• 29 year history under the same progressive ownership
• Australia’s most awarded meeting and event management company
• A great place to work – flexible, family friendly policies and a positive workplace culture. An environment that works for Gen Y to Baby Boomers
• Approximately 50 staff Australia wide in four company owned offices (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane) and growing.
• staff profile: 96% female, 99% tertiary graduates, 80% under 30 years and 200% driven - obsessively and compulsively focused on designing and delivering exceptional meetings and events. There is no room for slackers.
• A place where people tend to stay – 20% (and growing) of the staff have been with the company for more than 7 years – some for 28.
• A modern workplace with lots of support, training and consultation

We provide creative, cost effective, high level, project management skills and expertise for:

• Corporate (product launches, reward programs, staff conferences, AGM’s and client functions)
• Government (secure meetings, special protocols, VIP management)
• Associations (state, national or international conferences and congress)
• Special events (public functions, dinners, building, product or project launches)
• Exhibitions (public and trade exhibitions of any size)

Our core business is primarily managing larger Association conferences, congresses and their industry exhibitions and social functions.

Our strength is in managing the following aspects of a meeting or event (all of which require the Conference Coordinator’s involvement).

• Volunteer organising committee - servicing the committee, chairing meetings, preparing agendas and contact reports, and harnessing the inspiration (not perspiration) of the volunteer members
• Strategic management of the event
• Creative input and Event Design©
• Major supplier management
• Risk management
• Budget management
• On-site supervision
• Wrap up

Our Conference Coordinators work as part of a team and report to a Conference Manager. They are supported by several specialist Zones including:

• Delegate and Guest Services (registration, accommodation, travel, transfers and tours)
• Program Zone (speaker abstract and paper management)
• Design Zone (artwork and print materials)
• Special Events (larger scale special events, protocol and ceremonies)
• ICT Zone (Information and communications needs)
• Marcom (Marketing and communications and delegate boosting)
• Sponsorship and Exhibition Zone (sales and management of same)
• Finance Zone (client accounting)

Conference Coordinators are required to work as part of various Zones at times to ensure they understand the processes of each Zone.

Core requirements:

Please only apply if you have a substantial number of these:

• At least 2 years’ experience in association conference management (minimum 200 pax), either as a PCO or an in-house manager at Coordinator level or above
• Confident client management skills - ability to chair meetings and exert subtle control
• Tertiary qualifications in Business, Events, PR, Marketing or Journalism (desirable)
• Proven initiative and resourcefulness
• Able to take responsibility
• Excellent presentation skills - walk the walk and talk the talk
• Ability to write and spell well - proposals, business letters, brochures, handbooks
• Ability to work with designers/artists and produce effective promotional materials
• Ability to manage and control event finances (budgets can be millions of dollars)
• High level of computer proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Visio, Project and FrontPage
• EVENTS Pro and Interactive software experience (desirable)
• Good time and work manager
• Keen sense of humour
• Ability to manage stress and to achieve life/work balance
• Committed to never settling for second best (although excellence over perfection is acceptable)

Contrary to popular belief, event management is not a glamorous job – it’s 95% sheer hard work; however, the 5% balance represents a lot of fun. Your rewards derive from doing a great job and working with a company that encourages creativity over process. Event Planners’ event managers regularly win more National Awards for Excellence than any other company.

Pay levels: We classify this as a mid level position and salary is awarded according to qualifications and experience. Higher level applicants should not be discouraged as we may be negotiable depending on experience. Please state your salary expectations in your covering letter (failure to do so will render your application ineligible).

Career prospects: We are looking for long term employees who love the variety of work our company provides. Our family friendly policies have seen a number of staff "boomerang" back to us juggling the needs of family and work. Our Conference Managers are considered the best in the country. Training in Event Planners’ ways will provide an invaluable addition to any previous education or experience - we are a high level meeting and event project management company - PCO services are but a subset of what we do. Over the next few years you will be encouraged to progress towards becoming a Meeting Manager and gaining your AMM accreditation (see http://www.meetingsevents.com.au/accreditation/industryaccreditation.shtml).

Location: Our offices are at 6 Allison Street Bowen Hills (adjacent to the Abbotsford Street off-ramp on the Inner City Bypass). Car parking is not provided. There is on-street metered/non metered parking. Secure bicycle storage and staff shower facilities are provided. Motor bike parking is available on-site. Our offices are approximately 1km from the Bowen Hills Railway Station and CBD and North-side bus routes are nearby.

Work hours: 24x7x365 (just kidding, but it feels like it when a conference is on). Office hours are 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Why us? We are premium company comprising enthusiastic, creative, hard working and dedicated planners. We are the best place on the planet to work.

Availability: Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and interviews for short listed candidates will be conducted very soon after. It is desirable that you can start within 4 weeks of being offered the position.

Apply: Your covering letter should address all of the above criteria. Applications close COB 10 February 2008 and should be addressed to: careers@eventplanners.com.au

We thank all applicants in advance and advise that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.