Event Program Manager

Take your career further with McLane! McLane teammates, the driving force behind our success, are diverse professionals who work together seamlessly to keep our operations running smoothly. As a teammate, you will pair your dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit with your fellow teammates to serve America’s most beloved brands. McLane leaders think long-term, act with purpose, and inspire high performance. They lead with accountability, communicate clearly, and drive results through collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth. They empower each teammate to learn from industry leaders, develop their skills, and build lasting connections nationwide. Job Description Summary Plan and execute assigned events for McLane Company from initial planning through post-event evaluation. Develop and improve current processes and communication across multiple departments and parties while continuously identifying and resolving problems. Establish event goals and manage comprehensive plans, timelines, budgets, vendors, and agencies. Collaborate with brand, product marketing, communications, agencies, vendors, venues, and various internal departments to ensure events are completed on time and according to pre-determined goals. Benefits you can count on: Day 1 Benefits: medical, dental, and vision insurance, FSA/HSA, and company-paid life insurance Paid time off begins day one. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan after 90 days. Additional benefits: pet insurance, maternity/paternity leave, employee assistance programs, discount programs, tuition reimbursement program, and more! What you’ll do: Coordinate logistics for assigned events including venue and hotel research, menu orders, transportation, ordering trade show services, entertainment and décor procurement, A/V and internet needs, signage, photography, prepping and shipping event materials. Develop and maintain comprehensive event plans, task lists, timelines, run-of-show documents, onsite schedules, event checklists, and handoff materials. Travel to events and serve as liaison between McLane, venues, agencies, vendors, and internal stakeholders. Review contracts, banquet event orders, rooming lists, guarantees, vendor specifications, and related event documents; identify discrepancies, coordinate revisions, and support guest needs. Collaborate with suppliers to manage sponsorship initiatives, exhibits, recognition, and sponsor deliverables. Oversee deployment of event registration, mobile app, website, digital agenda, attendee communications, rooming lists, and onsite check-in processes. Own planning for virtual events and other assigned events. Track and communicate RSVPs, attendee status, and registration updates. Review event invite lists and coordinate customer, supplier, executive, and VIP guest details. Serve as an expert on event formats, scheduling, room setups, guest flow, and operational requirements. Develop presentations, executive updates, reports, and event recommendations. Collaborate with teammates and stakeholders to establish marketing event goals and measures of success. Interface professionally with C-suite executives and manage confidential information with discretion. Process invoices; track event budgets and forecasts; reconcile final charges; investigate discrepancies; and communicate budget status to event owners and leadership. Create and maintain a comprehensive event plan and task tracking documents for each event. Manage and organize attendee travel and registration, including Customer Trip programs and personalized guest logistics. Attend pre-event site visits and venue scouting; document findings, recommendations, and follow-up actions. Collaborate with the events team and broader Commercial Marketing organization, provide coverage as needed, and maintain organized shared files and event documentation. Manage event vendors and agency partners, including sourcing, proposals, scopes of work, deliverables, timelines, and issue resolution; coordinate with Legal, Finance, Procurement, and Accounts Payable as needed. Coordinate event communications and creative projects, including briefs, production timelines, proofing, branding, name badges, signage, presentation materials, and post-event communications. Collect feedback, support post-event surveys and recaps, document lessons learned, and recommend improvements for future events. Develop and improve repeatable event processes, templates, standard operating procedures, and event-in-a-box resources for recurring, regional, ribbon-cutting, and other scalable events. Assess event risks and coordinate safety, security, emergency, accessibility, and technology support plans with appropriate internal teams and venue partners. Qualifications you’ll bring: Bachelor's degree in hospitality, marketing, communications, business, or related field preferred. Two or more years of event planning or event program management experience. Ability to establish and meet deadlines, manage multiple concurrent events, and adapt quickly when priorities or onsite conditions change. Experience working with venues, agencies, print vendors, A/V providers, registration platforms, and other event partners preferred. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel; experience managing detailed event plans, budgets, and invoices preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Copilot, and other Microsoft 365 applications preferred. Comfortable leveraging AI tools and actively advocates for their use to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance ways of working. Exceptional attention to detail, organization, follow-through, judgment, and problem-solving skills. Comfortable working independently, leading cross-functional work, and collaborating in a team environment. Good knowledge of printing processes, creative production timelines, and event signage requirements. Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate with executives, customers, suppliers, agencies, and venue partners. Experience with event registration technology, event websites or content management systems, and digital event applications preferred. Ability to travel and work outside standard business hours as required for site visits and event execution. Working Conditions: Office environment with periodic visits to distribution centers and operational facilities. 20% Travel as required to support facility assessments, permitting activities, and project work. Fit the following? We want you here! Teamwork oriented Organized Problem solver Detailed Our roadmap. Our story. We’ve been forging our path as a leader in the distribution industry since 1894. Building an expansive nationwide network of team members for 130+ years has allowed us to stay agile for our clients across the restaurant, retail, and e-commerce industries. We look to the future and are ready to continue making industry-defining moves by embracing the newest technology into our practices, continuing team member training, and emphasizing our people-centered culture. Candidates may be subject to a background check and drug screen, in accordance with applicable laws. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. For our complete EEO and Pay Transparency statement, please visit https://www.mclaneco.com/legal/employment/