This position manages, plans, develops and executes the City of Lancaster's major events and manages special event permitting. The position enhances the Lancaster experience through program development and assists local groups and individuals with the special events permitting process.
- Event Development and Management
- Develop and manage annual events such as First Fridays, Music Fridays, Red Rose Run, Celebrate Lancaster, Juneteenth, Hispanic Heritage Month, Welcoming Week, and Downtown Lancaster for the Holidays.
- Handle all event logistics, including contracting with entertainment, managing vendors, and developing layouts.
- Supervise volunteers and direct city services on event days.
- Budget Management:
- Manage event budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility for amounts exceeding $300,000.
- Monitor expenses and revenues, providing regular financial reports.
- Develop revenue generation strategies to offset event-related expenses.
- Community Collaboration:
- Collaborate with community groups, schools, local businesses, and organizations to create and promote beneficial programs.
- Work with the LOOP team to enhance community programming through public art, small business promotion, and residential engagement.
- Strategic Development:
- Partner with the Director and Bureau Chief on strategic event programming.
- Activate public spaces through increased engagement programming.
- Marketing and Promotion:
- Inform marketing strategies to promote events and programs through various channels like social media, city websites, local media, and print materials.
- Work with the communications team to design promotional materials, press releases, and advertisements.
- Administrative Support:
- Maintain updated vendor, entertainment, volunteer, and special event resource files and databases.
- Serve as the primary contact for event and program stakeholders, including city officials, vendors, volunteers, and community members.
- Assist local groups and individuals with special event development and staging.
- Oversee the recruitment, training, and management of volunteers for LOOP events.
- Provide support and guidance for LOOP co-sponsored special events.
- Evaluation and Compliance:
- Collect and analyze feedback from event participants and stakeholders to prepare reports on event outcomes.
- Ensure all events and programs comply with city regulations, safety standards, and risk management policies.
- Develop and implement contingency plans for potential issues and emergencies.
Education, Training and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Hospitality Management, Marketing, Communications or related applicable field or the equivalent in education and experience is required.
- Two to five years experience in management of special events or project management is desirable.
Licenses and Certificates
- Possession of a valid Pennsylvania State Driver’s License is required.
Environmental Conditions
- Exposed to inclement weather and extreme temperature, including long periods of standing outdoors.
- Works outdoors and indoors with, or without, heat and/or air conditioning.
- Exposure to noise and pollution.
Safety Equipment Used or Needed
Comments
- Requires ability to work in the evenings, weekends and holidays as instructed.
- Requires ability to work long hours.
- This description was prepared to indicate the kinds of activities and levels of work difficulty required of positions in this class. It is not intended as a complete list of specific duties and responsibilities.
- Knowledge of safe practices in special events.
- Knowledge of business and management principles in involved in planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, production methods and coordination of people and resources.
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services.
- Ability to manage event logistics and handle multiple projects with attention to detail.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, diverse environment and manage time effectively.
- Proven success ability to plan, execute, and manage special events and programs.
- Strong leadership, analytical, project management, organizational, communication, and decision-making skills.
- Experience in high-level presentation, interaction, and collaboration with management.
- Skill in developing goals and plans to prioritize, organize and accomplish work.
- Proven knowledge, understanding and use of Microsoft (or similar) suite of tools (Windows, Word and Excel) and familiarity with e-mail and the Internet.
- Computer literate with a knowledge of event booking and diagramming systems
- Proven ability to read, write, speak and comprehend English.
- Ability to establish, develop, and maintain good working relationships with clients, sponsors, and staff members
- Ability to prepare and present comprehensive written and oral reports and speeches.
- Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects with attention to detail in completing work tasks.
- Ability to manage logistics of special events.
- Ability to work in a fast paced and diverse environment.
- Ability to manage own time and the time of others.
- Ability to deal calmly and effectively in high stress situations.
- Ability to supervise temporary workers and volunteers.
- Proven ability to work as part of a team and to collaborate successfully with others.
- Proven ability to adapt to new or changed situations and to show flexibility in making improvements in work processes and operations.
- Proven ability to exhibit customer-centered behaviors and to focus on customer needs.
- Proven ability to commit to excellence in service and to continuous improvement.
- Strong leadership, analytical, project management, organizational, business continuity, communications, and executive decision-making skills.
- Ability to identify, analyze, and implement innovative solutions from routine to complex operational and management problems in the areas of Special Events.
