OUR MISSION:
Our core mission is Brilliant Food. Flawless Service. Stunning Experiences. We fulfill this by working as a team to exceed the expectations of our clients and their guests, while creating an atmosphere of personal and professional satisfaction for our employees.
POSITION PROFILE:
The Event Production Assistant is a dual role with autonomy of managing internal events and supports the Director of Sales and Catering with External and larger Internal Events at our exclusive venue, the Harvard Art Museums, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The EPA assists in prioritizing and balancing weekly workflow while supporting the planning, coordination, production, and execution of all corporate, social, nonprofit, and wedding events hosted at the Harvard Art Museums and satellite Adolphus Busch Hall. The role also serves as a key liaison between clients, vendors, and internal departments to ensure exceptional event execution and guest satisfaction.
WHO YOU ARE:
We are looking for someone who has a passion for event planning and catering and is looking to learn all aspects of the business, from sales to logistics and day of execution. No job is too big or too small, you are excellent at multi-tasking, thinking outside the box, and being pro-active with projects. You have the ability to juggle different priority lists and how to best manage your time. You enjoy a fluid schedule with the ebb and flow of events and the ability to work nights and weekends.
JOB TASKS for H/AM
60% Internal Conference Catering Logistics and Execution (documentation, coordination, set up and billing)
40% Assisting Event Operation Management + Vendor Support + Event Logistics (internal documentation, vendor collaboration) support for DSC
Location: At Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA)4 days a week, remote Mondays when the Museums is closed, and as required by event schedule (nights and weekends included).
RESPONSIBLITIES:
Internal Events
Conference Catering Coordination
1. Responsible for planning internal H/AM events (breakfasts, lunches, receptions, and dinners):
a. order taking & menu/proposal recommendations for client review
b. creates floor plans, timelines, equipment, staffing needs, etc. for internal events
c. day of set up & breakdown on your own / limited staff
d. billing & file closeout
2. Manage all communications for orders with Chef / Culinary Team / Staffing Department
3. Build and maintain relationship with internal departments
Production Documents – Internal Events
1. Create, Maintain and Distribute Internal Production Documents
a. Design Notes / Equipment Needs
b. Rental Orders on behalf of H/AM
c. Vendors Sheets
d. Production Timelines
e. Floorplans
f. Kitchen Sheets & Beverage Sheets as needed – Determine what can be produced at Harvard vs. coming from Rockland
2. Complete cross checks for upcoming events to ensure overall accuracy
On-site for events
- Drop-off style events
- Gathering internal equipment, food, setting up, breaking down events. Most often on your own or with limited staff
- Full-Service Events (Breakfasts, Receptions, Dinners)
- Oversee event set ups, load ins, events, and load out for internal events
- Act as primary Event Manager when a full-time EM isn’t present
- Assist with timeline on events, such as cueing formalities and programming details
- Greet all vendors upon their arrival, make sure they sign in with security and give all vendors a badge to wear while they are in the building
- Assist with floor plan checking, making sure each room is set properly including dinner tables set for the correct number of guests
- Assist with guest greeting and direction
External Events
Event Management in collaboration with DSC.
- Oversees arrangements with clients for booked catering functions, including tastings, menu planning, design meetings, timelines, and final reviews
- Acts as point of contact from catering contract to event date through final invoicing.
- Oversees and directs all phases and aspects of customer needs once the sale is made such as the coordination of catering, room set, selection and flow and other needs as required by the customer. Discusses and negotiates special requests with client and DSM.
- Prepares all BEO’s, Beverage Sheets, Rental orders, Vendor Quotes and makes all necessary administrative adjustments as planning.
- Prepare event floor plans using Prismm/Cvent software to review with clients and internal set-up staff.
- Manages all communication with the museum for logistics, timelines and prepares requested forms timely and attends meetings weekly specific to events as needed.
- Maintain all internal and museum relationships and transfer of information to appropriate departments.
Documents
Our relationships with the H/AM departments are the most important working relationship we have. As contractors within their building, it is our responsibility to ensure that our team, our clients and the vendors we are relaying information to, are following the rules and regulations given to us by the H/AM to ensure the safety of the building and artwork housed within. The information we collect is distributed to the venue’s Production Team, Facilities, Security, etc. to make sure that the building and event runs smoothly and safely, so accurate, detailed information is paramount.
- Build vendor sheet with as much detail as you can provide, including adding EM details when they are determined
- Build timeline based on current contracted timing and vendor details
- Ensure all docs are kept up to date through the planning process with vendor updates, load-ins, room usage, etc.
- Send Timeline, Vendor Sheet and current floor plans to venue representatives by Friday prior to Tuesday Bi-Weekly Ops meeting
- Attend Thursday Weekly Check-In meetings with H/AM Rental Department
- Attend TMM (Tuesday Morning Meeting) with TCA culinary, warehouse, and beverage to review upcoming events at H/AM
Vendors – External Events
Working with and managing vendors is a big part of the job in coordination with the rental department, Brenda Stern (and Sanja Kugat), that manages the COI requirement needs. In collaboration with Brenda you are responsibility to know who is coming in the building, what they are providing, finding out if what they are providing is approved by the H/AM and working with them during the event. Remember that while we relay their details to the H/AM rules and regulations back to the vendors, we are all on the same team and working towards the same goal of providing the best possible experience for our clients. We get the best from our vendors when we are a pleasure to work with, regardless of the challenges of the building, rules or event specifics that we need to remain firm about.
- Clients are invited to use our preferred vendor list or bring their own, assuming they are approved by H/AM and meet the COI requirements. Act as the primary vendor contact for all events you are working on to relay information and answer questions.
- Reach out to vendors by the client or TCA to introduce yourself, relay basic load in information/event timing/and send basic floor plans and to request anything they will need (tables, power, etc). Note any possible items that may need more planning, load in or set up time, storage.
- Brenda will reach out to the vendor to ensure they are properly insured and work with you on a site visit when necessary
- Find out from vendors what they are contracted to provide, and alert them to items that may not have been noted by the client.
- Work with vendors on an ongoing basis to work out the best plan for loading in and setting up given what they are providing. Work with the DSC to determine if additional time or space is needed to accomplish what the vendor is proposing.
- At one month out from the event date, reach back out to ALL booked vendors to request additional details for H/AM:
- All items they are providing
- Details on their set up and note any difficult load-in logistics (larger doorways needed, storage needs, etc.)
- Confirm their load in time
- Any power needs, by room
- Number of people to be on site requiring vendor meals (and any dietary restrictions) and provide all names to Security
- Relay vendor information to Brenda to include on Function Form
- Brenda will send an email to all vendors 1 week prior to the event to confirm final load in and set up logistics, send final timeline and final floor plans.
Design/Décor
We provide a design service to our clients to coordinate linens, table settings, furniture and, décor for an easy planning experience. We place the rental orders and manage them from start to finish. Décor items we own live in the TCA warehouse and should be cared for to ensure we have these items available to clients for the years ahead.
- Record and photograph client design selections at design meeting
- Create design notes with specific rental details, taking into account the current or proposed menu.
- Place rental order with all necessary rental companies
- Crosscheck orders upon receipt to ensure pricing is accurate
- Update design notes and rental orders with changes in menu or guest count to keep pricing accurate
- Alert DSC when updates are made to keep pricing accurate in proposals
- Convey all equipment needs from TCA to the Warehouse email and necessary equipment reqest forms
- Update design notes with client personal item details
- Assist with drop-off coordination, check in all drop off items when received, cross check with design notes
- Order rental radios when necessary
- Schedule the return of any shipped rental items (BBJ Linen, Nuage Linen), etc.
Office Work
In the office daily from 9am-5pm or until scheduled tasks are complete
- Attend all client meetings (initial meeting, design, tasting, final meeting)
- Create menus for tastings, set tasting table, photograph tasting items, update menus with tasting photos following tastings
- Work with DSC to prioritize event work. When there isn’t pressing event work, look ahead to upcoming events to make sure tasks are complete and your documents are all up to date.
- Send final documents to Operations Team by appropriate date
- After working a Saturday or Sunday, comp day/time can be negotiated with DSC
- For weeknight events, you may arrive a few hours later of the event OR the day after the event to compensate for the overtime for the event unless there is work that needs to be complete.
- Attend Bi-Weekly Venue Production meeting at Boston Public Library with all producers at all cultural venues
- Attend Company All Meetings on a semi regular basis
On-site for events
- In collaboration with DSC, you are the liaison between your client and onsite Event Manager. Both of you know your client(s) needs the best to exceed their expectations.
- On site one hour prior to event load in to prepare any necessary décor items and organize client drop off items for set up with producer
- Greet TCA staff at the loading dock and oversee load-in
- Contact appropriate vendors to set up delivery of missing items
- Greet all vendors and client(s) upon their arrival, make sure they sign in with security and give all vendors a badge to wear while they are in the building
- Give TCA the green light to unload the freight elevator in collaboration with Brenda, Security, and DSC that all guests have left the building
- Guide each vendor to their set up location and review rules when the Museums close at 5pm
- Direct vendors to proper storage locations
- Review event timeline with necessary vendors (music timing, MCing specifically)
- Confirm all vendors have arrived as scheduled, reach out to any vendors in question
- Assist with the set-up of client personal items (escort cards, guest book, table numbers, amenity baskets)
- Assist with floor plan checking, making sure each room is set properly including dinner tables set for the correct number of guests
- Assist with guest greeting and direction – invite them to view galleries (if rented)
- Assist with wedding ceremonies, sending wedding party down the aisle, cuing music, etc.
- Assist with guest movement during the event (key time is inviting them to sit down during cocktail hour after viewing the galleries)
- Be the vendor liaison for timeline cues (announcements, toasts, dances, cake cutting, etc.)
- Direct vendors to vendor meal location at proper time
- Manage design details - remaining on site to collect décor, manage specialty linen collection, cake knife and server, etc. (may require staying until the end of the event)
- Act as vendor load out contact when a wedding attendant is not available or not scheduled
ON GOING TASKS:
- Constantly collect new trend ideas and share with the team for all markets
- Attend relative networking events
- Take photos of relative events and upload for use on social media – work directly with TCA’s Marketing / Graphic Design team
- Always thinking about how to better improve internal processes and communicating needs with different departments
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Education / Experience:
· Experienced and competent in the use of Microsoft Office Applications
· BA desirable, but not required
· 2+ years hands-on sales administration experience preferred
· 2+ years hands-on event experience preferred
· Caterease experience preferred, but not required
Job Knowledge / Skills Required:
- Living out the mission of brilliant food, flawless service, and stunning experiences
- Uncompromised customer service orientation/ability to maximize client comfort level
- High degree of accuracy in regards to details of multiple data points
- Keen knowledge of Food & Wine
- Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills
- Ability to prioritized/serve client needs and provide exceptional hospitality
- Demonstrated food knowledge and aesthetic sensitivity in menu design and presentation
- A strong sense of urgency to ensure tasks are completed on time
- Ability to consistently confirm delegated duties to ensure accurate understanding
- Professional etiquette in both appearance and communication to vendors, TCA affiliates, and clients
- Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
- Ability to navigate Caterease input/update menus and equipment for your event, pull proposals, kitchen sheets/beverage sheets, etc.
Physical Requirements:
· Must be able to speak clearly on a telephone
· Must be able to lift 20# over your head
· Must be able to sit at a computer desk for extended periods of time
· Must be able to get to Harvard Art Museums by 7am and stay as late as 1am on event days
· Must be able to transport yourself to the headquarters at TCA (Rockland, MA) for tastings or as needed
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $24.00 - $26.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Experience:
- Event Coordinating: 2 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
