Sr. Conference Manager, Production Experience and Marquee Content

Job Description

Gartner is searching for a Senior Manager to work on Gartner’s global conferences. As Senior Manager, Production Experience & Marquee Content, you will be a team leader as well as lead multi-region planning, pre-production, and on-the-ground execution of multiple complex conference sessions and projects within Gartner’s Production Experience Center of Excellence. In this role, the Senior Manager will provide customer-centric project management services and overall support at the highest level possible for our clients and presenters. A successful candidate will thrive in a quick moving environment with keen attention-to-detail. Strong understanding of live conference planning and conference project management is essential. Understanding of the Audio Visual function within conferences is a plus. The ideal candidate must have strong organizational skills, ability to work across multiple teams and cultures, impeccable communication skills, and be energetically driven to meet the needs of various teams and stakeholders. What you will do: Senior Project Management of Keynote and other Marquee Content Sessions: Support the project management and localization for the delivery of Gartner’s highest level keynote sessions by partnering and collaborating with internal stakeholders in Conferences and Research & Advisory as well as external vendors across multiple Conference portfolios. Establish a deep understanding of Production Experience & Marquee Content initiatives, goals and objectives to be able to implement them in APAC, India & Japan which will allow them to operate in a more globally consistent manner to the best of our regional/cultural abilities. Create strong partnerships and communication with APAC, India & Japan logistics and program management teams. Support and contribute feedback on the creation of best practices to support live conference production planning processes, budget management and contingency planning. Partner with budget lead to continually analyze the overall health of our production budgets to be able to suggest in-region production upleveling where available. Own the APAC, Japan and India in-region vendor relationships by hosting kick offs, sharing key initiatives and conducting debriefs throughout the year. Schedule, lead and participate in pre-event and onsite global meetings, which may be out of standard operating hours at times. Prepare routine correspondence and forms, such as internal and external briefing documents, logistics arrangements, on-site expectations, script management instructions and others as needed. Coordinate pre-event and on-site logistics including rehearsal scheduling, rehearsal logistics, AV setups, crew catering, and other on-site activities as required. Work with portfolio lead to meticulously track and prepare versions of scripts and graphics for delivery at Conferences within region (APAC/Japan/India). Manage and communicate with internal and external partners such as AV agencies, creative agencies, speaker/performance coaches, freelancers, writers, etc. Effectively engage at every level of the organization and across multiple departments. Guide key stakeholders through the entire production process and become their trusted partner. Ensure the content produced meets the needs of the key stakeholders. Participate in and lead virtual and onsite rehearsals with key stakeholders, including C-Level management, which requires the ability to seamlessly partner and lead highly valuable relationships. Be highly skilled in handling multiple complex and concurrent projects. Thoroughly debrief and document completed conferences and projects while focusing on best practices for continuous growth and improvement. Support internal/corporate events periodically as the calendar permits. Oversee and manage both APAC & India region team members. Host weekly 1:1s to understand your team’s status and provide necessary support, guidance and leadership where needed. Project Management of Production Assets: Support roll out and ensure accurate use of production projects, such as video assets, presentation graphics, scenic development, etc. in partnership with external partners and vendors. Lead in-region scenic development based on approved global scenic look. Understand and uphold Gartner’s brand with all assets created, which includes managing creative partners and vendors accordingly. Collaborate with internal/external partners and vendors on the production and proper use of localized visual assets. Communicate with stakeholders globally and confirm requirements for all onsite delivery assets including staging, scenic, graphics, audio, animation, and all creative media components. Budget and Timeline Management: Meticulously track the budget and expenses by collecting and reviewing vendor invoices. Propose areas for investment and communicate globally with internal and external partners on financial decisions. Create and manage production schedule and key milestones, while knowing how and when to flag and at-risk milestones. What will be expected: High scores from clients on keynote sessions in each region. Flawless client experience – continual understanding of attendees’ key priorities and map back to those metrics. Build and maintain excellent working relationships – internally and externally. Achievement of financial objectives. Engagement and effective management of suppliers/global partners. Exceptional operational efficiency. What you will need: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred. 7+ Years Event Management experience, preference for AV/Production experience. Effective project management, budget, team and time management skills. End to end understanding of live conference production and creative content creation desirable. Collaborative with strong interpersonal and relationship building skills especially with senior level professionals, cross-functionally and with agency partners. Client focused - superior customer service skills. Global experience preferred - APAC and Japan specifically (India a plus). Excellent communication and presentation skills. Strategic thinker, self-motivated, and solution oriented. Passionate, curious, creative and innovative. Willingness to travel globally - attend Gartner Conferences to lead operational requirements (roughly 6 – 10 on-site roles per year). #J-18808-Ljbffr