Event Manager

Business : emap

Brand : Quality Food Awards

Base Location : Croydon, London

Employment Type : Full-time, Permanent, Hybrid

Salary : £32,000 – £35,000 DOE + Bonus

About our company and the brand :

emap is a progressive B2B media, content, events, subscription and networking business. We connect influential people and organisations with a high-value network of decision-makers, data and ideas through our industry-leading B2B portfolio of brands.

Quality Food Awards (QFA) has been running for over 45 years in the UK and over 10 years in Ireland. QFA is a large-scale product awards programme for the grocery retail and foodservice sectors.

Overall Purpose of the Role :

The Event Manager will be responsible for overseeing the logistics for QFA’s awards, judging and bespoke events.

Working within a team of 3, alongside QFA’s Marketing Manager and Sales Manager the Event Manager will report into the QFA Brand Director and be responsible for all operational elements of the QFA event portfolio.

The Event Manager will work in a hybrid setting, based in our Croydon office, 3 days per week and working from home 2 days a week. During judging periods, the Event Manager will be expected to work onsite, up to 5 days a week, sometimes for periods of up to 3-4 weeks.

The Event Manager will be expected to travel regularly, particularly to Dublin, where we run the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards and Judging. The successful candidate will assume logistical responsibility of the QFA event portfolio and will oversee the events from inception through to execution.

Key Responsibilities :

Manage a network of contract and freelance support in the lead up and during judging events taking ownership of recruitment and onsite processes.

Collaborate with central operations team and utilise junior support where required throughout the year, identifying key points for additional support.

Become an ambassador for the brand, attend networking events and build a network of senior contacts in the industry. Build exceptional working relationships with judges.

Manage a portfolio of pre-defined leading industry awards and judging days (physical & virtual) on time, below budget, and to the required standard – ensuring that brand values are met

Management of P&L / Budgets for individual events with a focus on value for money and maximising contribution to the wider business. Tracking and monitoring P&L of individual events – including revenue, costs and profit

Thorough knowledge and tight control of the cost base for each event, ensuring profit targets are beaten

Building cross functional relationships with internal stakeholders to support the success and strategic aims of the event and / or brand.

Building strong relationships with suppliers including AV teams, venues, entertainers, etc. negotiating to ensure the best value is achieved.

Manage customer relationships with critical and strategically important sponsors, judges and delegates, acting as a point of contact. Problem solving, decision making and escalating issues as they arise. Ensuring that the overall experience is positive, exceeds expectations and collates customer feedback identifying areas for improvement.

Fulfill sponsorship deliverables with attention to detail to maximise return on investment.

Analysing year on year performance and leading or participating in event debrief discussions, identifying future trends or improvements.

Identifying areas for event growth and future opportunities for the brands, particularly new launches in the grocery retail sector

Proof-reading content throughout the event process.

Responsible for ownership, accountability, and reporting for all logistical elements of the allocated events

Implementing and scheduling event timelines and planning cycle according to planning framework, ensuring all deadlines are adhered to.

Managing and assisting with full awards entry process.

Managing awards judging days – both in person and virtually. Inviting and maintaining regular communication with judges and VIPs.

Accurate and regular reporting upwards of revenues, profits and KPI’s vs target, recording weekly entries and shortlist conversion rates.

Communicate regularly and coherently all relevant information and key developments with your line manager and full project team.

Working with AV providers to create full-scale first class event production, collating shortlist, winners, and sponsors content to create awards presentations etc.

Liaise with event venues on menus, final numbers, specific event requirements and function sheet.

Produce Risk Assessments and collate Health & Safety documentation from all third-party suppliers.

Working with the Marketing and Content teams to deliver on brand digital and print collateral including proofing and testing event websites, ensuring all event content is brand-aligned and meets guidelines.

Skills and Experience :

Able to demonstrate experience working in a B2B role in awards.

Experience in delivering complex projects / bespoke events, ability to apply own initiative and ideas to process implementation.

Exceptional attention to detail and organisation skills.

Demonstrable knowledge of managing costs within a budget.

Experience of risk assessments / health and safety / contingency planning

Ability to network, connect and foster relationships of a senior level

A personal passion or work experience in food and drink preferred

Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills

Core Competencies :

Exceptional verbal and written communication, with strong negotiation skills.

A strategic thinker with excellent planning, and organisational skills.

The ability to work well under pressure, maintaining high standards in a fast-paced environment while meeting multiple deadlines.

Commercially focused with a strong understanding of finance, profit and loss statements and budgets.

Able to read and interpret data effectively.

Takes a creative approach to every-day challenges

Capability to multitask effectively, and prioritise a high-volume workload across multiple projects.

Can demonstrate sound judgement with the ability to interpret and analyze complex and sensitive information.

A team player, but secure working independently and on own initiative.

Proactive and confident – Not afraid to constructively challenge ideas, where appropriate.

Confident at building strong working relationships both internally and externally.

Willingness to travel abroad for events and be onsite for long periods of time.

Personal Attributes :

Confident and enthusiastic events professional

Organised and resourceful

Self-motivated, self-sufficient and accountable

Deadline driven and results orientated

Team player

Sharp attention to detail

Adaptable and flexible to change