Meetings & Events Manager

The Meetings & Events Manager at Colorado 811 is responsible for executing end-to-end events and meeting management, strategy, budgeting, planning, and production of high-impact statewide and regional events, meetings, and conferences, as well as related sponsorships. As the organization’s primary meetings and events professional, this role manages logistics, event logistics and operations, pre-event planning, vendor relationships, and post-event analysis to ensure exceptional educational and networking experiences. Key responsibilities include oversight of internal and external company events, meetings, conferences, coordination of partner-led programs, and industry conference and sponsorship management. The role is highly collaborative, serving as a cross-functional partner to Marketing, Membership, Education, Human Resources, and senior leadership stakeholders. This individual will act as a trusted manager and liaison, professionally managing all Colorado 811 events, meetings, and conferences, planning, and communicating objectives, assessing risks, and driving flawless execution and alignment across all events and conference initiatives.
This position manages the experience, growth, and delivery of internal and external high-impact in-person, hybrid, and virtual events, meetings, and conferences that advance damage prevention education, expand organizational reach in Colorado and neighboring states, provide effective stakeholder networking opportunities, and drive measurable increases in attendance, sponsorship revenue, and partner engagement. This role also manages all internal staff events, coordination and attendance of external tradeshows/exhibits, and works cross-functionally to ensure all internal and external events are strategically aligned, financially sustainable, and consistently deliver value to attendees, sponsors, the organization, stakeholders. The Meetings & Events Manager owns the full meetings and events lifecycle—from strategy, logistics management, and growth planning through delivery, execution, revenue generation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Meetings and Event Management 

• Manage end-to-end planning, delivery, and outcomes of Colorado 811 meetings, conferences, and events (includes: internal and external meetings, events, conferences, summits, trainings, staff and community events, and external tradeshow exhibits).
• Manage event and tradeshow planning and logistics for external attendance and exhibit booths for all tradeshow attendance and partner-hosted engagements in concert with EDP Liaisons and Marketing teams. 
• Develop logistics plans and event management processes for all internal and external conference/event strategy; identify creative engagement opportunities that grow attendance and sponsorship revenue for all company hosted events. 
• Serve as the organizational event/meeting/exhibit/conference manager and subject matter expert for meetings and events management, strategy, and best practices.
• Manage venue sourcing/selection, vendor partnerships, liability insurances, contracting support, and other key components including catering, room design and setup, A/V, F&B, transportation, hospitality, etc.).
• Build timelines and run-of-show plans; oversee high-touch, multi-site event / conference operations to ensure a consistent, high-quality attendee experience.
• Coordinate cross-departmental staff for setup/teardown and day-of roles, support staff experience, and communications.
• Maintain centralized events and exhibit calendars, standardized briefs, and planning documentation, including hotel contracts and vendor records.
• Own event budgets and planning strategy and calendar; track spend and complete post-event reconciliation and reporting.
• Ensure all events/meetings/exhibits meet accessibility, safety, insurance, and compliance requirements.

Event Technology, Registration, Data & Reporting

• Build and manage event applications and registration experiences (invitations, ticketing/payment flows, conference apps, attendee communications, and dashboards) in collaboration with Marketing and other stakeholders.
• Administer event platforms (e.g., Cvent, Eventbrite, Whova) and leverage features such as app-based engagement, live polling, gamification, and social sharing to increase attendee interaction.
• Manage conference attendee operations using mobile check-in, scanning, and badge printing tools to reduce registration wait times and improve the arrival experience.
• Configure and support virtual/hybrid event tools (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) and ensure smooth integration with livestreaming or virtual platforms, as applicable.
• Use conference and event software to design room layouts and interactive maps to support onsite flow and wayfinding, as applicable.
• Ensure accurate attendee tracking, RSVP management, and HubSpot/CRM integration and data quality in partnership with Technology and Membership teams.
• Produce and manage post-event surveys, reports, and performance summaries; manage lead processing and distribution workflows.

Sponsorship & Revenue Development

• Partner with Marketing to grow conference, meetings, and events attendance numbers and sponsorship and attendance revenue.
• Develop scalable, tiered sponsorship models that can be applied across multiple events statewide.
• Ensure sponsors receive meaningful visibility and engagement opportunities, including fulfillment tracking and post-event value reporting.
• Track sponsorship performance and contribute to renewal and long-term partner retention strategies.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with the Education team and other stakeholders to align events with training priorities, learning objectives, and audience needs.
• Partner with EDP Liaisons to identify and design annual external exhibit strategy and manage exhibit attendance, booths, and post event analysis.
• Partner with Marketing, Education, and Leadership stakeholders to guide exhibit/event branding, promotion strategies, messaging, and pre-event and post-event messaging, storytelling, and reporting.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure events support broader organizational strategy and initiatives, and public awareness goals. 
• Present event plans, performance metrics, and recommendations to senior leadership regularly. 

Budgeting, Metrics & Evaluation

• Own event/exhibit/meetings/conference budgets in partnership with leadership, ensuring responsible fiscal management and clear ROI.
• Oversee vendor coordination, contract risk review, invoice processing, and payment tracking.
• Manage signage, branded materials, swag inventory, shipping logistics, and vendor records budget in collaboration with Marketing and other stakeholders.

Partner & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, members, attendees, industry partners, venues, and community stakeholders. 
• Manage event A/V, F&B, and other technology and logistics requirements, work in concert with internal and external Information Technology teams, and other vendors.
• Represent Colorado 811 professionally at events and industry functions. 
• Incorporate event and meetings best practices, attendee, sponsor, and partner feedback to enhance future event offerings. 
• Stay up to date on conference and meetings technology, best practices, and improvements and apply as applicable and approved by leadership. 

Staff Management

• Assign tasks efficiently, set KPIs, and provide mentorship to ensure the Meetings & Events Coordinator develops while meeting project deadlines.
• Clearly articulate stakeholder requirements, provide actionable feedback, and bridge the gap between stakeholders and the coordinator. 
• Act decisively to resolve issues (e.g., vendor problems or last-minute changes) to keep events on track, meet timelines, deadlines, milestones, and oversee the coordinator’s vendor communications and interactions.
• Develop contingency ("Plan B") scenarios and coach the Meetings & Events Coordinator to think critically and adapt under pressure. 
• Ensure the Meetings & Events Coordinator adheres to financial constraints by tracking expenses, securing cost-effective vendor quotes, and monitoring timelines, logistics, and vendor coordination using tools such as Gantt charts or project- management software. 
• Leverage effective communication skills to negotiate contracts, manage relationships with   external partners, and coach the Meetings & Events Coordinator. 

Other Duties as Assigned
Work Environment:
Location: Hybrid (remote and onsite work environment-subject to change without notice). Flexibility to arrive onsite as needed is required. Must be located within reasonable commuting distance to Golden, Colorado. After-Hours Work: This role requires availability outside of standard business hours (including occasional nights and weekends) to manage and support meetings/exhibits/tradeshows/conferences/events, business continuity, and other business needs without advanced notice. Occasional local and/or in-or out of state travel may be required to manage and support all business needs, as directed.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) & ADA Accommodation
Colorado 811 is an equal opportunity employer. We do not and shall not discriminate in employment, recruitment, advertising for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, military status, or any other status protected by applicable law. 
Disclaimer: This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and requirements. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice, based on business needs

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• A bachelor's degree in business administration, event management, marketing, education, or another field is required. Equivalent deep and broad experience and/or an associate degree may be considered in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) or similar Certification from EIC or similar widely accepted meetings and events planner industry certification is required.
• 7+ years experience of robust events, conference, meeting management experience, including medium to large scale conference management, networking events, and multi-event portfolio event management is required.
• Proven experience, growing event / meetings attendance and sponsorship revenue. 
• Demonstrated success leader cross-functional teams and influencing stakeholders.
• Experience working in nonprofit organizations or public-safety focused environments is a plus.
• Strong background in meetings/conference related contract management, insurance requirements, and event safety is required.

SKILLSET REQUIREMENTS:

• Robust Event Management App skills, including proficiency with digital tools for attendee engagement, data analysis, and operational efficiency are required.
• Proficiency with event platforms such as Cvent, Eventbrite, Zoom, VenueIQ, or Whova, including use of features such as social media integration, live polling, virtual-event integration, and gamification to increase attendee interaction and experience, is required.
• Strong team-management, delegation, and coaching skills, including the ability to mentor junior meetings and conference staff is required. 
• Event/Conference budget-management skills, including strong financial, analytical, and strategic-planning capabilities, are required.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage hotel and vendor agreements, budgets, and KPI goals as applicable for this role is required. 
• Strong project-management and prioritization skills, including the ability to lead multiple deadline-driven workstreams in a fast-paced environment is required. 
• Demonstrated ability to perform effectively under pressure while maintaining exceptional quality standards. 
• Proven ability to research effectively and leverage available resources to meet objectives. 
• High technology and PC literacy, including proficiency with Learning Management Systems, Virtual Meeting Applications, Microsoft 365, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Monday.com (or similar project-management software), is required. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop high-quality content with accuracy, attention to detail, and consistent output, are required. 
• Strong attention to detail, deadline driven, project management approach.
• Strong interpersonal and client-service skills, including the ability to engage, influence, and partner with key stakeholders and deliver polished, high-touch experiences, are required.
• Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and integrity is required. 
• Solutions-oriented, self-starter mindset, including creativity, initiative, and the ability to see the big picture, is required. 
• Sound judgment, including the ability to determine when to escalate issues versus resolve problems independently, is required. 
• Self-motivated, proactive, and accountable approach to work quality and deadlines is required and resourceful and collaborative working style, with strong time-management skills is non. 
• Dependable team-player mindset, including strong work ethic and commitment to continuous improvement, is required. 
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a cohesive team environment is required

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to spend multiple hours in front of computer monitors; sitting/standing for prolonged periods.
• Ability to walk, stand, and be mobile for extended periods of time and walk long distances for extended periods of time, including at events and other venues. 
• Ability to manage physical inventory and lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to effectively work in indoor or outdoor environments – may include tight spaces, grass, dust, allergens, loud noises and sounds, temperature fluctuations, low and bright lighting conditions, and other challenging environmental conditions at events or other venues.