Events Manager

Job Description

We are currently recruiting for an Events Manager in our Marketing team in the London office.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE
The business development, marketing, and communications team is integral to setting and achieving the firm's global client strategy. This includes guiding partners and associates in their pursuit of becoming clients' trusted advisers, building and maintaining long-lasting, deep institutional client relationships, winning new clients, increasing the visibility of the firm globally, and positioning the firm as the thought leader and most advanced law firm among the global elite law firms.

The function works as one team across the globe, with very close collaboration between the central groups (such as communications) and professionals working in local offices, practice groups, sectors, and clients.

The Central Events Team is a medium-sized team of events professionals based in A&O Shearman's London office.

• The team delivers an end-to-end event management solution for A&O Shearman's client and internal events. Individuals have in-depth involvement in the identification and planning phases for event marketing activities.
• The team makes recommendations, implements best practice globally, and provides outstanding event marketing support to the business's client relationship programme.
• The team is responsible for a variety of strategic events, ranging from creative London-based dinners and drinks receptions to training-based global offsites and content-rich conferences.

ROLE PURPOSE
The Events Manager runs market-leading global events with creative execution to ensure our events are differentiated from competitors in the market. This person has in-depth involvement in the identification and planning phases for events and is fully aware of the role events marketing plays in achieving the wider firm's strategic vision. They confidently make recommendations to partners and senior business development colleagues whilst implementing events best practice globally.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for the delivery of internal conferences in the UK and Globally, from event brief to execution (100-500 pax). This role involves global travel.
• Lead on client-related events with multiple partners (across our global offices and practice groups) from the initial brief through to on-site execution and debrief.
• Assessing the business value of an event and giving guidance where appropriate.
• Supporting the head of the team with special strategic-focused projects.
• Demonstrates expertise in event production, supplier negotiation, event contracting, logistics, and delegate management.
• Devising creative and innovative event concepts which meet objectives and budget.
• Communicating with and gaining the confidence of fee-earners in relation to their events.
• Ensuring that the reputation of the business and A&O Shearman's values is reflected at events.
• Qualitative and quantitative post-event analysis for holistic ROI reporting.
• Giving full support to any member of the business undertaking client entertainment (within the team threshold).
• Supporting team members pre and on-site with events, as required.
• Promoting compliance with the firm's risk management and other policies and working practices.
• Developing best practice and implementing and maintaining consistency in team template documents.
• Introducing innovative new ideas to contribute to the business's strategic priorities through event marketing.
• Staying abreast of competitor activity and all new developments/venues/suppliers within the events industry.
• Line management responsibility for Executive level and below within the team (one to two team members).
• Leading on small to mid-size strategic projects to support the head of the team and taking ownership of those projects.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Experienced UK and Global events manager with at least two years experience at manager level.
• Confident in developing virtual platforms and app technology with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Relevant experience in all areas of event marketing at an equivalent manager level within an in-house professional services or client-focused corporate agency environment.
• Excellent London and Global venue knowledge preferential.
• Knowledge of virtual event technology and delivery platforms.
• Committed to demonstrating the strategic value of event marketing.
• Meticulous attention to detail with an exceptional standard of delivery and service.
• Excellent project management skills - communicating actions, progress, and concerns promptly and regularly.
• Thrives on deadlines with an ability to flex agreed processes appropriately to meet tight time frames.
• Exceptional organisational, verbal, and written communication skills, with solid problem-solving ability.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills to ensure buy-in.
• Resilient and comfortable with limited resources, always remaining calm under pressure.
• Strong commerciality, negotiation skills, and sound judgement.
• Displays a passionate, confident, determined, friendly, and approachable outlook.
• Encourages knowledge-sharing approaches and actively seeks, and learns from, others' perspectives.
• A critical thinker who challenges established thinking and processes, continually learning and seeking new ideas.
• Embraces change and communicates change effectively.
• Willingness to work additional hours when required (e.g., breakfast seminars and dinners).
• Willingness to travel overseas for work as and when required (approximately 30% of this role will involve global travel).
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, and experience of using events management software (e.g., Monday.com, Eventogy, Vuture, Dynamics etc.) and virtual event technology platforms (e.g., MS Teams, Zoom, WebEx, etc.).

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.