Meeting Planner

Position Overview The Meeting Planner supports the planning, coordination, and execution of AES conferences, meetings, and events, including the AES Annual Meeting, Board of Directors meetings, committee meetings, staff retreats, ancillary meetings, and industry-related programs. This role requires a meetings professional with at least five years of progressive experience in meeting planning and conference logistics, preferably within a not-for profit or association environment. The Meeting Planner must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities while working cross-departmentally with staff, volunteers, vendors, hotels, convention centers, exhibitors, sponsors, and other external partners. The position provides logistical and project-based support across the meetings and industry relations portfolio, with responsibility for coordinating meeting space, travel, registration and housing support, signage, vendor communications, onsite operations, and sponsor or exhibitor fulfillment activities. The role reports to the Senior Manager, Meetings & Events and supports AES’s commitment to excellence, collaboration, inclusivity, and improving the lives of people with epilepsy. Role and Responsibilities Plan, coordinate, and support conferences, annual meetings, ancillary meetings, board and committee meetings, staff retreats, and other events in alignment with organizational goals. Manage meeting logistics, including space assignments, room setups, food and beverage, audiovisual needs, transportation, housing, signage, vendor coordination, and on-site operations. Coordinate conference registration and housing support, including promotional codes, speaker and VIP registrations, exhibitor and sponsor registration, and related communications with vendors and internal stakeholders. Coordinate speaker, staff, board, volunteer, vendor, and awardee travel in partnership with travel agencies, hotels, and other service providers. Work cross-departmentally with staff teams to gather event requirements, communicate timelines, track deliverables, and ensure logistics are coordinated across program, education, exhibits, sponsorship, registration, communications, and operations functions. Maintain detailed project plans, schedules, logistics grids, space overview charts, and task tracking tools to support timely and accurate execution. Serve as a primary logistics contact for assigned meetings and respond to logistical questions from staff, faculty, volunteers, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors, and other stakeholders. Support exhibits and sponsorship fulfillment by coordinating logistics, tracking commitments, managing deadlines, and communicating requirements with internal teams and external partners. Coordinate In Conjunction With (ICW) meetings and related space assignments, including reviewing guidelines, assigning meeting space, communicating with affiliate organizations, and coordinating with convention service managers and hotel partners. Coordinate sourcing and contracting processes for hotels, venues, restaurants, and service providers, including logistical requirements, budget inputs, and vendor follow-up. Monitor meeting budgets, expense reports, invoices, and related documentation to support fiscal accountability and alignment with approved financial parameters. Prepare and maintain meeting specifications, banquet event orders, floor plans, staff assignments, shipping lists, packing materials, and other operational documents needed for successful event execution. Provide on-site support for conferences and meetings, troubleshoot logistical issues, support attendee and stakeholder needs, and ensure a professional, service-oriented experience. Other duties as assigned. Preferred Skills Proven ability to take a proactive, self-directed approach to assigned meetings, projects, timelines, and deliverables. Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and professionally across departments, organizational levels, and external partner groups. Experience working cross-departmentally in a small team environment while providing excellent service to internal and external stakeholders. Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, logistics details, and competing priorities independently. Collaborative, solutions-oriented approach with the ability to exercise good judgment, problem solve and remain flexible in a fast-paced meetings environment. Demonstrates initiative, accountability, and ownership for assigned work, work product, follow-up, and event-related outcomes. Ability to complete assignments accurately and on deadline, including work that requires coordination across departments, vendors, and event timelines. Technical competence with tools and systems commonly used to support meeting planning, project tracking, document management, and event execution, including: Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook Adobe Acrobat for reviewing, editing, and managing PDF documents Project management or task-tracking platforms used to manage timelines, deliverables, approvals, and cross-functional workflows Event-focused technology, including AI-enabled tools that support meeting planning, communications, logistics tracking, and attendee or stakeholder support Event management, registration, housing, mobile app, speaker management, exhibitor, or sponsorship systems Travel Expectations Travel to the AES Annual Meeting for an extended period and up to 5 additional times per year. #J-18808-Ljbffr American Epilepsy Society