Senior Events Specialist

Overview

The Objective: As a Senior Events Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in the strategy, oversight, planning and execution of events, sponsorships and special projects across the UK and Europe, supporting firm goals and ensuring brand & process cohesion in the region.

What will I do? You will lead the logistical planning and execution of all types of internal and external events – from virtual events and webinars to those in-person, ranging from small client dinners to major events and sponsorships. You will be a strategic partner to our UK-based sales and business development team, as well as EU counterparts, while collaborating closely with the wider US-based events team to ensure consistency in our events offering globally.

Our ideal candidate will have a strong track record in planning successful high-level events with a white glove approach and be skilled in project management and collaboration across teams and regions.

Responsibilities

Your main responsibilities will include the following:

1. Event Planning

• Serve as main point of contact for event planning across the UK and Europe, connecting the dots across external events, strategic campaigns and internal events.
• Independently lead virtual and live events from point of inception through close out, collaborating with and updating event stakeholders and wider BD team throughout the planning process.
• Establish goals, responsibilities, project plan and approved budget in advance of event
• Manage all logistics related to venue, food and beverage, AV/IT, run of shows, staffing, materials, name tags, signage, swag, post-event follow ups, ROI tracking, etc.
• Partner with internal departments on event needs including design, content creation, accreditation processes, etc.
• Propose, order, and manage process for client takeaways and gifts (including branded items) across UK and Europe.
• Build and manage approval for budgets across all hosted events and sponsorships, keeping a close eye on budget and overall spend to ensure maximum ROI will be reached.

2. Creative & Communications

• In collaboration with our Creative team, as needed, develop a cohesive design scheme and vision for events large and small, keeping Orrick’s event offering on the cutting edge.
• Lead the creation and deployment of invitations and other collateral, as well as RSVP and post-event attendee tracking via CRM.
• Produce briefing materials on event attendees, with financial and competitive intelligence as well as biographical information of individuals.
• Produce event follow-up materials, such as final attendance reports, budget summaries and post-event reports for lawyer follow-up.
• Manage promotions on internal tracking calendar, Orrick.com and Orrick portal
• In collaboration with our Communications team, assess whether additional promotion is worthwhile – social media, press, etc.

3. Strategy

• Work closely with local BD and Sales teams to identify market trends, client needs, and competitor strategies to inform event opportunities.
• Maintain a comprehensive event calendar for all events (internal and external), sponsorships and speaking engagements across region.
• Ensure CRM and document management folders are kept up to date with all relevant materials, data and budget totals.
• Analyze the benefits of sponsorship opportunities, provide recommendations on the value, and confirm accuracy of firm brand across relevant events – ensure maximum ROI is reached in relation to sponsorship dollars.
• Serve as regional resource for onsite logistics, offsite venues, preferred vendors and restaurants.
• Ensure events planned in the region align and reflect the firm’s wider Events strategy, branding and experience.

Qualifications

• Proven experience planning complex events at a high volume, ideally within a professional services environment, or equivalent high-performing organization
• Adept at navigating a complex and multi-tiered organization
• Integrity, tact, and professionalism in dealing with sensitive information and maintaining client confidence.
• Absolute trustworthiness, confidentiality, and discretion.
• Demonstrated superb, consistent judgement.
• Exceptional project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with a high degree of detail and accuracy.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate needs, identify opportunities, and drive initiatives to completion. Strong problem-solving skills.
• A collaborative and team-oriented mindset, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic, results-driven environment.
• A passion for challenging the status quo, a hunger for greatness, and an unwavering commitment to achieving extraordinary results.
• A good listener with a growth mindset and proven ability to adapt quickly to change and exhibit a high degree of flexibility.
• Self-confident without being self-important, intellectually curious, thoughtful, considerate, and decent. A disdain for organizational politics, gamesmanship, and positioning.
• Flexibility to travel as required to fulfil the responsibilities of the role.