Meetings and Events Program Manager

Jobtailor; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Bengaluru is seeking an experienced Meetings & Events Program Manager to oversee global M&E spend and drive compliance with policies across GDS locations. You will coordinate with stakeholders, procurement and finance to optimize spend and ensure program success.

The role requires strong Excel, PowerPoint, and data reporting skills, with experience in Cvent, Power BI, and Ariba preferred. Fluent English is essential and multinational exposure is a plus.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of corporate experience managing Meetings & Events programs or senior roles in the travel, hospitality, meeting planning, venue sourcing, destination management, or travel management industries.
• Experience managing large, complex events or M&E programs in multinational, service-focused or cross-cultural environments is highly beneficial.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with Cvent, meeting intake tools, data reporting, Power BI, Power Platform, Ariba or related procurement/event tech platforms will be an added advantage.
• Fluent written and spoken English language skills are required.
• A degree in Business, Hospitality, Travel, Procurement or a related discipline is preferred but not mandatory.
• Additional Asian language skills may be beneficial for broader regional stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Meetings & Events related spend and support M&E program activities across GDS locations globally.
• Act as a key day-to-day point of contact for GDS stakeholders on program management, operational requirements, reporting, supplier performance, and process improvement initiatives.
• Work closely with Meetings & Events colleagues, suppliers, internal business stakeholders, procurement, finance and other enabling teams to promote M&E policies, guidelines and procedures, drive compliance, improve stakeholder experience and support cost-saving opportunities.
• Be the primary point of contact for GDS stakeholders on M&E program management, operational queries, reporting requirements and policy guidance.
• Support senior stakeholders across GDS locations and provide guidance on Meetings & Events related matters, ensuring alignment with global program objectives.
• Promote the values, objectives and strategy of the Meetings & Events program and broader procurement function in all stakeholder interactions.
• Influence change and support the implementation of the Global M&E strategy across relevant GDS locations and business groups.
• Oversee and support venue sourcing, event planning and supplier engagement for GDS meetings and events, ensuring solutions are aligned to stakeholder requirements and business needs.
• Help prepare initial and final event or meeting budgets and support cost management throughout the event lifecycle.
• Drive cost efficiencies and supplier negotiations, ensuring value-add opportunities are reviewed and exhausted where applicable.
• Manage and report key performance indicators to monitor program effectiveness, supplier performance and operational efficiency.
• Lead and support GDS M&E projects, including expansion of the M&E catalogue across GDS locations and harmonisation of processes with global teams.

Skills

Meetings & Events Program Management

Stakeholder Communication

Influencing Change

Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Education

Business, Hospitality, Travel, Procurement or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Cvent

Power BI

Power Platform

Ariba

Job description

• Oversee Meetings and Events related spend and support M&E program activities across GDS locations globally.
• Act as a key day-to-day point of contact for GDS stakeholders on program management, operational requirements, reporting, supplier performance, and process improvement initiatives supporting the Global M&E program.
• Work closely with Meetings & Events colleagues, suppliers, internal business stakeholders, procurement, finance and other enabling teams to promote M&E policies, guidelines and procedures, drive compliance, improve stakeholder experience and support cost-saving opportunities.
• Be the primary point of contact for GDS stakeholders on M&E program management, operational queries, reporting requirements and policy guidance.
• Support senior stakeholders across GDS locations and provide guidance on Meetings & Events related matters, ensuring alignment with global program objectives.
• Promote the values, objectives and strategy of the Meetings & Events program and broader procurement function in all stakeholder interactions.
• Influence change and support the implementation of the Global M&E strategy across relevant GDS locations and business groups.
• Oversee and support venue sourcing, event planning and supplier engagement for GDS meetings and events, ensuring solutions are aligned to stakeholder requirements and business needs.
• Help prepare initial and final event or meeting budgets and support cost management throughout the event lifecycle.
• Drive cost efficiencies and supplier negotiations, ensuring value-add opportunities are reviewed and exhausted where applicable.
• Manage and report key performance indicators to monitor program effectiveness, supplier performance and operational efficiency.
• Lead and support GDS M&E projects, including expansion of the M&E catalogue across GDS locations and harmonisation of processes with global teams.

Requirements

• Minimum 5-8 years of relevant corporate experience managing Meetings & Events programs or working in a senior role in the travel, hospitality, meeting planning, venue sourcing, destination management or travel management industry.
• Experience managing large, complex events or M&E programs in a multinational, service-focused or cross-cultural environment is highly beneficial.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, is required.
• Experience with Cvent, meeting intake tools, data reporting, Power BI, Power Platform, Ariba or related procurement and event technology platforms will be an added advantage.
• Fluent written and spoken English language skills are required.
• A degree in Business, Hospitality, Travel, Procurement or a related discipline is preferred but not mandatory.
• Additional Asian language skills may be beneficial for broader regional stakeholder engagement, although they are not mandatory.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in Meetings & Events program management, including venue sourcing, event planning, and supplier engagement, while driving compliance and cost efficiencies. Proficient in stakeholder communication and operational reporting to enhance program effectiveness across global locations.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Meetings & Events Program Management
• Supplier Engagement
• Cost Management
• Microsoft Excel Proficiency
• Cvent Experience

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Event Planning
• Budget Management
• Data Reporting
• Supplier Negotiation
• Program Effectiveness Monitoring

Soft Skills

• Stakeholder Communication
• Influencing Change
• Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Industry Keywords

• Meetings & Events
• Travel Management
• Hospitality
• Venue Sourcing
• Destination Management

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Cvent
• Power BI
• Power Platform
• Ariba