Events Business Partner

Salary: £38,000 to £42,000, dependent on experience

Annual Leave entitlement: 25 days (plus 10 bank holidays)

Working hours: Full time - permanent

Location: Ratho, Edinburgh / hybrid-working

Reporting to: Head of Brands & Communications

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 16th July 2024

Please send CV and covering letter to: humanresources@foodanddrink.scot with the title of the job you are applying for in the subject line.

Prior to any employment commencing with Scotland Food & Drink you will be asked to provide documents to demonstrate your right to work in the UK.

 

JOB SUMMARY

As Events Business Partner, you’ll be responsible for developing and delivering Scotland Food & Drink's events strategy, of which a large part of will incorporate the events that are delivered as part of the UK Market Activation Strategy. You’ll apply your extensive experience in events, your passion for creating outstanding experiences, and a strategic mindset to create an exceptional events strategy that is aligned with our business objectives and brand values. You’ll lead a small team, overseeing and managing all aspects of event planning and execution across the organisation. This is a role for a strong leader who will partner with internal stakeholders, as well as with external stakeholders to translate business objectives into an events programme that inspires, motivates and exudes excellence in every aspect. You will have outstanding attention to detail, and an uncompromising commitment to delivering the highest quality experience at all your events, helping to build and sustain Scotland Food & Drink’s reputation as a leader in our field.

You’ll lead a small team to head up a diverse programme of digital and in person events, ranging from industry round tables featuring a select group of influential attendees, to managing our attendance at trade shows, to leading on the delivery of large scale international showcasing events which give a platform for Scottish Food & Drink businesses to grow. You’ll keep your finger on the pulse of developments in the events industry, striving to continually improve and deliver efficiencies and improvements through innovative approaches.

This is an exciting role for a talented, passionate and detail-obsessed person who takes immense pride in leading a team of 3 initially and delivering outstanding events, and who would relish the opportunity to take events at Scotland Food & Drink to the next level.

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Lead on the creation, development and delivery of the Scotland Food & Drink events strategy, partnering with internal and external stakeholders to make sure the events programme is strategically aligned with our business objectives and brand values. A large part of this role will involve working with the UK Market Development and The Knowledge Bank teams.
• Leadership of a small team of event professionals to manage the end-to- end delivery of events at Scotland Food & Drink and oversee all logistical aspects of events including but not limited to project planning and building critical paths for individual events as well as venue selection, catering, audio- visual and transport. Assign responsibilities, set goals, and provide guidance to ensure successful execution of high-quality in-person and digital events from small scale to large scale, and online.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to ensure events have a compelling and engaging programme of speakers where appropriate.
• Establish and develop relationships with appropriate partners and manage supplier relationships (exhibition managers, venues, production companies )
• Ensure administration and event communications (both internal and external) are accurate and prepared in an efficient and timely manner; for example nametags, delegate packs and other relevant materials, gift bags, registration lists etc.
• Financial management: manage event budgets, monitoring income, including sponsorship and expenditure to ensure events are delivered on budget. Highlight any projected deviations to the budget owner so action can be taken if necessary. Maintain accurate records and produce reports, including re- forecasting to monitor and analyse Negotiate contracts with vendors and suppliers to optimise costs.
• Reporting and analysis: Carry out event debriefs and recommend improvements and enhancements based on learnings after every
• Work closely with the rest of the Brands and Communications team to provide appropriate marketing and promotional collateral, ensuring that there is a strong and consistent brand identity across all events, whether that is the Scotland Food & Drink corporate brand identity, or the Naturally Scottish brand identity. Support this team with on the day opportunities and content for agreed media channels.
• Sponsorship: Overview of and delivery of agreed sponsorship opportunities and branding at events, managing and maximising sponsorship revenue alongside undertaking an ongoing review of our approach to event sponsorship to maximise event funding.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with events, include carrying out risk assessments and highlighting and mitigating potential issues. Develop contingency plans to address unforeseen challenges during events.
• Compliance and Legal: Ensure all events comply with relevant laws, regulations, and organisational Obtain necessary permits and licenses for events as required.

 

ABOUT YOU

• 4+ years proven experience in event planning and management, with a track record of successful large-scale events, and experience of delivering digital Excellent organisation and time management skills, with an uncompromising commitment to quality and exceptional attention to detail.
• Creativity and willingness to think outside the box. “That’s the way we’ve always done it” isn’t in your vocabulary. You’ll have a finger on the pulse of what is new and exciting in the world of event management and be willing to bring those ideas to the table, inspiring and motivating your team to do the same.
• An ability to develop strong supplier relationships and to negotiate. Strong written and verbal communication skills are important to build relationships, negotiate and influence decisions at all levels of
• Take initiative and work independently, but also able to collaborate and work as part of a team.
• IT literate across Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. CMS and CRM familiarity an Experience of platforms such as Hopin and AwardsForce also an advantage
• Strong interest in the Scottish food and drink industry
• Flexibility to attend events, which may mean the need to work evenings and weekends, and to travel and stay away from home as required by the events programme, always ensuring that at least one member of the events team is in attendance at events, depending on the event.
• Minimum 2 years line management experience, working across different projects and delivering exceptional events.

 

WORKING AT SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK

Scotland Food & Drink is the industry leadership organisation tasked with driving responsible growth for the sector. We are also a membership organisation with over 420 companies at our heart.

Working with us gives you an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting and innovative industries in Scotland.

Our culture and our people are core to delivering our diverse and collaborative work. We have work/life balance as one of our core values and we have a benefits package offering a pension scheme, 35 days holiday (plus your birthday), enhanced MAT and Paternity benefits, a flexible working policy and a cycle-to-work scheme. As well as opportunities to socialise and attend industry events and dinners.

We believe working with us should be a hugely positive experience, our core values are:

Ambition – we are passionate about making a difference

Collaboration – our impact comes from harnessing the individual strengths of our people and our partners, forging a strong team spirit. We have each other’s backs

Respect – we all set the tone, taking personal responsibility for our actions, embracing empathy and generating a world class external reputation

Balance – work is important, life is everything. Success is doing both well

We are also an equal opportunity employer, and we recognise that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive.