Events Manager (Onsite)

Events Manager

• Ecommerce: a Shopify business serving customers nationwide with kites, gear, apparel, and other products.
• Recreation and tours: bookable Outer Banks adventures, including hang gliding, watersports, boat and jet ski rentals, dolphin tours, kayak tours, kiteboarding, parasailing, and fishing experiences.
• Retail stores: 30+ destination locations where guests browse, book, and buy across Kitty Hawk Kites and its family of brands.

• Own the annual events calendar and event portfolio, including signature festivals, recurring programs, community activations, sponsorship commitments, retail events, and partner-led opportunities.
• Develop event strategies, scopes, detailed timelines and milestone schedules, budgets, staffing models, site and logistics plans, marketing requirements, success measures, and contingency plans from concept through closeout.
• Maintain the Events 2026 source-of-truth board and detailed event boards in Monday.com; establish clear owners, milestones, dependencies, approvals, readiness status, next marketing milestones, and escalation paths.
• Lead cross-functional planning with Marketing, Creative, Social Media, Retail, Recreation, Warehouse, Operations, Finance, and leadership so event messaging, promotion, signage, inventory, demonstrations, staffing, permits, vendors, and content capture are coordinated.
• Build and maintain relationships with sponsors, tourism partners, community organizations, municipalities, vendors, and local businesses; represent Kitty Hawk Kites in planning meetings and community functions.
• Manage sponsorship and community-partnership deliverables, donation requests, event listings, partner communications, agreements, fulfillment, and follow-up in coordination with marketing leadership and Finance.
• Hire, train, schedule, coach, and supervise the Events Coordinator, seasonal Events Team Members, interns, and volunteers; set clear expectations and provide decisive on-site leadership during events.
• Oversee event materials, equipment, promotional inventory, transportation, storage, distribution, and reconciliation; ensure demonstration products and safety supplies are ready before deployment.
• Track event expenses and results and deliver timely post-event recaps covering attendance, engagement, sponsor fulfillment, guest feedback, operational issues, content captured, lessons learned, and recommendations.

• 3+ years of progressive experience in event management, hospitality, tourism, recreation, retail, community programming, experiential marketing, or another guest-experience-driven environment.
• Demonstrated experience independently planning and executing multiple events, with accountability for budgets, timelines, logistics, vendors, partners, staff, and day-of problem-solving.
• Experience supervising, scheduling, training, and coaching employees, seasonal staff, interns, or volunteers; able to communicate expectations clearly and hold others accountable.
• Strong project-management and reporting skills, including working knowledge of Monday.com or a comparable platform, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, spreadsheets, shared files, and budget tracking.
• Excellent relationship-building, written communication, negotiation, judgment, and follow-through, with a guest-first and safety-conscious approach suited to a highly seasonal business.
• Able to work on-site in Nags Head, travel to Kitty Hawk Kites locations and event sites, and work a flexible schedule that includes early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and peak-season dates. A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are required.

• Ability to remain on your feet for extended periods and work indoors and outdoors in variable weather conditions.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or move event materials and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to load and unload supplies, bend, reach, climb, and assist with tents, tables, signage, and other event equipment.

• Compensation will be based on experience and the final approved employment structure.