Position Summary

The Associate Development Center (ADC) is Nestle Purina’s state-of-the-art training and conference center located onsite at our headquarters in downtown St. Louis. The center is dedicated to hosting training and development events, strategic planning meetings, workshops, and other large corporate events. The ADC brings a more personalized feel to our meetings and events than offsite locations.  

As the Events & Program Operations Specialist, you will be in charge of creating a positive, well-maintained and state-of-the-art Center that encourages employee productivity and engagement.  You will have the opportunity to direct, plan and organize every detail of the day-to-day operations of the Center’s programs, conferences, workshops and events from end-to-end.  You will provide full customer service on event planning while consulting with internal clients on all of their event needs helping identify, schedule and setup the appropriate room, audiovisual needs, food requirements, materials, budgets, etc.  You will also manage external negotiations and contracts for all services needed within the Center.  You will be responsible for ongoing communications and marketing of the facility as well as the measurement, evaluation and reporting of the Center.

• Consult with internal customers to evaluate the best solution for their meeting, based on room size and their needs, including large scale global events. 
• Ensure accommodations are made to address multi-cultural needs regarding space, food, décor, room setup etc.
• Order and coordinate all food and beverage requirements including setup and cleanup
• Coordinate and manage all facility and equipment maintenance
• Provide first level support for audiovisual equipment and coordinate additional technical support as needed
• Partner with local organizations to coordinate the donation of left-over food 
• Respond to and handle emergency issues promptly, including those related to repairs and maintenance
• Develop communication and marketing pieces to promote the use of the facility
• Create and maintain policies, procedures and guidelines for the Center
• Develop strong collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders 
• Regularly stay abreast of emerging technology and available automation solutions for meeting and conference spaces.

Requirements:  

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required; Bachelor's degree preferred
• 3+ years of experience in end-to-end conference and/or large scale meeting management required
• 3+ years of experience with computer-based technologies for tracking schedules (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Meeting Request System) required
• 1+ years of experience working with vendors of equipment rental and food required
• 1+ years of experience in food and beverage with emphasis on catering required
• Current certification in: CMP (Certified Meeting Planner), CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), and/or CSEP- Certified Special Events Professional and/or CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer) preferred
• Experience with accommodating the needs of multi-cultural audiences preferred

Skills:

• Excellent customer service
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with a proven ability to negotiate solutions with tact and diplomacy in the midst of competing needs and requests
• Ability to quickly problem solve and prioritize work in a very fast and dynamic work environment 
• Very comfortable communicating and interacting with customers at all levels of the organization
• Strong organizational and planning skills

Requisition ID

157696