Job Order: 5481
Staff Representative: Tim Jadwin
Position: Meeting Manager
Location: New York
Company Summary:
An accredited, full-service medical education company with an excellent work environment and top-notch client roster. They are involved in the research, design, and implementation of educational programs for health care professionals.
Description:
Function(s):
The primary function of the Meeting Manager is to work closely with the account team to manage and provide guidance for the logistical portion of a meeting. The Meeting Manager is the logistical team lead that will manage all aspects of the logistical criteria involved in planning and implementing a meeting and/or event. As the logistical team meeting lead, the Meeting Manager interfaces proactively with account management, various support services departments, grantors, venue staff, travel agency staff, audio-visual representatives, representatives, ground transportation representatives, on-site staffing and other service suppliers as required.
The Meeting Manager is responsible for being proactive with the account team and providing creative options concerning logistics. They are responsible for managing all details concerning the meeting logistics. The Meeting Manager must be able to simultaneously manage several meetings at one time while delivering a high level of customer service to each account team. They must have a strong ability to multi-task. They will manage the financial logistics portion of the meeting and require excellent negotiation skills. Responsibilities include leading the entire logistical team to be creative and display a positive and flexible attitude while delivering a high level of customer service to the account team, grantor and participants. They must always display teamwork, leadership skills, creativity, positive attitude, flexibility and a high level of customer service. They must be detail oriented, organized and have excellent computer skills. It is their responsibility to lead the Meeting Coordinator and Meeting Assistant in their roles supporting the meeting.
Responsibilities:
This will include site selection, site inspection (and report), creative proposal development, contract negotiation, vendor selection and management, logistical communications development and distribution, financial management (budget, reconciliation, expense reports, SMART), meeting space management, food/beverage planning, audio-visual coordination, off-site event proposals, selection and management, on-site staffing and training, preparation of program operations manual, DMS management, basic understanding of EXCEL, WORD merging/extracting for communications of confirmation, reimbursements, departure notice etc. They are responsible for creating a positive logistics team for each meeting and assuring that each logistics team member displays a professional manner and positive attitude along with a proactive approach. They will need to set-up logistics team meetings that have agendas along with follow-up communication detailing tasks and responsibilities for each team member.
Required Travel:
35-40%
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s or Hospitality Management degree preferred
- Minimum of 5 or more years of meeting planning or elated experience
- Strong computer skills (Excel & Word), Contract Negotiations
- In-house responsibilities
- Conduct site searches, site inspections (if necessary) and prepare thorough and creative proposals with spreadsheets to include hotel description, availability, rate, web page or brochure samples, access to airport, area options for special events or activities, etc.
- Identify support vendors (AV, special events, meeting support material) and provide them with meeting specs, obtain a minimum of two bids and initiate contract, negotiate (if appropriate) and coordinate throughout meeting process.
- Interact with account team to develop initial registration/response form for invitation.
- Prepare budget cost specifications to include hotel, travel agency as well as any additional components for all anticipated functions. Manage all components of logistical budget and final reconciliation.
- Develop and prepare program operations binder/folder for account team, MES team, on-site program manager and on-site working staff.
- Create program communication, detail sheet and other logistics for completion of meeting-specific correspondence and support materials. Communicate information to the Meeting Coordinator or Meeting Assistant.
- Develop, proofread and approve all confirmation, final and welcome communications, reimbursement, agendas, etc. prepared and distributed by MES. Manage the production and distribution of this information.
- Detail communication to the hotel for all planning of logistics. This includes setting up master billing and billing instructions, rooming list, food and beverage requirements, recreational activities, security, etc. .
- Direct for proposals and planning off-site events. This includes guest speakers, airport transfers, off-site functions, planned activities, entertainment, photographer, and on-site staffing.
- Arrange for appropriate on-site staff among selected preferred program managers, communicate program details, manage and process payment for services.
- Design and order signs, tent cards, name badges and time-and-events brochures, driving instructions, luggage tags, and amenities.
- Review rooming list and arrival and departure lists to ensure accuracy.
- Submit rooming list and arrival and departure lists to hotel and destination management company.
- Conduct logistical team meetings prior and following account team meetings with agendas and follow-up task/responsibility notes.
- Develop, review and route final mailing materials to include final letter, logistical fact sheet, driving instructions, agenda, luggage tags, leave behind cards, hotel information/brochure and include airline tickets.
- Develop and review all logistical materials to be distributed to participants on-site (i.e., welcome letters, departure notices, reimbursement forms, child notices, dine around form, activity request forms, guest meal management, name badges, housekeeping notes etc.).
- Initiate payment and tracking of invoices for vendors, prepare and submit expense reports and cash advances.
- Prepare logistical detail agendas prior to each account Team meeting and follow-up detailed follow-up notes confirming decisions/directions outcome from meeting. These email notes should indicate task, timing and individual responsible for follow through.
- On-site responsibilities
- Conduct and manage pre-convention with hotel.
- Review banquet event orders and hotel resume, rooming list and arrival departure manifests with appropriate hotel staff to ensure accuracy.
- Review final program details with meeting team and conduct property tour.
- Review program with destination management company, arrival/departure manifest.
- Visit off-site function locations and tours if possible.
- Check VIP sleeping rooms for appropriate accommodations and arrange for VIP check-in.
- Provide operations manual information to all on-site staff to implement meeting and train and brief them on grantor expectations.
- Arrange for amenity delivery with card (if necessary)
- Work seamlessly with account team to implement meeting and provide a high level of customer service to account team, grantor and participants.
- Inventory meeting shipment, track missing pieces and set-up office and registration/hospitality.
- Manage and direct program details; including suite, meeting room set-up, audio-visual, registration/hospitality, food functions, planned activities, recreational activities, on-site staff, transportation, entertainment, communication and special events.
- Oversee meeting account folios and billing.
- Oversee on-site staff, ground operations to ensure each meeting participant is transported to and from meeting, hotel accommodations are available and welcome packet with correct name badge.
- Manage return shipment of materials and shredding/destroying extra material.
- Post Meeting
- Prepare vendor reconciliation (i.e., hotel, destination management, audio-visual, etc.).
- Verify and approve participant and faculty reimbursements.
- Prepare proper invoice payment, expense reports, and final budget management.
- Submit appropriate documentation to the central files.
- Send meeting follow-up email thanking project team for opportunity and communicating any specific accomplishments, teamwork or areas of concern.
- Follow each meeting with MES Meeting Services Survey.
- Follow-up with a meeting summary to be distributed to the account team
