
• Ability to problem solve independent of supervision
• Understanding of event lifecycle
• Skilled communicator that can report progress to executive-level stakeholders using project management templates including active log of risks and issues, budget forecasts, and timelines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality or related field of study
• Licensed Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) or Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP)
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

What’s in it for you:

• Accelerate your technical capabilities and transformative leadership skills with on-the-job coaching and performance feedback procedures from an experienced management team.
• Broaden your horizons by working across business segments and organizational functions to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds — both professionally and culturally.
• Bring out the best in yourself with continuous investment in your personal well-being and career development.
• Join a team that likes to have fun.
• A competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. In addition, our benefits package includes medical and dental coverage, and 401(k) plans, and a flexible PTO program. You’ll also be granted time off for designated Paid Holidays, Personal/Family Care, and other leaves of absence when needed to support your physical, financial, and emotional well-being.

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