Events Coordinator

Lovestruck Books & Cafe; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Lovestruck Books & Cafe seeks an organized Events Coordinator to support a calendar of 15+ author, community, and private events each month. This full-time, on-site role requires nights and weekends a minimum of 50% of the time and reports to the Events Manager.

You will manage on-the-ground execution, RoS docs, event materials, and vendor coordination while ensuring top-notch guest experiences and smooth operations.

Qualifications

• Proven administrative or coordination experience (1-3 years) in events, retail, or fast-paced settings.
• Excellent communication skills across channels (email, phone, chat).
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage complex checklists and systems.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace for spreadsheets and documents.
• Experience with basic receipt tracking and expense reconciliation.

Responsibilities

• Own on-the-ground execution for 15+ events per month, including staff and author management, guest service, and VIP relations.
• Prepare Run of Show documents and setup/teardown checklists, ensuring timelines are met.
• Coordinate all event materials: signage, seating charts, books/stock, merchandise, scripts, and AV equipment.
• Manage onsite operations with Events Manager, supervising up to six staff and attendee flow.
• Oversee smaller events from planning through promotion and follow-up.

Skills

Administrative coordination

Event planning

Budget tracking

Vendor management

Communication

Tools

Google Workspace

Ticketing platforms

Job description

Role Snapshot

This role is for a highly organized, detail-obsessed professional who thrives on turning plans into flawless experiences. Our dedicated Events Coordinator works full-time supporting our ambitious calendar of 15+ author, community, and private events each month.

Description

This role is for a highly organized, detail-obsessed professional who thrives on turning plans into flawless experiences. Our dedicated Events Coordinator works full-time supporting our ambitious calendar of 15+ author, community, and private events each month.

Part of the Events & Marketing Team, reporting directly to the Events Manager, this position is the backbone of our execution, ensuring that every tactical detail, from ticket check-in to venue clean-up, to budget tracking, is handled efficiently and accurately.

This is a full-time, on-site, salaried position that includes nights and weekends a minimum of 50% of the time.

Key Responsibilities

Event Execution

• Tactical Execution: Own the on-the-ground execution for 15+ events per month, ensuring all logistics run smoothly on event day, both in-store and at external venues. This also includes staff and author management, guest customer service, and VIP relationship management.
• Checklist & Run of Show Management: Prepare and maintain detailed Run of Show (RoS) documents and comprehensive setup/teardown checklists for every event, ensuring strict adherence to timelines and deliverables.
• Materials Preparation: Coordinate and prepare all necessary event materials, including signage, seating charts, author books/stock, merchandise, introduction speeches, and necessary A/V equipment.
• Onsite Management: In partnership with the Events Manager, serve as a primary point of contact during events, supervising up to six support staff, managing attendee flow, and troubleshooting issues as they arise.
• Small (Less than 90 people) Program Management: With direction and support from the Events Manager, independently oversee select smaller events and groups, executing event operations from initial communications, approvals, and scheduling through to promotion, execution, and follow-up.

Promotion & Marketing

• Marketing Support: Support the marketing team with accurate event details for promotional strategies (external calendars, social media, newsletters, in-store signage) that drive attendance and ticket sales. Create in-store and event-related content, capturing the on-site and in-person experience for Lovestruck Books & Cafe and events.
• Customer Experience: Ensure a consistently high-quality, welcoming, and memorable experience for all attendees, authors, and partners.
• Event Pitches: Review and manage event grid opportunities. Write and submit grid pitches to the publisher. In partnership with Events Manager and Marketing Manager, contribute to and maintain pitching collateral, language, and strategy.

Financial & Administrative Support

• Events Scheduling: Consistently and centrally track inbound event and partnership requests with status, managing the final calendar of record for event confirmations and related operational details. Support communications around changes in scheduling or events details. Own and maintain local author lists and event inquiries.
• Receipt Tracking & Reporting: Meticulously track and process all event-related expenses, managing purchasing, proposals, and collecting/organizing all vendor receipts for the Events Manager.
• Inventory Coordination: Work closely with the Inventory team to ensure correct book stock is ordered, received, and delivered to the event venue in a timely manner. Manage and maintain Events storage.
• Ticketing Support: Assist with building event pages on ticketing platforms and website. Manage customer service inquiries related to tickets, seating, and venue details.
• Food & Beverage: Maintain appropriate food and beverage certifications (TIPs and Allergen Awareness) and train on bar and cafe service standards to perform service as needed.

Communications & Coordination

• Meetings: Schedule and attend coordination and logistics meetings within the Events & Marketing team and with the bookstore and bar/cafe teams to plan for effective execution. Lead pre-event team huddles.
• Vendor & Venue Liaison: Assist the Events Manager in coordinating basic logistics with venue staff, caterers, security, and other external vendors.
• Post-Event Follow-up: Execute timely post-event tasks, including (but not limited to) thank-you notes, expense reconciliation, event recap, post-event surveys, and compiling key attendance metrics.

Requirements

What You'll Bring

• Proven administrative or coordination experience (1-3 years), ideally in events (corporate, hotel, or conference preferred), project management, or a fast-paced retail or high-volume performance setting.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to coordinate several moving targets through appropriate channels (email, phone, chat) in a timely manner both proactively and reactively as needed.
• Exceptionally strong organizational skills; the ability to create, maintain, and follow complex checklists and administrative systems is essential.
• Highly proficient in standard office software (Google Workspace) for managing spreadsheets and documents.
• Experience with basic receipt tracking and expense reconciliation.
• Experience with event management software a plus.
• Comfortable working varied hours, including evenings and weekends, to cover event schedules.
• Proactive, solution-oriented, and able to remain calm and focused under the pressure of a live event.
• A love for books, community, and creating delightful experiences for attendees.
• Able to lift and push 50+ pounds with or without reasonable accommodations.