The Education Law Association (ELA) now accepts bids for an Event Manager to oversee and manage its annual meeting, starting with the 69th Annual Conference in Reno-Tahoe, October 25-28, 2023. Interested applicants should submit their proposal to jobs@educationlaw.org by Friday, March 10, 2023. The committee will conduct virtual interviews over the following two-week period and make a selection by April 3, 2023.

Review the scope of work at ​​educationlaw.org/news and additional information regarding the organization. ELA anticipates a three-year agreement with two one-year options. The total bid should not exceed $20,000 per conference. Please note that this is an a la carte bid. Applicants should specify the hours and hourly rate for each service listed in the Scope of Work. The search committee will not consider aggregate bids. Further, ELA may not utilize all services in all years. The committee will negotiate the final scope of work with the successful bidder for the initial three-year period.

Please submit questions to jobs@educationlaw.org.

Event Manager

Job Posting

Location: Virtual work, except for the onsite requirement for staging and running the annual conferences, starting in Reno, Nevada, from Monday, October 23 through Saturday, 28, 2023.

Position Type: Event Management

Employment Type: Independent Contractor, Part-Time

Site Selection, Negotiation, and Hotel Contract Management 

• Collect pertinent history of previous annual conferences and events hosted by the Education Law Association (ELA).
• Consult with ELA leadership regarding the conference, exhibit, and social function needs.
• Prepare and issue requests for proposals to invite appropriate properties in desired cities to submit bids (e.g., hotel, a/v, food). 
• Review and evaluate property proposals using the ELA evaluation matrix and submit recommendations to ELA leadership.
• Negotiate the hotel contract with the selected property, following guidelines established by ELA leadership and industry standards. 

Management & Supervision

• Oversee and manage all aspects of the operations for the annual conference. 
• With direction from ELA directors and conference committee leaders, design and execute a professional, hospitable, well-run conference.
• Supervise and manage vendors, suppliers, temporary event workers, volunteers, and student workers to ensure all stakeholders work together.

Comprehensive Meeting Support 

• Develop and manage event milestones, identifying tasks and responsible parties.
• Secure all venues for meetings, lodging, social functions, sponsors, exhibitors, partners, and vendors.
• Prepare and post signs, including registration, session, social events, sponsor/exhibitor/vendor presence, and directional signs. 
• Prepare function sheets with instructions regarding how each area should be set and equipped. 
• Guide service personnel and volunteers, including room set-up crews and audio-visual personnel; exhibitor and poster display organizations; and caterers and hotel dining staff.
• Provide onsite supervision and troubleshooting, including but not limited to hotel staff and A/V support.
• Arrange for liability coverage if Education Law Association does not already have a policy in place or coverage requires modification for the event.
• Make logistical arrangements for every conference event. 
• Schedule and deliver an orientation session for volunteers and registration workers.
• Ensure crew centrally locates reception tables and are visible throughout the conference, with at least one staff member present for times determined by mutual agreement.

Supply Fiscal Administration

With direction from ELA directors and conference committee leaders:

• Establish financial goals for the conference.
• Develop successive budget drafts of estimated expenses and projected income.
• Recommend a registration fee for all levels of participation. 
• Alert ELA leaders of anticipated shortfalls and compensatory lines of saving.
• Coordinate room bookings with the hotel, monitor registration numbers, and revise meal counts accordingly.
• Within 60 days after the event closes, submit a final financial report detailing all income and expenses related to the annual conference.
• Incorporate information from the previous year’s conference into subsequent budgets.
• With supervision from ELA directors, manage all aspects of the conference budget, account for conference bills and payments, and ensure the conference remains under budget.
• Submit financial information, including budget updates, to organizers, as requested.
• Prepare a financial settlement statement summarizing income and expenses and submit it to ELA leaders within 60 days of the event’s conclusion.
• Review final conference registrations with the hotel to ensure hotel leadership credits all conference-related bookings to the conference.

Attend to VIP needs

• Arrange for lodging and special requirements for keynote speaker(s) and board members.
• Communicate with VIPs regarding travel, lodging, AV equipment, and any agreed-upon speaker payments.
• Collect and process paperwork for reimbursement of VIP expenses as appropriate.
• Coordinate with organizers regarding onsite logistical requirements for sponsor presence and recognition.

Meal & Social Event Planning

• Suggest appropriate venues for each meal, social event, and daily beverage service.
• Submit menu options to the committee’s review for all meal and social event functions, including detailed pricing information.
• Provide hotel dining staff and caterers with information, including food, service, and décor, and guarantee numbers that enable them to meet ELA leaders’ standards.
• Supervise all meal functions. 
• Arrange for transportation to off-site social events, if any.
• Respond to dining staff, caterers, and organizers’ questions, requests, and concerns during the meal or social event. 

AV and Internet Equipment and Service

• Identify needs for service and equipment for registration, session and meeting rooms, exhibit and poster halls, and dining and social events.
• Order equipment and technical support, as needed, and deploy ELA-owned or borrowed equipment as available and appropriate.  
• Supervise delivery, set-up, and teardown of staff and equipment in coordination with any A/V support.