Senior Manager, Meetings and Events

POSITION SUMMARYSenior Manager, Meetings and Events is responsible for the logistics management of APA staff, vendor, special group housing, transportation services, and APA Component, Allied Group Meetings & Events during the Annual Meeting. Responsible for the operational management of all the logistical arrangements for the APA Wellness Conference. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Responsible for the Annual Meeting logistics: 

• Manage the housing company: 

• Develop RFP, conduct pre-conference site visits, site selections and review hotel contracts in conjunction with the Meetings Director. 

• Establish housing procedures for VIPs, staff, special group housing, vendors and general membership. 

• Responsible for Department Head correspondence regarding staff housing. 

• Provide special housing information to all staff liaisons regarding special housing policies. 

• Establish specific room blocks with housing company and create separate URL sites for each group. 

• Production and copyediting of housing information for the Preliminary Meeting Guide and website. 

• Coordinates APA staff, vendor, special group and attendee housing. 

• Prepare and disseminate credit applications for master billing at hotels and other facilities. 

• Monitor customer service issues (i.e. phone call responsiveness, confirmation turn-around time, cancellation procedures, sub-block tracking and room-block history). 

• Monitor all room sub-blocks, tracking large sub-block usage. 

• Serve as liaison between housing company and APA staff liaisons for all special housing requirements. 

• Work with housing company on-site to avoid "walk" situations and handle on-site membership/staff housing needs. 

• Work with hotel and housing company on night auditor reports while on-site to capture rooms that were booked outside APA's sleeping room block. 

• Reconcile hotel invoices for all staff housing. 

• Review housing reports to accurately track and predict APA's housing requirements for the Annual Meeting. 

• Maintain annual historical housing reports. 

• Manage transportation services: 

• Develop RFPs to coordinate the shuttle bus vendor to perform city-wide transportation arrangements and sedan services for the President and CEO. 

• Track and follow up on commissions and bus rebates due to APA. 

• Responsible for billing and reconciling invoices. 

• Manage all logistics for APA Component Meeting activities within the official hotels and venues: 

• Produce the APA Component and Allied Book. 

• Manage the ancillary onsite staff office. 

• Act as liaison between APA staff, members and hotel employees, resolving conflicts where applicable. 

• Provide menu selections, guarantees, review and sign daily BEO’s for events being held in contracted hotel properties 

• Billing invoice reconciliation and coding for payment. 

• Manage logistics for Allied Group Meetings within the official hotels and venues: 

• Develop online meeting request forms. 

• Manage client space and menu selections, billing database and correspondence. 

• Provide weekly financial reports to the Executive Team. 

• On-site operational management. 

• Manage and approve event orders from official hotels, venues, outside convention center and vendors in advance of the meeting including: 

• AV 

• Menu selections 

• Room sets 

• Any special requirements 

• Manage billing invoices and reconciliation for the official hotels, venues, outside of convention center and vendors: 

• Prepare spreadsheets with codes, costs and account number summaries for payment 

• Cost approvals from key staff prior to submission to accounting for final approval 

• Manage the specification book databases for the Annual Meeting for distribution to hotels, vendors and staff. 

• Manage logistics for the President’s Reception and Publishing Reception during the Annual Meeting. 

• Handle “pop-up” meetings (i.e., Finance and Budget, Membership Committee, etc.) and transient 

         housing reservations as assigned. 

• Draft and issue detailed Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to secure contracts with housing vendors, transportation providers, and prospective hotels/venues. 

• Attend industry conferences and networking events to build relationships with hotel sales directors, vendors, and business events professionals, enhancing the organization’s visibility and vendor portfolio. 

• Participate in professional development opportunities to remain current with best practices, compliance standards, and emerging trends in meeting and event planning. 

• Evaluate and implement new strategies based on industry trends to enhance the efficiency and impact of meetings and events. 

• Supervise temporary personnel during events. 

• Perform other duties as required. 

COMPETENCIES 

The Senior Manager, Meeting and Event's performance on these duties and responsibilities will be measured using the following competencies: 

SCOPE & IMPACT 

• Responsible for the daily activities of all aspects of a body of work or publication  

• Requires thorough knowledge of a technical or specialized skill that is typically gained through formal or specialized training and/or experience 

• Success is frequently measured by metrics associated with completing a functional set of department or program projects or initiatives and demonstrating defined organizational work environment behavior 

COMPLEXITY, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION-MAKING 

• Guidelines allow more latitude because they may be less specific 

• The selection and interpretation of guidelines involve choosing from alternatives where all are correct but one is better than another depending on the given circumstances 

• May contribute to budgetary goals through proper administration of projects/activities 

• Identifies novel and complex problems and issues.  Designs and implements solutions with management approval. Designs are likely to include alternatives 

• Recognizes complex problems and escalates them to the appropriate level 

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT & AUTHORITY 

• Relationships span levels internally and externally and center on partnering with clients/customers and organizational partners 

• Uses diplomatic skills to obtain trust and cooperation to resolve issues and/or non-routine matters, manage projects, or achieve appropriate solutions 

• Likely to represent the organization as a liaison to APA governance and other external coalitions and audiences with feedback provided to management 

ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE 

• Demonstrates a high level of knowledge of department or program’s processes, relationships, and responsibilities as well as the interactions within the organization  

  REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in the hospitality industry with at least seven years’ experience or an 

         equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• CMP (Certified Meeting Planner) is preferred. 

• Two years of supervisory experience is required. 

• This position requires a high level of organizational and time management skills. The individual must be able to work effectively under pressure and possess the capability to establish priorities and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. 

• The individual should have strong oral and written communication skills along with a high level of interpersonal skills to interact effectively with staff, members and suppliers. 

• This position requires a strong knowledge of computer software (MS Word, Excel and Outlook). 

• Experience with hotel and service vendor contract negotiation. Hands-on experience with general preparation of meetings, audiovisual equipment, registration and onsite logistical management. 

EOE, Including Disability/Vets