Event Specialist

About the Role

The Event Specialist plays a pivotal role in planning, managing, and executing high-quality in-person and virtual events that engage members, elevate our brand, and support organizational growth. This position oversees the full event lifecycle for 20+ live and virtual events and requires regular domestic travel to provide onsite leadership and support. This position will also support the additional live and virtual events hosted by Veterinary Growth Partners (VGP).

This is a high-visibility role for a skilled professional who thrives in logistics, communicates clearly, and delivers memorable experiences. Success in this role demands exceptional organization, proactive problem-solving, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

This position oversees the full event lifecycle for 20+ live and virtual events and requires regular domestic travel to provide onsite leadership and support (30% travel - including about 4 weekends per year).

Responsibilities

Event Planning and Logistics

• Lead planning and execution of 20+ events annually, including VGP workshops, national veterinary conferences, national summits, local trainings, and virtual workshops.
• Manage all event logistics from concept to completion, including venue sourcing, hotel arrangements, AV coordination, and catering.
• Maintain a master event calendar and ensure key planning milestones are met.
• Coordinate travel, lodging, and itineraries for staff and speakers.
• Monitor registration trends, track deadlines, and ensure attendance goals are met.
• Manage storage of VGP collateral.

Onsite Execution and Travel

• Travel to all live events to oversee setup, registration, speaker support, vendor coordination, and issue resolution.
• Represent the organization with professionalism and ensure a seamless attendee experience from arrival to departure.
• Manage onsite technology, signage, and branded materials.

Attendee Experience And Communication

• Serve as the main point of contact for event-related inquiries, managing the events inbox with timely and courteous responses.
• Coordinate with marketing to distribute pre-event communications including logistical details, assessments, and reminders.
• Prepare attendee badges, welcome materials, and swag shipments.
• Use tools like Poll Everywhere to support audience engagement during events.

Post-Event Management

• Collect, analyze, and report on attendance, engagement, and satisfaction.
• Upload CE documentation to CE Broker (RACE).
• Input attendee data into the organization’s CRM system and support targeted follow-up.
• Reconcile expenses and assist with budget tracking.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and enhance future events.

Special Event Oversight

• VGP Live Events: Manage coaching assignments, table planning, and onsite logistics. Coordinate event giveaways and branded collateral. Generate follow-up lists and manage payment outreach for no-shows.
• National Veterinary Conferences: Support Thrive Pet Healthcare B2B company (VitalRads) with planning, registration, swag and booth logistics VMX/WVC/ACVR/SWVS
• Summits, Mini-Summits, and Partner Events: Facilitate planning meetings (e.g., BBM), prepare speaker room lists, and coordinate event materials. Collaborate closely with speakers to gather headshots, bios, AV needs, and travel logistics. Collect speaker and attendee feedback and manage post-event communications and data entry.

Key Qualifications

Required:

• Associate's in hospitality management or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in event planning, operations, or hospitality.
• Demonstrated success leading live events and managing logistics end-to-end.
• Proficiency with Zoom, and Microsoft Suite.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel independently at least 20 times per year including 5 weekends for 2026.
• Excellent time management, multitasking, and decision-making skills.

Preferred:

• CMP certification.
• Experience in veterinary medicine, healthcare, or education-related environments.
• Familiarity with CE Broker, RACE standards, or continuing education logistics.
• Comfort with engagement tools like Poll Everywhere or similar platforms.

Key skills/competency

• Event Planning
• Logistics Management
• Project Management
• Onsite Execution
• Vendor Coordination
• Attendee Engagement
• Communication Skills
• Budget Management
• Data Analysis
• Problem Solving