Director, Event Production

About Us:

At BCD Meetings & Events (BCD M&E), we provide more than meeting and event planning services: we create connections that inspire, motivate and change behavior for our customers. As the world’s most trusted and innovative meetings and events agency, BCD M&E cultivates a culture of people, passion and purpose to drive business forward. 

Headquartered in Chicago, with locations in 50+ countries across the world, BCD M&E’s team of 1,800+ people are committed to sustainability and driving success for our customers, our business and ourselves. Our values are at the heart of everything we do, and we look for people that want to be a part of something special, can rise to our standards and love to bring their unique perspective to the table.

While we can’t guarantee every day will be the best (who can?), we can promise a community of people who genuinely care and lead with empathy, a flexible workplace with awesome perks and challenging work that means something. 

See what life is about at BCD M&E at bcdme.com/careers

DIRECTOR, EVENT PRODUCTION

Job Description
At the center of our business is the beating heart of production – bringing a creative vision for an unforgettable experience to life using ideas, technology, equipment, planning and a whole lot more. Our
Director of Event Production plays one of the most critical roles in our business, leading the team that executes every one of our clients’ most important events. This person manages the production professionals and the technology we use, and our overall event delivery to our clients. They provide agency and thought leadership in all areas of live events, and support new business opportunities and presentations. They
partner closely with our operations team to deliver both the infrastructure that keeps our agency running, and the infrastructure on which our clients’ events are built.

In addition to that, this person also plays an important role in the growth, scaling and profitability of our business, helping to set pricing and protocols that deliver strong financial results year after year. They will
also play a big role in senior client meetings, new business pitches, and high-level process and protocol development and refinement.

We are seeking a well-connected creative professional with a deep bench of industry contacts and at least 10 years of experience in live events, experiences, and media production.
 

Leadership

• As a member of our leadership team, this is a highly visible role both internally and externally, and as a result will require strong interpersonal skills and the ability to speak
• confidently about our teams, our offerings, and our business
• Effectively assess where your time is best spent between day-to-day management of customers and events and balance that with the needs of intentionally building and growing a team of tenured event producers
• Helping to build and formalize an optimal working environment for our producer team, fostering continued deep knowledge-sharing and ensuring service levels are consistently met both internally and externally

Sales

• Everyone on the team sells and supports new business opportunities. One of the most important pieces of this role will be marrying our customer’s needs and requirements to
• the live event experiences we design – and being able to clearly articulate our ideas and processes in new business presentations and renewals.
• Customers will need to believe in your experience, thought leadership, and ability to guide our team in partnership with our customers.

Production

• Oversee the Event Production team, comprised of producers at all levels who coordinate and manage pre-production and delivery for events, including audio, video, lighting, scenic
• elements, staging, drawings, agendas, run of show, freelance staffing, and everything in between
• Collaborate with production managers on specific equipment and labor needs for creative technical solutions for live events
• Partner with the director of production and agency operations to ensure that the two teams are seamlessly partnering to provide our customers the best possible experience from start to finish
• Develop, manage and grow relationships with external production partners and freelancers, whether they are downstream or lateral partners

Technology

• Oversee the Technology team’s activities, including the management and execution of live event and virtual production technologies as they relate to our customer needs
• Set the agency’s direction regarding the technology used for our internal infrastructure (in partnership with our parent agency’s technology and IT teams)

Finance

• Co-own and manage our budgeting process for the agency in partnership with the finance and operations team, and our SLT
• Partner with the Operations team on other financial processes like billing, invoicing, contracting, and rate cards
• Support our profitability efforts by managing and supporting the Production teams to reach our profitability targets, as well as leading on pitch efforts for new and existing customer business

Innovation and thought leadership

• Help improve our processes as they relate to production and technology
• Partner with senior leadership to create new customer offerings and capabilities
• Dream big; help our team dream big; have fun; carry our team’s amazing culture and spirit

SKILLS AND QUALITIES YOU’LL NEED

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in large-scale corporate events, broadcast, and entertainment
• Management and leadership skills including, but not limited to; hiring, staffing, growth and guidance, mentorship, and skill development
• Background and experience in the actual delivery of major events, including previous independent on-site management of crew, labor, technology and customers
• Deeply fluent in the latest and emerging event technologies and best practices
• Team-first, ego-free attitude – no job too big; no job too small
• Professional and calm demeanor, especially under pressure
• Strong ability not only to solve problems, but also to predict and prevent problems with solutions prior to on-site arrival or execution
• Has an education and/or profound experience and talent in a diverse set of live event roles,
• Knows and has live event experience with
• Apple products and Mac operating systems
• Microsoft Office Suite / Apple Keynote
• Industry standard tools
• Knows and has specific experience with broadcast video systems and their practical application in live environments
• Ability to travel up to 40% both domestically and internationally
• Operates well independently with a drive to set and attain goals independently
• Has a valid driver’s license and current passport

THE PERKS

Flexible Working
We believe that a flexible working environment is key to getting the best out of our teams. We will support you to work where you need to and when you need to, depending on how you work best.

Room to Grow
Our line of work and business structure challenge our people in a way that inspires growth, with learning and development built into every role. We give individuals ownership over the direction and speed in which they grow.

Everyone has a voice
We thrive on conversations that spark curiosity and empathy. No matter how big or how small, every voice is heard, considered and respected.

Make your move
The diversity of roles across BCD M&E’s global locations means that our people often find new adventures during their time with us. Join us as a meeting planner role in the UK, stay for a global marketing career — there’s always room to move.

We’ve got you covered
Our extensive benefits include comprehensive healthcare, retirement plans, continued education support, diverse work locations, travel and hotel discounts, volunteer and sustainability opportunities and a successful employee recognition program.

We’re positive. You’ll love it.
It starts from the top. Our leaders lead with positivity, believe in our people and trust us to do the right thing. There will always be support along your journey, in little and big ways.
 

We carefully consider a wide range of compensation factors, including your professional background and experience. The salary range for candidates in applicable jurisdictions in the US for the position of Director, Event Production  is between $90,000 - $140,000 The actual pay depends on your skills, qualifications, experience, geographical location, and project budget.

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