Events Coordinator - (Commercial Services Department)

PART TIME permanent role 22.5 hours - 3 days per week (flexible)

Salary £19, 600 per annum

Fantastic opportunity for a candidate who has worked within an event organising position and possesses financial reporting experience.

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Commercial Services Manager the Commercial Services Officer will work as part of a small team dedicated to generating this income from external and internal clients and will help and assist with the responsibility for organising and delivering an events and hospitality service.

Summer Conferencing

• Proactively engage with existing and new clients to collate booking requirement information in preparation for the summer conferencing period. Ensure that bookings are organised in a timely manner and liaise with the Halls teams to assess availability and most appropriate room/site allocation.
• To support the Residential Conferencing Manager in co-ordinating summer conferencing activities including client and stakeholder liaison, administration of the booking system and related documentation, including issuing terms and conditions with all bookings, hands-on client contact and problem solving.
• On intake act as point of contact and trouble-shooter on problems with bookings including ensuring the client keeps to their agreement on ration of guests to rooms and facilities usage.
• Monitoring of payment plans and invoicing and disputes over terms and conditions of bookings.

Commercial Services

• Contract management duties to include liaising with service providers; monitoring performance and compiling performance reports; acting as contract lead for the organisation and the Commercial Services department.
• Performance reporting duties will include the compilation of reporting statistics and other required information for inclusion in the Monthly Service Report.

Campus Events

• To organise commercial and internal events at the establishment’s venues to the agreed standard and within the agreed procedures, meeting all reasonable customer expectations, and using any internal or third-party contractors to ensure that services are delivered as specified and agreed.

Administration

• To maintain the administration function of the Conference Office to ensure it is always up to date including, helping to maintain and update the Events Diaries, issuing terms & conditions of bookings with all booking details, raising invoices and monitoring contracted deposits and other income, maintaining the log of event expenditure against event sales and to assist in the annual review of charges and tariffs. To manage receipt of monies in accordance with payment agreements and terms and conditions, escalating any issues to the Commercial Services Manager when necessary. To prepare financial report monthly on conferencing income versus forecast liaising with Finance department as required and explain any variances to the Commercial Services Manager.
• To complete regular statistical returns and reports and collate client feedback for external and internal use including reports to board level.
• To organise events ensuring all expenditure is controlled and is in line with financial regulations and procedures, for budgetary cost levels and margins to be met.
• To use, develop and maintain appropriate support systems, literature and appropriate office processes and procedures to help ensure that enquiries and sales leads are speedily and satisfactorily processed, and events are organised.

Marketing & New Business

• Maintain appropriate data to measure and review the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Working with the rest of the team in the research and development of an effective marketing plan to achieve additional business.
• Together with the team, promote the Conference Office of the establishment y by helping to market its assets and services.
• Seek business opportunities by attending trade exhibitions and conferences, making and maintaining suitable contacts, advertising and marketing when necessary.
• To proactively sell to prospective and existing clients and to up-sell and maximise revenue generation from all clients.

Generic Working & Flexibility

• Take a hands-on approach to service delivery involving meet and greet of clients, supervising other university support services and dealing with all Conference Office activities as required.
• Any other duties commensurate with the responsibilities of this post.
• Sustainability
• Assist with and sometimes lead company initiatives concerned with advancing company’s sustainability objectives.

Person specification:

• The ideal candidate will possess previous experience as an Events Coordinator or within an event organising position.
• Possess financial reporting experience is essential and have a good standard of numeracy.
• Hold a degree in Events Management and or finance (or equivalent relevant qualification.
• Previous experience in customer facing role is essential.
• You will possess excellent relationship management skills with the ability to build rapport easily and negotiate confidently with clients at all levels.
• Be proficient in MS Office - particularly Excel.
• Must possess excellent communication skills with a very high standard of written and spoken English.
• Have a good level of report writing and performance reporting skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure and adapt well to changes to suit varying needs of different clients.
• A good team player.
• The ability to come up with creative new ideas and ways of seeing and doing things.
• The ability to travel to different sites of the establishment.
• Car owner/ driver desirable.
• Happy to work evenings and weekends as and when required.
• Candidates living within an easily commutable of the Kingston upon Thames area are preference.