Event Assistant - Creative projects for world leading brands

CI Group; Banbury; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 10%

Hybrid working (3–4 days in Banbury)

20 days holidays + bank holidays

Birthday half-day off

Training budget + AI know-how

Pension and life cover

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle scheme and office dogs

Railcard & sabbatical

Job summary

CI Group in the United Kingdom is seeking an aspiring events professional to support planning and delivery of live, virtual, and hybrid events for leading brands, from incentive travel to conferences. Reporting to the Head of Events, you will coordinate bookings, prepare proposals, and join the team on-site to deliver events, with early responsibility and exposure to fast-paced projects.

The role offers on-the-job training, clear progression, and an employee-owned culture, with hybrid working

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Strong organisational and time management abilities.
• Calm and effective under pressure with a practical mindset.
• Good financial awareness and attention to budgets, estimates and invoices.
• A full, valid UK driving licence (essential).

Responsibilities

• Support the planning and delivery of incentive travel, exhibitions, corporate hospitality, SPIFF days and conferences.
• Collate information and help prepare proposals, quotations and event documentation.
• Make bookings and arrangements for confirmed events, and confirm details and itineraries with clients and internal teams.
• Act as a point of contact for clients once an event is confirmed, attending client meetings alongside Project Managers and Business Development colleagues.
• Negotiate the best possible terms, discounts and commissions with suppliers, with support from the wider team.
• Prepare job estimates, check supplier invoices against job costing sheets and close jobs following completed events.
• Attend and host events on-site, representing the company professionally (including travel when required).
• Embrace digital tools and AI to work smarter and improve the client experience.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal comms

Organisation & time management

Calm under pressure

Financial awareness

UK driving licence

Job description

Looking to start or build your career in events? Want to work on incentive trips, conferences and exhibitions for some of the world's biggest brands? Keen to join a supportive, employee-owned agency where people genuinely progress? This might be the role for you!

The company

An award-winning integrated marketing group with over 30 years of experience, helping some of the world's leading brands thrive across sectors from IT and retail to sustainability. Clients include HP, Microsoft, Currys, Allwyn and Royal Caribbean.

We blend creativity, strategy and innovation to amplify brands and connect them with the audiences that matter most – and we're leading the way in using AI to make marketing work harder and smarter.

As an Employee-Owned Trust, everyone shares in the success of the business. Our promise? To “make it better.”

They operate through five specialist agencies:

• Experiential and events. From conferences and exhibitions to incentives and reward programmes – activations that motivate, inspire and spark excitement.
• Creative design and branding. From creative collateral to full-scale rebrands, using authentic storytelling and sharp design to win audiences' hearts and minds.
• Digital strategy and communications. Deep dives into consumer trends to develop strategies and experiences that deliver measurable ROI.
• PR and strategic communications. Dynamic campaigns that shape narratives, spark conversation and build trust and reputation.
• AI strategy. A specialist AI agency helping clients adopt AI safely and strategically.

The role

Joining a close-knit events team of seven, you will support the planning, administration and delivery of a varied mix of live, virtual and hybrid events – from incentive travel and overseas group experiences to exhibitions, corporate hospitality, SPIFF days and conferences.

Reporting to the Head of Events, with day-to-day support from an Event Director, you will help prepare proposals and quotations, coordinate bookings and suppliers, act as a point of contact for clients and join the team on-site to deliver live events. Clients are predominantly tech resellers and manufacturers who expect pace and precision, so you will be given real responsibility from early on.

Full on-the-job training is provided, with a clear path to progress. The team includes a former apprentice now in a permanent role, a placement student who returned after graduating, and Event Managers who have progressed to Lead Event Manager and Event Director.

Day-to-day includes:

• Support the planning and delivery of incentive travel, exhibitions, corporate hospitality, SPIFF days and conferences
• Collate information and help prepare proposals, quotations and event documentation
• Make bookings and arrangements for confirmed events, and confirm details and itineraries with clients and internal teams
• Act as a point of contact for clients once an event is confirmed, attending client meetings alongside Project Managers and Business Development colleagues
• Negotiate the best possible terms, discounts and commissions with suppliers, with support from the wider team
• Prepare job estimates, check supplier invoices against job costing sheets and close jobs following completed events
• Ensure additional costs are captured and invoiced to clients in a timely manner
• Contribute to creative thinking and concept development for new events
• Attend and host events on-site, representing the company professionally (including travel when required)
• Embrace digital tools and AI to work smarter and improve the client experience

The company puts people first. As part of an employee-owned business, you'll join a team that values curiosity, collaboration and accountability, celebrates success, and invests in your development. You'll work with outgoing, welcoming and hardworking people who take pride in delivering excellence.

The package

• Opportunity to join an award-winning, employee-owned agency working with world-leading brands
• Annual bonus of up to 10%
• Hybrid working (3–4 days in the Deddington office) and flexible hours
• 20 days' holiday plus bank holidays, rising yearly to 25 days
• Half a day off for your birthday and a paid volunteering day
• Training budget and support for your development, including AI know-how
• Employer pension and life cover
• Employee Assistance Programme, annual flu jab and eye tests
• Cycle scheme, fruit and snacks – and office dogs are welcome!
• Annual Network Railcard
• One-month sabbatical and long-service awards

To be successful...

• A genuine interest in building a career in events – whether through study, a placement, an apprenticeship or early experience in an events or agency environment
• Confidence to work directly with clients and suppliers, ask questions and take ownership of your work
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly
• Strong organisation and time management, with the ability to juggle a variety of tasks and deadlines
• Calm and effective under pressure, with a practical, solutions-focused approach
• Good financial awareness and attention to detail when working with budgets, estimates and invoices
• Good IT literacy and an eagerness to learn new systems and tools
• Comfortable supporting events in person, including travel when required
• High levels of energy, commitment and enthusiasm, and someone who thrives in a fast-paced agency environment
• A full, valid UK driving licence (essential)