Manager/Senior Manager, Event Planning & Activation

Launch Tennessee; Tennessee; On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A nonprofit organization in Tennessee is seeking a Manager/Senior Manager for Event Planning & Activation. You will oversee all aspects of event management, from ideation to execution, ensuring impactful experiences for stakeholders. The role requires strong experience in event planning and management, focusing on both large-scale and intimate gatherings. Competitive benefits include health insurance and generous PTO.

Benefits

80% health, dental, and vision insurance coverage

8% employer contribution to 401(k)

4 weeks PTO plus federal holidays

$90/month cell phone stipend

Dog-friendly office

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5-7 years experience in event planning and management.
• Experience with events of 500+ attendees.
• Familiarity with budget management and vendor relations.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution for all live events.
• Oversee vendor management and procurement.
• Track key performance metrics and analysis.

Skills

Event planning

Budget management

Vendor negotiation

Team collaboration

Communication

Job description

Manager/Senior Manager, Event Planning & Activation

Reports to: Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Supports: Marketing-Communications team, VP of Development, VP of Finance and Administration, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Executive Officer

Collaborates with: Director of Communications, Creative Manager, Senior Marketing Coordinator

Supervises: possible summer intern, large network of external vendors and partners

Introduction

LaunchTN is a 501c3 nonprofit organization building an ecosystem of support for every startup and investor in Tennessee. As a public-private partnership, we are uniquely positioned to provide direct investment, while also supporting collaboration among founders, investors, researchers, private sector institutions, and government. We foster entrepreneurship, technology advancement, and workforce development by providing capital access, commercialization support, and connections.

Our core values are:

• Don’t just think outside the box; break it.
• Go further through collaboration.
• Be driven to serve.
• Be accessible and inclusive always.
• Put people first in everything we do.
• Life is too short not to love what you do.
• We make it happen.

Position Overview:

This position serves as in-house lead for Launch Tennessee’s robust event roster, with specific responsibilities across event creation and management of planning, execution, and wrap-up. This role owns and operates all facets of live event production for evolving and expanding lineup of live, in-person programs, conferences, and activations, here in Nashville, as well as across the state and other key regions, including the blockbuster multi-day Tennessee House takeover at SXSW in Austin, TX and more. LaunchTN’s event strategy supports awareness of and engagement with our mission as well as our stakeholders and partners, and aims to impactfully achieve the organization’s strategic priorities and objectives and drive engagement with key constituents.

Job Responsibilities

Roles and Responsibilities:

Lead planning, activation, fulfillment, and post-program analysis for all aspects of the organization’s broad suite of live events, ranging from annual tentpole week-long conferences and brand activations to more intimate panel discussions, dinners & receptions, office open houses, and staff offsites. Activities to include:

• Oversee all aspects of in-person programs and events, which include a signature event held in Nashville, events across Tennessee, as well as out of state
• Collaborate with VP of Marketing & Communications as well as the CEO on initial ideation, creative development, and strategy, on both established regular and recurring events and new programs. Always looking for new ideas and fresh ways to execute and opportunities to optimize.
• Vendor procurement, management, and oversight, including RFP and proposal review, negotiation, and execution. Collaborate with existing lineup of established partners as well as regularly meet with and explore new and emerging businesses and services, including special focus on TN-based partners and entrepreneurial companies.
• Supervise all attendee management, registration, and ticketing systems, both virtual and on-site. Maintain event communications inbox and ensure timely and respectful responses to constituency inquiries and requests.
• Play active role in tracking, compilation, and analysis of key performance indicators and metrics, both in real time and after events. Share learnings with Marketing-Communications team and circulate executive-level summaries to leadership team.
• Place all orders of custom designed/branded event swag and organizational promotional merchandise. Track inventory and need for replenishment.
• Oversee detailed budgets for all events and ensure programs come in on target and without unnecessary or unexpected overages.
• Collaborate with Creative Manager and Senior Marketing Coordinator on opportunities for on-site brand design, organizational and wayfinding signage, sponsor/partner recognition, cosmetic decor, and consumer-facing “need to know” verbiage to ensure smooth arrival and on-site experiences.
• Partner with VP of Marketing & Communications and team on tactical event run-of-show planning, scripting of remarks, and all AV presentation elements. Assist with stage management as necessary.
• Collaborate with organization’s development team to superserve partners and sponsors and successfully fulfill all contractual obligations
• Work closely with internal colleagues and contracted vendors to ensure both organizational Supporting Partners and event-specific sponsors are actively included in planning and positioned for successful engagements on-site, from early/often and clear communication and impactful logo inclusion/placement to real-time activations
• Establish and nurture healthy and trusted relationships with corresponding leads at each partner org, for collaboration and confidence
• Assist with collection of partner materials, including brand logos, URLs, headshots, etc, as well as post-event deliverables, ranging from captured content to detailed recaps
• Provide and track all sponsor-contracted ticketing and registration promo codes

Additional tasks include:

• Manage organization’s arsenal of event products, materials, and tools, including poster easels, signage frames, merch display grid panels, swag baskets, branded pull-up banners and linens, etc, and keep both on- and off-site storage unit neat and organized
• Assist VP of Marketing & Communications with coordinating content capture and media production plans, including quarterly pop-up video studios at major gatherings, as well as on-site photography and video filming crews
• Find opportunities to align registration and attendance data capture and communications efforts with organizational CRM database
• Serve as an established category expert to assist and offer recommendations to organizational network of partners, including regional entrepreneur centers, industry partners, investment portfolio companies, Board of Directors members, and other stakeholders across footprint
• Regular day/overnight travel within the state may be required to support programs and initiatives, as well as occasional air travel for multi-day out-of-state events (i.e. Austin, TX for SXSW, Washington, D.C.)

Qualifications

Requirements and expectations:

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in a hands-on, consumer-facing event planning and management role, including history with multi-day, multi-venue programs, events of 500+ attendees, and paid ticketing models
  • Proven experience planning large-scale events out-of-market/out-of-state a plus
• Demonstrated hands-on history with all aspects of event planning – venue, production/staging, A/V, food & beverage, registration & ticketing, design & decor, speaker/talent management, stage management/ROS, on-site staffing & volunteers management
• Experience with RFP drafting, solicitation, and evaluation as well as contract negotiation
• Experience with sponsor relations and fulfillment
• Familiarity with both B2C and B2B programs
• Cool, calm, and collected in the midst of chaotic situations; doesn’t get flustered, able to triage multiple things in real-time and focus on solving problems to ensure high-quality outcomes and results
• Detail-oriented, sees the big picture and how individual smaller elements come together
• Lean-forward, hands-on team player with a ‘no job too big or too small’ attitude and all-hands-on-deck mindset
• Comfort with high-performing small teams and open-plan office space with scrappy startup energy
• Enjoys collaboration & building consensus with team, colleagues, and stakeholders, as well as decisive and able to operate independently and follow an agreed-upon game plan
• Experience building & managing budgets as well as prioritizing competing needs for budget investment
• Acts as an ambassador for Tennessee, building awareness of innovation ecosystem and support for startups and entrepreneurs

What success looks like:

• 1 month: Settle in role, comfortable with organization’s mission, priorities, and upcoming calendar. Starting to plan for future programs by building working budgets and relationships with established vendors. Actively contributing and overseeing smaller events and starting to travel with team to execute programs
• 3 months: Working independently and collaborating with department lead on in-depth plans for annual tentpoles and major events. Successfully sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and contracting venues and vendors in- and out-of-market. Managing budgets, tracking spends, and monitoring invoicing.
• 6 months: Successfully juggling multiple upcoming events and projects simultaneously. Able to solve problems and optimize in real time, as well as offer critical analysis post-programs. Comfort with vendors and fulfilling sponsor and partner needs.

Additional Information

Healthcare: LaunchTN covers 80% of individual/partner/family health, dental, and vision insurance through the State of Tennessee.

401(k) Retirement: Flat 8% employer contribution.

Disability Insurance: 100% employer-paid short- and long-term disability coverage.

Paid Time Off: 4 weeks PTO + federal holidays + office closure from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day + day off for your birthday.

Other Perks: $90/month cell phone stipend, dog-friendly office.

How to Apply

Fill out application form by October 10, 2025: https://airtable.com/apppy9PQIQIO0F2Ka/shr1XSypgZniXaIka