Conference & Events Coordinator

RegulatoryJobs Executive Recruitment; Toronto, Halifax; On-site; CAD 28,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

MDR Strategy Group seeks an experienced Conference & Events Coordinator to lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of the AI in Regulation conference in Toronto in March 2027. This part-time contract role requires ownership of the moving pieces to deliver a polished, high-quality professional event.

The successful candidate must be based in Toronto or Halifax with significant experience managing complex conferences, corporate events, or similar large-scale events.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience planning and delivering conferences or large professional events.
• Strong budget control and financial reporting for events.
• Experience managing venues, AV, catering, sponsors and speakers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the conference work plan, timelines, milestones and deliverables.
• Coordinate all operational aspects from planning through onsite delivery and post-event closeout.
• Maintain planning documents, schedules, supplier information and event specs.
• Lead regular planning meetings and provide progress updates on deadlines and risks.
• Anticipate issues and resolve them to protect attendee and speaker experience.
• Develop and manage detailed conference budget with MDR leadership.

Skills

Conference planning

Budget management

Vendor relations

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Onsite event coordination

Job description

MDR Strategy Group is seeking an experienced Conference & Events Coordinator to lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of our next AI in Regulation conference, taking place in Toronto in March 2027. This is a hands‑on, part‑time contract role for an experienced event professional who can take ownership of the many moving pieces required to deliver a polished, high-quality professional conference. The successful candidate must be based in Toronto or Halifax and have significant experience managing conferences, corporate events, or other complex professional events. The Conference & Events Manager will work closely with MDR's leadership team and will serve as the central point of coordination across the venue, suppliers, speakers, sponsors, delegates, and internal team.

Key Responsibilities

• Conference & Project Management
  • Develop and manage the overall conference work plan, critical path, timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
  • Coordinate all operational aspects of the conference from planning through onsite delivery and post-event closeout.
  • Maintain detailed planning documents, schedules, checklists, supplier information, and event specifications.
  • Lead regular planning meetings and provide clear updates on progress, deadlines, risks, decisions, and outstanding actions.
  • Anticipate operational issues and resolve them before they affect the delegate or speaker experience.

Budget & Financial Management

• Develop and maintain a detailed conference budget in collaboration with MDR leadership.
• Track revenues, expenditures, commitments, deposits, invoices, and projected costs against budget.
• Maintain accurate financial records and provide regular budget reports and forecasts.
• Review supplier proposals and contracts and support negotiations to achieve strong value while maintaining event quality.
• Monitor registration and sponsorship revenue against conference targets.
• Identify potential cost pressures early and recommend appropriate adjustments.
• Support final financial reconciliation following the conference.
• Excellent financial management skills and demonstrated experience developing and managing significant event budgets are essential for this role.

Venue, Food & Beverage and Logistics

• Serve as the primary operational liaison with the conference venue.
• Coordinate meeting rooms, floor plans, room capacities, staging, signage, registration areas, speaker preparation areas, and other event spaces.
• Manage food and beverage planning, including menus, dietary requirements, guarantees, service schedules, and banquet event orders.
• Coordinate conference logistics including shipping, materials, signage, equipment, supplier access, setup, teardown, and storage.
• Conduct venue walkthroughs and ensure all operational requirements are documented and delivered.

Registration & Delegate Experience

• Oversee the conference registration process and registration platform.
• Monitor registrations and maintain accurate delegate information.
• Coordinate confirmations, attendee communications, dietary and accessibility requirements, name badges, registration materials, and onsite check‑in.
• Develop an efficient onsite registration process and manage the registration desk during the conference.
• Help ensure delegates receive a professional, organized, and welcoming experience from registration through the conclusion of the event.

Audio-Visual & Production

• Coordinate all AV and technical requirements with the venue and production suppliers.
• Develop detailed requirements for staging, screens, presentations, microphones, lighting, sound, video, recording, and other technical needs.
• Coordinate speaker presentations and technical requirements in advance.
• Manage technical rehearsals, speaker sound checks, and presentation testing.
• Work closely with AV teams during the conference to ensure seamless program delivery.

Speakers, Program & Sponsors

• Coordinate speaker logistics, schedules, biographies, presentations, technical requirements, travel information, and onsite needs.
• Maintain the master conference program and detailed run‑of‑show.
• Coordinate sponsor deliverables and onsite requirements in collaboration with MDR.
• Ensure sponsor commitments, recognition, signage, exhibits, and other agreed benefits are delivered.
• Coordinate VIP, keynote, moderator, and special guest requirements.

Onsite Conference Management

• Serve as a key onsite operational lead for the conference.
• Develop and manage detailed production schedules and run‑of‑show documents.
• Coordinate venue staff, suppliers, AV teams, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and MDR team members.
• Oversee setup, registration, room transitions, food and beverage service, speaker movements, technical requirements, and teardown.
• Troubleshoot issues quickly and professionally while maintaining a calm, solutions-oriented approach.

Post-Conference

• Coordinate supplier closeout and final invoices.
• Complete final budget reconciliation.
• Support attendee and stakeholder evaluation activities.
• Document lessons learned and recommendations for future conferences.
• Ensure conference records, supplier information, contracts, and operational documentation are properly organized and retained.

Experience & Capabilities

• We are looking for an experienced event professional with:
• Extensive professional experience planning and delivering conferences, corporate events, conventions, or comparable large-scale events.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex event budgets and financial reporting.
• Strong knowledge of conference venues, contracts, food and beverage, AV, production, registration, and event logistics.
• Experience managing relationships with hotels, venues, AV companies, caterers, production suppliers, and other event vendors.
• Experience coordinating speakers, sponsors, VIPs, and professional audiences.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence negotiating with vendors and reviewing event contracts and proposals.
• Ability to remain calm, decisive, and solutions-focused in a fast-moving event environment.
• Strong proficiency with spreadsheets, budgets, project management tools, and event registration systems.

Location & Availability

Candidates must be based in Toronto or Halifax. The position is part‑time during the planning period, with hours expected to increase as the conference approaches. The successful candidate must be available to travel to Toronto as required and must be available for the full onsite conference period in March 2027, including setup and teardown. Some evening or weekend availability may be required during critical periods.

About MDR Strategy Group

MDR Strategy Group is a Canadian advisory firm working with regulators and organizations that serve the public interest. Our work spans governance, organizational leadership, strategic communications, public engagement, data, research and intelligence, and emerging technologies. MDR convenes leaders from Canada and around the world through its AI in Regulation conferences, bringing together regulators, technology leaders, researchers, and other experts to advance responsible AI adoption and informed strategic regulatory decision‑making.

We are seeking an experienced event professional who can step into this role with confidence, take ownership of conference operations, and help MDR deliver an exceptional experience for our delegates, speakers, sponsors, and partners.