At The Gazette, events, conferences and niche gatherings are an important part of extending our influence, building brand awareness and connecting with our audience. In this way, we create powerful live expressions of our brand that open conversations.

As a member of our employee-owned company, this role participates on an entrepreneurial cross-functional team to build events that are a powerful expression and extension of our brand, an amplification of our journalism and a way to recruit and retain subscribers. It requires a proactive self-starter who thrives in a team approach to planning for and build out of events. This individual will have an exceptional ability to identify ways to apply their strengths to event strategy that will align to the strengths of the Events Manager and brand initiatives team, committed to deliver on commitments, with full accountability and an optimistic and friendly attitude.

The successful candidate will be a creative and strategic thinker with an understanding of the live event space and the elements that will support the planning and implementation of each event. This position will support the Events Manager as well as the Manager of Brand Initiatives, requiring keen attention to detail and strong interpersonal skills with the ability to handle a number of projects simultaneously. A typical event calendar under The Gazette may include wedding expos, career fairs, news forums, holiday events, and our flagship Iowa Ideas conference.

Areas of expertise should include creative thinking, operational and administrative task management, and event implementation support.

Responsibilities And Key Accountabilities

• Work closely with Manager of Brand Initiatives and Events Manager on strategy and execution for events.
• Assist in the coordination of key functions for Gazette events, including but not limited to logistics, contracts, vendors, ticketing, food and beverage, marketing, decor and signage, printed materials and technical aspects.
• Work with sales, marketing and creative teams on implementation and scheduling of event promotional materials including email, print and digital advertisements along with printed programs and onsite signage.
• Assist in managing event budgets and attendee data, including accounts receivable and invoice submission. Provide reports and forecasts to management and event sponsors as directed.
• Assist with event venue on responsibilities for on-site event staff.
• Assist in recruitment and coordination of volunteers for staffing events.
• Work with brand initiatives team to explore new opportunities for collaborations with organizations and other event producers.
• Assist Events Manager and Manager of Brand Initiatives in establishing and managing Gazette advertising, event sales and marketing to create and support event package buys.

Required Skills

• Event coordination or support experience, with knowledge of the technical aspects of event planning
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work across different teams/departments effectively with including Sales, Marketing, Production and the Newsroom.
• Strong project support skills with the ability to prioritize tasks within multiple projects and events simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, in person and in writing.
• Strong problem-solving skills – approaches problems logically with a solution-oriented mindset
• Solid command of Excel, Air Tables or other organization products preferred
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed
• Ability to travel as needed

Qualifications

• 2+ years’ experience working with live events in management or support; experience in the news and media space a plus.
• Interest and enthusiasm for all disciplines of programming that connects people to ideas.
• Strong project support skills, including an ability to manage multiple priorities at once.
• High degree of initiative and orientation toward results with a strong attention to detail.
• Excellent people skills.

EOE. Pre-employment drug screen and background check required.

About The Gazette
Our news operation is a quality-driven media organization that combines digital, print and video for The Gazette and TheGazette.com and associated sites. Our company has a strong tradition of being independent and is 100% employee-owned. The majority of our news team is focused on enterprise reporting and strives to make our community – and state – better. While we’re focused in Cedar Rapids -- Iowa’s second-largest city – we have bureaus in Des Moines and Iowa City, which is home to the University of Iowa. The region is rich with things to do outside of work hours.

Benefits:

• Health, dental, life insurance
• 401k
• ESOP
• Wellness program