Job Purpose:

The Venue and Events Coordinator plays a key role in the Sales and Events team within Greenwich Students’ Union Commercial Services. This position is responsible for coordinating and managing various events and activities across the three campuses (Greenwich, Avery Hill, and Medway) with a strong focus on engaging our membership in our venue and events services, growing footfall, commercial revenues, fruitful collaborations, and client satisfaction.

The coordinator will build and execute plans, develop partnerships, and maintain databases to encourage greater community engagement, growing attendance, and hires. Being responsible for a fresh, exciting promotional programme whilst ensuring everything we do is in line with Greenwich Students’ Union’s strategic plan and values. This is a Greenwich-based role but will require working in all three campuses (Avery Hill and Medway, Kent).

Responsible to: Sales and Events Manager

Responsible for: Sound and AV Assistant, Lighting and Visual Effects Assistant and Casual Staff

Department/Service

The Venue and Events Coordinator is part of the Greenwich Students’ Union Commercial Services. At GSU, we turn over £1.1m through our not-for-profit commercial services that provide services to students, staff, and the local population. We provide students at the University of Greenwich with social spaces to study, make friends and have fun.

Additionally, the profit generated through our varied income portfolio is invested back into the SU support services for students. We are a Living Wage Employer and a large employer of students putting money back in their pockets to support studying and living costs in London and Kent.

1 Duty and Key Responsibilities

Operational Management

• Take ownership of the entire events process, from planning to execution, ensuring all aspects are considered and planned in advance.
• Contributes to the planning and execution of major GSU calendar events, including Welcome Week, All Balls (Freshers, Summer, Winter etc) and staple club night.
• Coordinate and supervise event staff, caterers, and other vendors to ensure seamless event operations.
• Assist the Venue and Events team in devising and, at times, delivering a wide-ranging programme of events.
• Work closely with other members of the membership team to ensure the provision of high-quality service is always championed.
• Develop loyalty schemes, incentives, genre specific databases, messaging, and an understanding of our many different audiences to most effectively promote our services.
• Develop skills and training with a view to supporting the commercial department.
• Manage student involvement – ensuring that we are gaining student collaboration with our events programme.
• Assist the Venue and Events team in the recruitment, training and development of relevant staff, and exercising leadership in motivating staff to work smoothly and to the best of their ability as part of a team.
• Assisting where needed in the Venue and at external events as required.
• Liaising with in-house graphic designers, as well as external promoters, to produce quality promotional content in a timely fashion.
• Contributing fresh and unique marketing strategies with the aim to engage our membership and increase footfall from the wider community.

Business Development and Marketing

• Identifying and securing event sponsors and promoters to enhance event visibility; coordinating sponsorship deliverables, including branding opportunities and promotional materials.
• Build working relationships with a large body of students and societies ranging in demographics and backgrounds ensuring we are offering our members the best opportunity to promote their own events.
• Assisting the Sales and Events Manager in strategising event planning from concept to production.
• Support the Venue and Events team in managing production, liaising with artists/acts and generally delivering daytime and evening entertainment when assistance is needed.
• Take the lead in devising unique marketing plans tailored to individual events.
• Distribute physical promotional materials such as flyers, posters, vouchers, etc.
• Assist with scheduling social media posts across multiple accounts, considering engagement variables like time, day, platform, format, and target audience.
• Collaborate with the communications department to integrate event promotions with broader marketing campaigns.
• Conduct market research to identify target audiences and trends for effective event and promotional positioning.
• Coordinate feedback collection from members regarding event activity, proposing changes and amendments based on demand.

Events and Venue Hire

• Responsible for creating, planning, and executing engaging events for our members.
• Coordinate internal functions alongside the Venues Manager.
• Resolving problems and attendee inquiries before and during the event.
• Ensure timely and appropriate preparation and layout of the venue for events/bookings.
• Ensure student groups are met with regularly regarding promotional support in a polite, friendly and timely manner.
• Conduct a show around and always ensure that the customer environment is in accordance with the agreed service standards.
• Act as an information point for customers in all aspects of GSU Commercial Services.
• Assist the Sales and Events Manager in promoting our services, gaining extra revenue through external hires as required.

Finance and Reporting

• Generate purchase orders, track income, and liaise with the finance team regarding invoices, contacting clients etc.
• Maintain financial controls and ensure the finance department receives all relevant financial information promptly, by GSU’s financial procedures.
• Responsible for all project and events budgets.
• Report feedback from customers about the events and services to the Sales and Events Manager.

Health, Safety, and Compliance

• Work within operational procedures, licensing, health, and safety policies, safeguarding, hygiene and other regulations pertaining to the operation of the venue, ensuring all staff are trained appropriately.
• Adhere to all GSU policies related to HR, staffing, health and safety, data protection, environment, and any other specific GSU Policy impacting your role or that of the team.
• Act as the Sales and Events Manager in the absence of Line Manager(s), ensuring the maintenance of agreed standards and compliance with legal requirements.

2 General Responsibilities

• Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Support and promote workplace liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive information about individual organisations, clients, staff, and Project data.
• Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in becoming a more sustainable workplace.
• Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Essential Attributes

• Proven experience in sales, events, conferencing, and the entertainment industry, including working towards financial targets.
• Highly organised and proactive in taking ownership of all event lifecycles.
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and openly in all interactions. Must also demonstrate a positive attitude while communicating with clients and co-workers.
• Must demonstrate accountability; the ability to be responsible, detail-oriented, reliable, and amenable.
• Must be able to understand and answer for total expenditure and budgets while planning, organising, running, or marketing an event.
• Financial knowledge and proven ability to understand budgets.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills with the ability to work effectively to meet deadlines.
• Commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
• Excellent time management, organisational, and planning skills.
• Proficient in using Microsoft Office suite and event management software, as well as understanding social media platforms.
• Ability to engage and motivate others.
• Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face of changing priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability and confidence to interact effectively with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
• Must be willing to work late nights and weekends as required.

Desirable Attributes

• Good experience in managing health & safety and security legislation.
• Project management skills.
• Understanding and knowledge of working within the student sector.
• Technical understanding of lighting, sound, and other production equipment.
• Ability to write a business proposal and present a business case to inform future strategic development.
• A full, clean driving licence.
• Personal Licence holder.

Personal Attributes and Other Requirements

• All Commercial Services staff may be asked to work at other campus outlets on an ad hoc basis to assist with day-to-day operations and events.
• Innovative and forward-thinking approach to continued improvement.
• Able to travel extensively within the Borough and Region.
• Able to work unsociable hours and stay overnight where necessary.
• Work well in a team with a flexible approach to work.
• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities. An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Commitment to the values and ethos of the Organisation

Training Available

• Introductory training explaining the role and responsibilities and covering the basic skills required to undertake the role.
• Ongoing in-depth support is available throughout the year from the Area Manager and Sales and Events Manager.
• Specialist training relevant to the role.

Miscellaneous

• The definition and examples of work included above are not exhaustive – they are illustrative and for guidance only. A particular post holder with this job title may not perform all duties detailed in this job description. Conversely, not all the duties performed will be listed on this document.
• It is the practice of GSU Commercial Services to periodically examine employees’ job descriptions and update them to ensure they relate to the job as then being performed. This will be done with the Senior Manager in consultation with the employee.

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