Senior Events Planner

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended Health & Dental Care

RRSP Matching Program

Fitness Reimbursement Program

Diversity and Inclusion culture

Wellness program

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP in Toronto is seeking a Senior Events Planner to own end‑to‑end planning and execution of high‑impact client‑facing events, sponsorship activations, and related programs. You will collaborate with lawyers, firm leaders, and external partners to advance business development objectives and reinforce the firm’s brand.

The role requires 6+ years of corporate events experience, strong budget and vendor management, and the ability to work across complex programs in a

Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive experience planning corporate events with complex, high‑touch programs.
• Law firm experience is strongly preferred; other professional services may be considered.
• Capable of independently managing multiple initiatives with attention to detail and deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder management to advise senior lawyers and leaders and external partners.
• Ability to manage budgets, vendors, contracts and deliver programs on time and on brand.
• Knowledge of Toronto venues and hospitality suppliers is an asset.
• Undergraduate degree or event-management education, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead intake, planning and execution of event and sponsorship requests in Toronto.
• Advise lawyers on event strategy, formats, venues, vendors and execution approaches.
• Plan seminars, conferences, client dinners, receptions, retreats and hybrid events.
• Manage sponsorship activations and post‑activation assessment.
• Maintain project plans, timelines and records; update national events calendar.
• Collaborate with Facilities to deliver in‑office client experiences aligned to brand.
• Oversee venue/vendor sourcing, contracts, F&B, A/V, invites and registrations.
• Develop and manage event budgets; track commitments and expenditures.
• Lead on‑site execution and issue resolution for seamless delivery.
• Maintain relationships with external partners and monitor service quality.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Event budgeting

Multi-tasking

Microsoft Office

CRM familiarity

Virtual event platforms

Communication

Education

Undergraduate degree

Event-management education

Tools

CRM platforms

Event management software

Registration platforms

Job description

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a leading national law firm serving the transaction, advocacy, and advisory needs of clients across Canada’s most dynamic industries. From offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary, our litigators act on complex commercial disputes for multinational, national, and mid-market clients. We combine rigorous advocacy with practical judgment, inventive strategy, and an unwavering focus on achieving efficient, business-minded outcomes.

Our Culture:

At Cassels, our mission is to attract, retain and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible. We offer meaningful career opportunities, invest in professional growth, and foster an inclusive environment. Our Firm’s success is built on the unique skills, perspectives, experiences and values of each individual. We encourage a corporate culture that respects and celebrates the dignity, value and diversity of all.

Role Overview:

Our Toronto office is currently recruiting for a Senior Events Planner in our Business Development & Marketing Department, reporting to the Manager, Events & Client Experience. The Senior Events Planner is a seasoned, hands‑on events professional responsible for the end‑to‑end planning and execution of high‑impact client‑facing events, selected internal programs and targeted sponsorship activations. The role strengthens client relationships, supports business development objectives and advances the firm’s brand by delivering thoughtful, polished and consistently high‑quality experiences.

Working under the direction of the Manager, Events & Client Experience, the Senior Events Planner independently manages a portfolio of complex events, sponsorships and client experience initiatives within the Toronto market. The role works directly with lawyers, firm leaders, Business Development & Marketing colleagues and external partners, exercising sound judgment and day‑to‑day autonomy while maintaining alignment with established departmental priorities, standards and processes.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

Strategic Client Event & Sponsorship Planning

• Leading the intake, planning and execution of event and sponsorship requests within the Toronto market, ensuring alignment with defined business development objectives and departmental priorities.
• Providing practical recommendations to lawyers and stakeholders on event strategy, format, guest experience, venues, vendors and execution approaches.
• Planning and executing a varied portfolio of seminars, conferences, client dinners, receptions, retreats, hospitality programs and virtual or hybrid events.
• Managing sponsorship activations, including deliverables, benefit optimization, branding, guest engagement and post‑activation assessment.
• Maintaining accurate project plans, timelines and records, and provide timely updates to the national events calendar and shared planning tools.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues in Facilities & Business Services to ensure delivery of in‑office client experiences that reflect the firm’s service standards and brand and that deepen client engagement.
• Managing all event logistics, including venue and vendor sourcing, contract review and negotiation, food and beverage, production and A/V, registration, invitations, attendee communications, layouts, transportation, signage and on‑site delivery.
• Developing and managing event budgets, track commitments and expenditures, process invoices and deliver programs in a cost‑conscious manner.
• Overseeing event‑day execution, anticipate and resolve issues, and ensure a professional and seamless experience across all client touchpoints.
• Maintaining productive relationships with hospitality, production and other external partners, and monitor service quality and contractual performance.

Client Experience & Continuous Improvement

• Conducting proportionate post‑event follow‑up and evaluation, including attendance reporting, feedback, budget reconciliation and assessment against agreed objectives.
• Identifying lessons learned and contribute to the development and refinement of event templates, tools, processes and best practices.
• Coordinating CRM updates and support the quality and accuracy of invitation and attendance data.
• Providing informal mentorship and day‑to‑day support to less experienced events colleagues, including guidance on planning approaches, execution standards and problem solving.
• Sharing best practices, lessons learned and operational knowledge to support consistency across event delivery.
• Acting as a resource to colleagues involved in client and internal event execution within the Toronto office.
• Contributing to a collaborative, client‑focused and service‑oriented team environment.

The successful candidate must have the following education, experience and/or demonstrated skills:

• Six (6) or more years of progressive experience planning and delivering corporate events, with demonstrated responsibility for complex, high‑touch programs.
• Law firm experience is strongly preferred; experience in professional services, consulting or another sophisticated client‑service environment will be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and meeting deadlines under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder‑management skills, with the confidence, judgment and professionalism to advise and work directly with senior lawyers, firm leaders and external partners.
• Proven ability to manage event budgets, vendors and contracts and to deliver programs on time, on budget and on brand.
• Strong knowledge of Toronto‑area venues, hospitality suppliers and business markets; established vendor relationships are an asset.
• Proactive, resourceful and comfortable with ambiguity, changing priorities and the need to gather additional information to achieve the desired outcome.
• Undergraduate degree, relevant event‑management education or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with event‑management, registration, CRM and virtual‑event platforms used in professional services environments.
• Availability to work outside regular business hours and travel when required for event delivery. This role is eligible for overtime.

Employment Type: Permanent, Full‑Time

Salary: $90,000 - $100,000 Annually

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation + Extended Health & Dental Care.
• RRSP Matching Program.
• Fitness Reimbursement Program.
• Diversity and Inclusion Centric Culture.
• A Culture of Wellness: Cassels recognizes the importance of wellness and provides a comprehensive program that addresses the mental and physical well‑being of our employees by providing resources, services, training and support on an ongoing basis.
• A fully stocked kitchen with healthy snacks, plus coffee, tea, and drinks throughout the year.
• A business casual dress code (client/day specific).
• Employee referral bonus.
• A hybrid work environment.

Cassels is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a workplace where people of all identities and lived experiences feel valued, respected, and supported. We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring equitable access to employment. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and individuals with intersectional identities. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply. Accommodations for disabilities, accessibility needs, or cultural practices are available throughout the recruitment process upon request. Please contact our recruiter with any questions or accommodation needs.

Cassels uses artificial intelligence to screen and assess applications for positions, including reviewing resumes and ranking, scoring or filtering candidates against job‑related criteria. All results are reviewed by our Human Resources team, and all hiring decisions are made by people.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status, unless required for accommodation purposes.