Experiential design has become the key differentiator between a good event and a great event. Every event must have a clearly defined message with content that supports that message. And events must be delivered with a proactive approach to personalized experiences. The Event Experience Manager will deliver a more curated event with thoughtful content and experiences that foster engagement, loyalty, and retention. This position will foster a deeper understanding of event design, data, technology and the impact of events on the organization and the attendee base.
The Event Experience Manager will have a significant impact on client and employee identification with the company, its brands and its messaging.
They drive engagement through detailed analyses of generational preferences, spatial design, attendee engagement, and programming. They will be responsible for curating specific attendee journeys for various events and success will be measured in three specific ways: improved YOY survey results, higher levels of engagement (on apps, in activities, on social media, on surveys, etc.), and increased attendance numbers.
Conferences and meetings are high visibility venues that leave a lasting and positive impression on Tyler’s client base as they provide clients with educational and networking opportunities. Internal meetings bring the geographically dispersed company together for collaboration and with proper planning; they maximize the impact and minimize the cost of such meetings. The Event Experience Manager will lead a team of event planners to ensure that Tyler’s objectives are met with each event delivered.
Responsibilities
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Content curation & delivery: Collaborating with project teams to develop the right mix of and quantity of content to motivate attendees to engage with the event
- Developing high-level messages for events and tailoring content to reinforce them down to the smallest detail
- Incorporating more client-led, or industry expert-led sessions that address pertinent topics facing our clients and employees
- Introducing more paid keynote speakers on topics that engage and entertain our attendees
- Encouraging stakeholders to move beyond traditional lecture style sessions to a broader mix of panels, labs, roundtables that encourage participation or interaction to facilitate learning
- Maintaining a pulse on generational shifts and industry trends (microlearning or BYOD for example) and figure out how to incorporate these into our instruction
- Ensuring that adequate speaker training and feedback is provided
- Recommending what tools are necessary to deliver the content and when to use them - live polling, slide sharing, livestreaming, audio streaming, closed captioning, signing, etc.
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Multi-modal design and orchestrated serendipity: Engaging participants and leaving a lasting impression is critical to any event, and events should be designed to adapt to the ways that participants will engage
- Managing show services to employ interactive design concepts to accommodate the different ways attendees interact with space and with one another
- Adapting spaces to be as nimble and fluid as digital spaces
- Curating networking opportunities through digital tools, props (physical and topical), physical space, and time
- Coordinating the unexpected through surprise speakers, adapting the agenda, providing unique environments, and sought after or exclusive opportunities
- Celebrating a sense of place by exposing attendees to local culture, connecting to the community and encouraging participation in CSR
- Allowing participants to opt-in to blinded events where they sign up for an experience without knowing exactly what the program is - providing breaks from the constant constraints of schedules and agendas
- Introducing AI tools through the mobile app and event registration system to allow for peer: peer, peer: partner and peer: Tyler staff meetings – these would be on an opt-in basis
- Ensuring social media channels are promoting the event, connecting with attendees, and encouraging engagement
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Sustainability, Social Responsibility and DEI Efforts
- Ensuring that Tyler events support Tyler’s sustainability goals
- Working with partners and venues to operate meetings with a defined goal of minimizing environmental impact
- Developing programs that promote corporate social responsibility
- Maintaining high standards for diversity, equity and inclusion in all Tyler events
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Attendee Management
- Coordinating with the Event Technologist to ensure that all aspects of the attendee journey (promotion, registration, communication, virtual platforms, polling, gamification, surveys, etc.) are easy to navigate and provide maximum benefits to the attendees
- Ensuring that what we deliver to attendees meets Tyler’s objectives for hosting any events
- Coordinating with the Event Operations Manager ensure that rules of engagement, code of conduct and other elements of the risk management plan that affect attendee experience are appropriate to the event
- Ensuring that any exhibitor or sponsor related activities add value to the attendee experience
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Events Team Management
- Hiring, training, managing and motivating a team of corporate event planners
- Managing a master event project list by working with division marketing leads and management
- Identifying and assigning resources on the events team to manage the details of each event
- Developing and instituting event planning best practices
- Maintaining strong external relationships with business partners and suppliers
- Ensuring that Tyler events stay on-budget; any overages should be justified and first be approved by the primary internal client or marketing management
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field or comparable work experience
- 10+ years related work experience in a corporate, agency or hospitality industry environment
- CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) required
- CMM (Certified Meeting Manager) is preferred
- DES (Digital Event Strategist) certification is preferred
- Project management experience and the ability to prioritize and delegate to meet implementation milestones
- Soft skills required to communicate tasks, deliverables and feedback to colleagues and vendors
- Analytic thinking skills to understand key metrics, derive insights, evaluate performance, and recommend improvements
- Ability to anticipate and adapt to complications and come up with contingency plans
- Travel to events on-site as needed
- Excellent planning, organizing and problem-solving skills a must
- Strong communication and decision-making skills
- Excellent people skills
- Basic understanding of our industry (Public Sector Software) and marketing concepts
- Strong Macintosh or PC skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and especially PowerPoint)
The Event Experience Manager must be able to:
- Motivate a team of individuals and maintain a high-level of productivity and accountability for the team’s progress through analysis, reports, presentations and updates
- Negotiate, plan, organize, communicate, execute and develop contingency plans
- Maintain proficiency in experiential design, generational dynamics, and meeting industry trends to create detailed plans for large scope projects
- Manage expenses
- Analyze and report on historical, live, and post conference information
- Understand and convey company messages and objectives through hosting special events
- Adapt to different environments that may require making quick, yet sound decisions
