Manager, Special Events

About Us:

vineyard vines is a highly successful, privately held, American clothing and accessory retailer founded in 1998 on Martha's Vineyard by brothers, Shep and Ian Murray. With Shep & Ian still at the helm today, vineyard vines has experienced exponential year-over-year growth and now operates over 120 retail locations including an outlet division, a successful e-commerce business, a domestic distribution center, and an expanding corporate headquarters. In addition, vineyard vines is carried in major department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdales as well as numerous specialty boutiques across the US.

vineyard vines was founded on a state of mind that Every day should feel this good. You don't need to be on a beach, by the ocean, or on vacation to have "Every day should feel this good" moments. It's a state of mind that we all experience, and one where everyone is invited. At vineyard vines, we don't live an #EDSFTG life away from our desks - we bring it to work with us, too.

In our stores, at our Harbor Drive headquarters, or working remotely, our company culture is fun, encouraging, and welcoming to all. We work hard and play harder, and we never take ourselves too seriously. And while we have many company goals, our number one priority is making vineyard vines a great place to work for all employees. Our team is our family, and we'd never have grown to where we are today without them. We're committed to building an inclusive team across all channels, departments, and stores within our community. We hope you'll join us and see what the smiling pink whale is all about.

Overview:

At vineyard vines, Every Day Should Feel This Good® is more than our tagline—it's the experience we strive to create in every interaction with our customers, partners, and communities.

As Manager, Special Events, you will lead the planning and execution of a diverse portfolio of brand experiences that bring the vineyard vines lifestyle to life. Reporting to the Director, Special Events, you will oversee end-to-end event management across consumer activations, retail events, influencer experiences, wholesale events, executive engagements, and community initiatives.

This role requires a highly organized, creative, and solutions-oriented event professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about delivering elevated guest experiences while ensuring flawless execution.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead Event Planning & Execution

• Manage the planning and execution of multiple events simultaneously, including:

  • Retail store openings and anniversaries

  • Collection launches

  • Brand partnership activations

  • Influencer and creator events

  • Press previews

  • Wholesale customer events

  • Executive meetings and hospitality experiences

  • Community and philanthropic events

  • Consumer-facing lifestyle activations

• Ensure every event reflects vineyard vines' premium brand standards and delivers exceptional guest experiences.

Project & Production Management

• Lead event timelines, production schedules, budgets, vendor management, staffing plans, transportation, hospitality, gifting, and onsite execution.
• Partner with production agencies and vendors to ensure projects remain on budget and on schedule.
• Develop detailed run-of-shows, production documents, contingency plans, and event recaps.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing, PR, Creative, Social Media, Retail, Ecommerce, Merchandising, Wholesale, Product Design, Visual Merchandising, and Talent teams to execute integrated campaigns.
• Coordinate deliverables across departments to ensure consistent messaging and seamless execution.

Vendor & Agency Management

• Manage relationships with venues, production agencies, caterers, entertainment partners, florists, rental companies, transportation providers, photographers, and other vendors.
• Negotiate pricing while maintaining high-quality execution.

Budget Management

• Manage event budgets and purchase orders.
• Track expenses, reconcile invoices, and identify opportunities for cost efficiencies.
• Support annual budget planning alongside the Director.

Event Performance

• Collect post-event metrics including attendance, engagement, earned media, social performance, and business impact.
• Prepare event recaps and recommendations for future improvements.

Team Leadership

• Provide guidance and mentorship to the Events Coordinator.
• Support freelance staff and onsite event teams during execution.

What You Bring:

• 5–8 years of experience in special events, experiential marketing, hospitality, or brand activations

• Experience managing multiple large-scale events from concept through execution

• Strong project management and organizational skills

• Experience managing vendors, agencies, and production partners

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

• Strong budgeting and financial management experience

• Ability to remain calm under pressure and solve problems quickly

• Willingness to travel and work evenings and weekends as business needs require

Every Day Will Feel This Good Because:  

• We have a fun-spirited entrepreneurial culture filled with truly “good” people
• We offer a generous employee discount so you can rep our lifestyle on-and-off the boat
• We offer a competitive salary package, 401-K, commuter benefits, and paid-family leave, health savings, flex spending accounts, life & disability insurance
• We have an onsite gym as well as health & financial wellness programs to keep you active
• We offer 2 summer Fridays to take off in addition to a competitive vacation policy & holiday calendar