Event Operations Senior Associate

What you will do:
Own end-to-end logistics for Garner’s Tier 1 owned events, including rooming lists, room blocks, food and beverage, room sets, banquet event orders (BEOs), decor, transportation, offsite activities, and overall onsite flow
Manage venue and vendor sourcing and relationships: run RFPs with our sourcing agency (ConferenceDirect) and destination management companies (DMCs), review contracts for accuracy, pricing, and concessions, and route them through Legal and Finance
Run the operational backbone of each event: build and maintain the production schedule, conduct hotel site visits, and hold weekly check-ins with the hotel and DMC to keep every detail on track
Coordinate all onsite experience details, including swag and gifting, decor, badges, signage, entertainment, photography, room drops, spa, dining, and VIP and attendee transportation
Execute flawlessly onsite: serve as a key operational presence at each event, managing program execution, troubleshooting in real time, and ensuring a seamless experience for attendees and Garner staff
Own event budgets day to day: draft and maintain budgets, process contracts, invoices, and reimbursements with Legal and Finance, and reconcile final numbers after each event
Drive the project management for each event: build and maintain detailed plans and timelines in Asana, and use Slack and Google Workspace to keep the team, vendors, and stakeholders aligned, communicating, and on schedule; confirm Garner attendees and run staff prep meetings in the lead-up to each event
Support post-event wrap-up, including feedback sessions, reimbursements, and final budget reconciliation, capturing lessons learned to improve the next event

The ideal candidate has:
3+ years of experience in event operations, logistics, hospitality, or a related coordination role, ideally supporting large multi-day or corporate events
Exceptional organization and attention to detail; you juggle many moving parts at once, approach work with the rigor needed to prevent misses and rework, and keep complex logistics on schedule
A proactive, execution-oriented work style; you prioritize in partnership with your manager, flag early when priorities are unclear or your plate is too full, and get things done quickly without sacrificing quality
Strong vendor and stakeholder coordination skills; you know who to go to for what, clearly articulate what you need from others, and follow up or escalate until issues are resolved
Comfort with event and project tools (Swoogo, Asana, Google Workspace, Slack, or similar) and with budget, contract, and invoice processing; hands-on experience with hotels, BEOs, DMCs, and venue contracts is a strong plus
Willingness to travel to and work onsite at events, including multi-day national programs, with the stamina and poise to execute under pressure
An eagerness to use AI to work more efficiently and consistently. Garner is enabling our teams on Claude Code, and comfort using AI tools to streamline repetitive work is a plus
A desire to be a part of a high-performing, mission-driven team that operates with intense urgency, a strong sense of individual accountability, and a commitment to authentic feedback