Senior Event Manager, Custom Services

Building A Brand Starts With Our Story

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. Operating as a full-service agency partner or through embedding specialist talent into client teams, FIRST brings brands and people together through creative, connected experiences. Spanning 12 countries with more than 700 team members, FIRST works with clients across industries including financial services, technology, media, consumer electronics, medical and healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and the nonprofit sector.

Most recently, Eventex honored FIRST as one of the Top 150 Event Organizers & Agencies in the USA, while Chief Marketer listed FIRST among their “200 Top Marketing Agencies" for both 2022 & 2021, and Special Events recognized FIRST as one of their “50 Top Event Companies” at the end of 2020. Crain’s New York Business included FIRST in the Top 100 “Best Places to Work in NYC” for 2020, and The London Stock Exchange Group once again listed FIRST as one of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ in 2020.

Learn more at www.firstagency.com

Our story started over 25 years ago growing through collaboration, innovation, strong culture, and a focus on people, specifically our people. Our people inspired, developed, and grew FIRST to the incredible brand experience creator it is today. 

And our hope is that you become the next page of our story in developing how our agency connects more people beyond what they thought was possible.

A welcoming, creative and ambitious workplace that offers personal and professional growth for all individuals. At FIRST, you'll find:

• A welcoming workplace that fosters diversity and belonging with a focus on team members feeling valued, respected, and supported. 
• Creative teams that enjoy challenging work with an ability to make an impact on those around them.
• An experiential organization that cares about the development and career experience of each employee, focusing on excellence and flexibility with the right balance of structure to thrive.

What You Would Get To Do:

The Senior Event Manager, Custom Services will spearhead the seamless execution of intricate event programs, mirroring the high-pressure, multi-faceted demands of a leading event agency. This role demands a proactive leader capable of orchestrating complex logistical workflows, managing diverse stakeholder relationships, and rapidly adapting to evolving client needs. You will be responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of a wide range of events for our client’s Programme, requiring expertise in simultaneous venue management, vendor negotiation, and real-time problem-solving across both client owned and external venues. This position requires a proven track record of managing complex event portfolios, demonstrating exceptional agility and a keen ability to navigate the complexities inherent in high-profile events.

Along with other FIRST team members, the Senior Event Manager, Custom Services will represent the FIRST Solutions brand on-site within a well-known tech company. In this role you’ll work with the client to coordinate the logistical needs of the event program - both onsite at Google campuses and offsite at external venues. This role will report directly into the Portfolio Lead, Custom Services.

The role will be based in either Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, or New York City, with national travel for events.

Your Contributions 

• Provides consultative ‘one stop shop’ planning support for Event Hosts to ensure exemplary event experience
• Discovery of Event Host objectives and requirements for live events
• Oversees organization of venue selection, logistics, decor, entertainment, catering and all other event needs
• Create in depth event based on strategy while pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation - ability to recommend event enhancements to achieve desired event objectives
• Review of all meeting space to ensure proper space assignment
• Update host information in internal systems in a timely manner
• Provide onsite support during the event execution, coordinating event support with suppliers and/or internal Google Events team
• Create, manage and distribute event details using approved internal template to all stakeholders and services lines involved in the event
• Conduct debriefs post-event with Event Host and communicate comments/compliments/issues to external suppliers and/or Events team
• Work closely with all departments to develop and be responsible for event requirements and deliverables, including but not limited to communications, calendars, registration needs, feedback surveys, and wrap up reports
• Conduct site visits
• Manages high-profile and complex events, often acting as the lead on global events involving multi-region support
• Act as a mentor to other team members, as needed
• Train new employees on the program, as needed

 What We Are Looking For 

Please be aware that we know experience does not always look like we describe it. If you believe you would be an excellent fit for this role, please apply - we would love to see how you could fit at First. 

• 5 – 7+ years’ event management and/or corporate meeting planning experience preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• This role will be assigned to a primary location but will require flexibility to be deployed to support across the campus as required
• Strong meeting coordination experience for meetings/conferences ranging between 50 – 300+ people
• Experience working with high-profile stakeholders and event agencies
• Experience working cross-functionally with all levels of stakeholders in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to understand the meeting/event objective and mission, business, and audience in order to align with the overall vision and strategy of the needs of the Event Host and event
• Excellent organizational, time management and prioritization skills
• Ability to execute tasks independently and efficiently
• Creative problem solver, resourceful, team player
• Adaptability to situations and ever-changing demands
• Highly organized with the ability to handle multiple tasks to meet strict deadlines
• Ambitious and proactive with a calm and flexible approach to handling pressure
• Experience working on large and complex databases
• Must be fluent in English
• Ability to work onsite
• This role will be assigned to a primary location but will require flexibility to be deployed to support across the campus as required

At FIRST, we believe that our success is driven by the passion, creativity, and commitment of our teams. That's why we offer a range of benefits and perks to support your personal and professional growth:

• Medical, Dental & Vision which includes the option of a high deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA)
• 401 (k) 
• Five Flexible Spending Accounts Options
• Generous Paid Time Off Allowance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Life, Disability & Pet Coverages
• Wellness Stipend
• Complimentary access to Headspace, Teladoc, Maven, Rocket Lawyer, Mobilo & more
• Aura Identity Theft Protection
• Discretionary Bonus Structure
• Global Opportunities: With a presence in 7 countries worldwide, including headquarters in London, New York, and Singapore, you may have the opportunity to work on exciting projects across different locations.

United States Residents: The base pay for this position ranges from $85,000 to $105,000. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.

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