Event Coordinator

ForceBrands; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

ForceBrands in Chicago is seeking an Events Coordinator to join its Marketing team. This hands-on role focuses on executing a high-volume calendar of brand activations, festivals, sponsorships, and experiential events across the Midwest and beyond.

You will coordinate logistics, manage vendors, staff, and budgets, and partner with marketing and sales to keep events on schedule. Frequent travel and weekend work are expected, with a hybrid office setup.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of experience in event planning or experiential marketing.
• Hands-on experience with live events from planning to onsite execution.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills.
• Ability to work with vendors, venues, and staffing under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and execute brand activations, festivals, sponsorships, and events from planning through on-site execution.
• Build systems to manage a high volume of events and inbound opportunities.
• Own day-to-day event logistics including vendor coordination, staffing, load-in/out, and assets.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, agencies, and partners to stay on schedule.
• Provide on-site support and troubleshoot issues quickly.
• Coordinate brand ambassadors and promotional staff.
• Track event expenses and reconcile invoices against budgets.
• Ensure compliance with alcohol regulations and venue rules.
• Develop post-event recaps with attendance, spend, and learnings.
• Stay updated on beverage, CPG, music, and experiential trends.

Skills

Event planning

Vendor management

Logistics coordination

Budget management

On-site problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Location: Chicago, IL | Hybrid + Frequent Travel

A fast-growing, global beverage company is looking for an Events Coordinator to join its Marketing team in Chicago. This is an exciting opportunity for an events professional who thrives in fast-moving, consumer-facing environments and loves turning plans into memorable live experiences.

The Events Coordinator will help execute a high-volume calendar of brand activations, festivals, sponsorships, and experiential events across the Midwest and other key markets. With approximately 75-80 Midwest events and 10 festivals planned annually, this person will play a critical role in bringing organization, structure, and flawless execution to a busy experiential marketing program.

This is a highly hands-on role for someone who knows what it takes to make live events happen, from vendor coordination and load-in to onsite problem-solving and post-event wrap-up.

What You'll Do

• Coordinate and execute brand activations, festivals, sponsorships, and promotional events from planning through onsite execution and post-event recap
• Build and maintain organized systems for managing a high volume of events and inbound event opportunities
• Own day-to-day event logistics, including vendor coordination, venue requirements, staffing, load-in/load-out, deliveries, event assets, signage, and promotional materials
• Partner with internal Marketing and Sales teams, external agencies, vendors, and promotional partners to keep events on schedule and execution-ready
• Support onsite event execution and quickly troubleshoot logistical issues or last-minute changes
• Coordinate brand ambassadors and promotional staff, including scheduling, training, and onsite management
• Support event expense tracking, invoice reconciliation, and execution against established budgets
• Ensure sampling and activation activity follows applicable alcohol regulations, venue requirements, and company compliance standards
• Develop post-event recaps covering execution, attendance, spend, and key learnings
• Stay close to cultural, beverage, CPG, music, and experiential trends to identify opportunities for impactful programming

What We're Looking For

• 2-4 years of experience in event planning, experiential marketing, activations, promotions, event production, or a related field
• Hands-on experience executing live events
• Strong event logistics and vendor-management experience with the ability to coordinate multiple moving pieces simultaneously
• Experience within beverage alcohol is preferred; relevant experience with consumer brands, music/events, festivals, production companies, or experiential/activation agencies is also highly relevant
• Exceptional organizational and project-management skills, with an ability to build systems and keep a busy event calendar moving
• Calm, resourceful problem-solver who can adapt quickly when plans change onsite
• Comfortable representing consumer brands with vendors, partners, retailers, and consumers
• Self-starter who can operate with limited supervision in a fast-paced environment
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience preferred
• Must be 21 years of age or older

Location & Travel

This role is based in Chicago, IL and requires frequent travel to support events in the Midwest and other key markets. Evening and weekend work will be required based on the event calendar.

The company recognizes that events don't always happen during traditional business hours and offers flexibility around the workweek. Schedules can be adjusted around weekend events and travel, including flexibility with midweek hours and start times.

The role also requires the ability to work onsite during event setup, execution, and breakdown; work outdoors when necessary; drive to and from event locations; and lift or move event materials weighing up to 40 pounds.