Interim Corporate Events Officer

Tourism continues to be one of Northern Irelands most recognisable good news stories.

Tourism Northern Ireland is responsible for the development of tourism in Northern Ireland, supporting the tourism industry and for marketing the region as a tourist destination.

As a non-departmental public body of the Department for the Economy, the organisation works closely with other tourism bodies to help develop the visitor economy.

In 2023, almost two million overseas visitors chose to visit Northern Ireland, generating £1.2 billion in tourism expenditure.

Around 70,000 people work in the industry, which accounts for nine-per-cent of all jobs in Northern Ireland.

In addition, more than 70% of the jobs are located outside of the Belfast area, playing a critical role in breathing life into cities, towns and villages.

Going forward, the tourism sector is well placed to deliver a more sustainable, more productive, regionally balanced economy which can deliver good jobs.

Tourists increasingly want to engage with real life experiences which give them a sense of the culture and heritage of the places they are visiting, and Northern Ireland has that in abundance.

Across the North, there has been an unprecedented growth in authentic, local tourism experiences which give visitors the opportunity to explore the local way of life and engage with local people.

Tourism NIs consumer brand Embrace a Giant Spirit continues to go from strength to strength, encapsulating the spirit of the people, the warmth of the welcome and the authenticity of the visitor experience.

Tourism NI is also closely involved in the tourism elements of the City and Growth Deal Programmes which will be crucial in helping to secure more spend from international visitors to the island.

Looking ahead, this is a particularly exciting year for tourism in Northern Ireland with the return of The Open to Royal Portrush this summer.

Following The 148th Open in 2019, there has been ongoing investment in Northern Ireland particularly in the accommodation sector with a number of new properties and acquisitions including the recently opened Dunluce Lodge in Portrush.

Northern Ireland has now become an increasingly popular destination for the lucrative golf and luxury segments of the tourism market.

With 2025 now in full swing, there is certainly a lot to look forward to as Northern Ireland continues to showcase its world-class tourism offering.

INTERIM CORPORATE EVENTS OFFICER

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY

The overall purpose of this role is to promote positive relationships with industry and stakeholders, both internal and external, by organising a range of Corporate Events and Corporate Hospitality.

Key to the success of this is the organisations ability to forge positive, proactive relationships with a very broad range of stakeholders across the public and private sectors. This can be partly achieved by centralising the management of key Corporate Events in a single unit.

The Interim Corporate Events Officer will be responsible for providing a quality event management service to the organisation resulting in professional Corporate Events Hospitality synonymous with the Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI) brand. This includes effective management of contracted external corporate event companies who support on delivery of a range of Tourism NI events and webinars.

This role sits within the Industry Development unit in Tourism NI under the Strategic Development Division.

MAIN DUTIES

Working alongside the Industry Development Manager the Job Holder will be responsible for the following areas and activities:

• Draft Corporate Event Management criteria, checklists, event briefing templates etc.
• Prepare a Corporate Events Calendar and ensure it is regularly updated.
• Plan, organise and co-ordinate all Tourism NI Corporate Events by working with all appropriate internal and external stakeholders and relevant contracted Event Management support companies as required.
• Plan, organise and co-ordinate all Tourism NI webinars, virtual and hybrid events, by working with all appropriate internal and external stakeholders and relevant contracted Events Management support companies as required.
• Have responsibility for specific elements of the annual Meet the Buyer Workshop. This includes venue selection and specifications; catering; pre and post event dinners and branding.
• Liaise with various Tourism NI teams to agree individual Corporate and Industry event requirements and undertake site visits to select corporate event locations (hotel, conference venues, etc) as required.
• Agree rates with suppliers hotels, restaurants, catering companies, musicians, etc. as required, ensuring Value For Money (VFM) and a professional outcome.
• Liaise with third parties supplying gift stock and merchandising to Tourism NI.
• Liaise with Tourism NIs Communications team to ensure that they are kept informed of Public Relations (PR)/Communication opportunities resulting from Corporate Events.
• Contract management (including any tender requirements) for appointed events management consultancies who support in delivering the full range of Corporate Events required by Tourism NI.
• Contract management (including any tender requirements) for appointed Corporate Display Support companies, particularly in relation to all corporate display materials for use at Tourism NI Corporate and industry events. This contract is managed in partnership with Tourism NIs Events and Major Events Units who will lead on the consumer display requirements side of the contract.
• Liaise and communicate with key stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Manage two-way communication and relationship building for all Corporate Events.

Employee Management

• Provide Line Management responsibilities for the Corporate Events Placement Student including mentoring, motivation, coaching and learning and development.
• Support the Unit Manager to ensure that Project/Unit activities are managed in line with Tourism NI policies, procedures, values and behaviours.

Brand Management

• Have responsibility for the branding of all Corporate Events, ensuring professionalism and consistency including management of all corporate display.
• Provide input and assistance with regard to Tourism NIs brand presence at Corporate Events by liaising with internal and external stakeholders to provide, deliver, install, remove and store promotional materials.
• Liaise with Corporate Event organisers and contracted corporate display company to agree placing of suitable branding materials at each event.

Financial Management

• Administration of the event management budget, ensuring VFM, and adherence to Financial and Governance Policy and Procedures.
• Assist in the management of budget portfolios, ensuring that resources are used effectively and in accordance with Tourism NIs Financial and Governance Policies and Procedures.
• Liaise, review and provide feedback of Economic Appraisals and Economic Impact Studies from both internal and external stakeholders in relation to Corporate Events.
• Liaise between both internal and external event organisers in relation to Economic Appraisals and Business Cases as required.
• Assist in the administration of payments in line with Tourism NIs Financial Procedures related to Corporate Events.

Additional Duties

• Act as a central point of contact, including communicating with other Tourism NI units and external stakeholders as appropriate for internal communications on all matters pertaining to Corporate Events projects.
• Provide briefing material and draft responses and reports/emails as and when required by Tourism NIs Executive Leadership & Senior Management Teams/Management/Employees, the Board, the Department for the Economy, the NI Assembly, members of the tourism industry, and the general public within specified timelines and in an appropriate format.
• Assist in the delivery of project work within the Unit and across Tourism NI including representation at working groups and meetings.
• Contribute to the development of the Unit Plan, the achievement of tourism targets, and promote the corporate values and behaviours within the team and across the organisation.
• Provide cover for the Unit Manager when required to include decision making and attending meetings in their absence.
• Attend training as and when required and keep abreast of current developments in your area of work.
• Maintain, store, and dispose of Unit records in accordance with Tourism NIs information governance policy including the use of record management systems including Microsoft Teams, Dynamics 365 and SharePoint.
• Communicate with other Tourism NI units, as appropriate, in relation to Corporate Events.
• Ensure that all activities are managed in line with Tourism NI policies, procedures, values, and behaviours.
• Ensure that Unit processes adhere to the Tourism NI/Public Sector financial governance, policy and procedure, the FAM Framework and audit recommendations.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as required by Tourism NI.

This Job Description has been written at a time of organisational change and it will be subject to review and amendment as the demands of the role and the organisation evolve.

The job holder is therefore required to be flexible, adaptable and aware that they may be asked to perform tasks, duties and responsibilities which are not specifically detailed in the job description, but which are commensurate with the role and/or grade appointed or present an opportunity for development.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Option 1

1. A relevant sixth-level qualification (undergraduate degree) as detailed in the qualification framework (see overleaf).

AND

2. A minimum of 2 years experience in Corporate Event Management in either the public or private sector.

OR

Option 2

1. A minimum of 4 years proven record in successful Corporate Event Management in either the public or private sector.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA – Personal Effectiveness

The Job Holder will possess an excellent standard of:

1. Analytical and Communication skills both oral and written, with demonstrable experience of presentations.
2. IT and computer literacy skills including the Microsoft office suite.
3. Negotiation, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, and ability to build and maintain successful working relationships.
4. Ability to work on own initiative and take the lead where necessary within a team environment.
5. Sound organisational, planning and project management skills including the ability to work to strict deadlines and prioritise tasks with attention to detail.
6. Customer-focused care and a commitment to continuous improvement and the ability to build and manage strong relationships and successfully influence and engage with customers and stakeholders, both internal and external to enhance the customer experience and increase satisfaction.
7. Ability to manage resources, projects, and budgets.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and requirements. The nature of the organisation is such that it must respond to the dynamic environment in which it operates and the nature of duties, tasks, knowledge and skills required for this post will evolve and change in time. The Job Holder is expected to adapt to these changes and develop the role as a result.

Applicants may also need to possess a current driving licence and use of a car for business purposes or have access to a form of transport which will permit the applicant to meet the requirements of the post in full.

EQUALITY STATEMENT

Tourism NI is committed to equality and will comply with the Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998) statutory duties which requires designated public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in relation to the nine equality categories and to have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief; political opinion; and racial group.

The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) Section 49A requires designated public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons, and to the need to encourage participation by disabled persons in public life.

FOR FULL APPLICATION PACK PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE BY CLICKING APPLY BELOW

COMPLETING APPLICATIONS

Those wishing to apply you should submit a completed application via GetGot jobs no later than Monday 28th July at 12 noon.

CVs will not be accepted as a substitute/supplement to the application form.

TOURISM NI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER