Director of Event Operations

Large-Scale Event Production | 1,000 Attendee Events

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Events Director to lead the strategy, planning, and flawless execution of our large-scale, high-profile events, including live conferences, summits, and experiential activations drawing 1,000 attendees. This role owns the full event lifecycle: venue selection and contract negotiation, vendor and BEO management, AV/production, security, and infrastructure coordination, through on-site execution and post-event analysis. The ideal candidate is a seasoned operator who has run major-venue events at scale, knows how to protect the company through airtight agreements and risk mitigation, and can lead event staff team of five (5) and onsite event crews of 150 with clarity, accountability, and high morale.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end production of events with 1,000 attendees, from concept through post-event debrief, ensuring every event meets brand, budget, and safety standards.
• Source, evaluate, and negotiate agreements with major venues (convention centers, arenas, hotels, stadiums), securing favorable terms and clear liability, cancellation, and insurance language.
• Manage the full BEO process: build, review, and finalize Banquet Event Orders with venues and catering partners, and audit BEOs on-site against contracted deliverables.
• Coordinate AV, electrical, and power vendors, including load calculations, generator/backup power planning, rigging, and staging, to prevent day-of production failures.
• Lead security planning and vendor coordination, including credentialing, crowd management, emergency response protocols, and coordination with venue and local authorities.
• Oversee internet and connectivity infrastructure (bandwidth planning, redundancy, vendor SLAs) to support registration, livestream, and production needs.
• Recruit, train, schedule, and lead event staff teams of 150 (temporary, contract, and volunteer), including team leads, to ensure smooth check-in, floor operations, and guest experience.
• Build and manage event budgets ($500K–$5M ), track spend against forecast, and identify cost efficiencies without compromising quality.
• Review and negotiate all vendor contracts and agreements (AV, security, staffing, power, internet, catering) to protect the company from financial and legal exposure.
• Serve as the on-site senior decision-maker during events, resolving production, staffing, and vendor issues in real time.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and Risk teams on contract review, certificates of insurance, and compliance requirements.
• Conduct post-event analysis and debriefs, capturing lessons learned, vendor performance scorecards, and recommendations for future events.
• Build scalable SOPs, staffing playbooks, and vendor-management frameworks that support company growth into larger and more frequent events.

Required Qualifications

• 8 years of experience in event production/management, with a proven track record of producing multiple events with 1,000 attendees.
• Direct experience working in and negotiating with major venues (convention centers, arenas, large hotel/conference properties).
• Deep working knowledge of BEOs, AV production, electrical/power planning, security operations, and internet/connectivity infrastructure.
• Demonstrated success recruiting, training, and managing event staff team of five (5) and onsite event crews of 150 , including team-lead structures.
• Strong contract negotiation and vendor management skills, with an eye toward risk mitigation and protecting company interests.
• Proven budget ownership for large-scale events, including forecasting, reconciliation, and cost control.
• Exceptional composure and decision-making under pressure, particularly during live, on-site production.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills across executive, vendor, and staff audiences.
• Availability to travel as needed and work non-standard hours, including weekends, around event dates.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Event Management, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience) preferred
• Experience in the conference/summit industry
• Familiarity with event technology platforms (registration, credentialing, RFID/badge scanning, CRM integration)

What Success Looks Like

• Ensuring stellar attendee experiences
• Events run on time, on budget, and without safety or production incidents.
• Vendor agreements consistently protect the company's financial and legal interests.
• Event staff teams are well-trained, engaged, and retained event over event.
• Leadership has full visibility into risk, budget, and contingency plans before doors open.