Senior Event Manager in London

Base Location: Fleet Street, London, Hybrid – 3 days in the office

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £Competitive DOE + 20% Bonus

Are you an experienced Senior Event Manager with a passion for delivering exceptional, above-and-beyond service? Do you thrive in fast-paced environments, love creating unforgettable experiences, and excel at managing events from concept to completion? If so, this could be your next big move.

As a Senior Event Manager, you play a pivotal role within a high-performing and dynamic event operations team, delivering conferences, exhibitions, bespoke business events, award ceremonies, and virtual/hybrid experiences throughout the year. You will lead the successful execution of our most complex and high-profile events, taking full operational responsibility from concept through to delivery. Bringing creativity, commercial awareness, and a meticulous eye for detail, you will ensure our events set industry benchmarks, create exceptional business engagement, and strengthen the products and brands they support. Operating at the forefront of our relationships with clients, suppliers, and internal stakeholders, you will work collaboratively to uphold the highest standards across the portfolio. You will manage, coach, and develop direct reports to ensure consistent excellence in event delivery, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. You will also lead the refinement and implementation of best-practice processes, championing new approaches and driving innovation across the events function. Working closely with the Head of Event Operations, you will support the budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning of event costs across the CONE portfolio, ensuring efficiency, strong cost control, and exceptional operational delivery. Your personable, positive, constructive, ambitious approach to event delivery will help set the tone for the success of those around you.

Key responsibilities:

• Strategic & Financial Management
  • Manage, forecast, and report event costs for designated awards, conferences, and bespoke events, providing regular updates to the Head of Event Operations.
  • Contribute to the annual budgeting process and maintain tight cost control, ensuring spend remains within agreed limits and efficiencies are realised.
  • Proactively support event revenue streams by identifying opportunities to enhance commercial value, improve efficiencies, and strengthen overall event profitability.
  • Lead and contribute to the development and implementation of best-practice processes, ensuring continuous improvement and operational excellence.
  • Collaborate on cross-divisional initiatives and represent the CONE division at a strategic level when required.
• Event Planning & Delivery
  • Oversee the full delivery schedule for designated events, delegating effectively to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery to an exceptional standard.
  • Personally manage flagship events across both conferences and awards.
  • Ensure risk management plans are established, implemented, maintained, and communicated for all events.
  • Oversee all health and safety requirements for physical events, including the production and sign-off of robust risk assessments.
  • Produce detailed production briefs that reflect brand values, event strategy, and quality standards.
  • Liaise closely with venues to finalise arrangements, confirm requirements, and manage function sheets.
  • Ensure venue and supplier payments are processed accurately and in line with agreed schedules.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers, negotiating effectively to secure best value.
  • Lead and support event debrief sessions, collating insights and disseminating learnings to enhance future delivery.
• Sponsorship & Stakeholder Management
  • Liaise with internal sponsorship teams to ensure deliverables are clearly communicated, understood, and met.
  • Use your creative mindset to develop new revenue-generating ideas which can be offered to clients.
  • Manage external sponsor relationships to a high standard, providing timely communication, key deadlines, and exceptional service.
  • Build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including strategically important sponsors and customers.
  • Attend internal project meetings to discuss event performance and plans, deputising for the Project Manager when required.
• People Leadership & Development
  • Line manage direct reports, creating structured development plans and providing regular feedback, coaching, appraisals, and training opportunities.
  • Ensure systems knowledge, technical capability, and operational skills are maintained and developed within the team to deliver best-in-class event experiences.
  • Take a positive, curious, collaborative approach to team working; this role is an essential cog in the wider team machine and must be occupied by someone who is personable, open to direct feedback, and capable of managing different personalities and abilities concurrently.

Skills and Experience:

• Educated to degree level, or equivalent additional (3 years) experience in event management roles.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in event management, including complex, large-scale, and virtual events.
• Proven experience in awards ceremony production and delivery.
• Demonstrable people management and line management experience.
• Strong budget management and financial reporting capability.

Core competencies:

• Advanced planning, organisational, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with advanced numeracy and data reporting skills.
• Proven ability to use customer insight to enhance event experiences.
• Strong negotiation, decision-making, and project leadership capability.
• Creative and innovative approach to event design and delivery.
• Integrity, leadership, and respect for diverse opinions and working styles.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and an advocate for ongoing change.
• Collaborative team player with a strong commitment to customer focus.

Personal Attributes:

• Organised, tenacious, and committed.
• Deadline-driven and results-oriented.
• Creative, curious, and proactive, willing to explore new approaches and encourage innovation in others.
• Trusted and respected by peers, with strong personal credibility and gravitas.
• Flexible, helpful, and adaptable to changing circumstances.
• Self-motivated, self-sufficient, and accountable.
• Engaging and empathetic, with the ability to challenge constructively at senior levels.
• Positive and enthusiastic, inspiring confidence and energy in others.
• Calm, professional, and composed under pressure.
• Environmentally aware, supporting emap’s commitment to sustainable event delivery.
• Passionate about events and creating meaningful, impactful experiences for attendees and clients.
• Punctual and reliable for all internal and external meetings.

What we offer:

• Learning & Development: At emap, we believe that employee learning and development are the key drivers of our success. To ensure continuous growth and meet the ever-changing demands of the workplace, we provide an environment that fosters continuous development for our employees.
• Benefits: emap is part of Metropolis Group. Together, we are committed to providing a happy and healthy place to work, so we offer fantastic benefits and perks to our employees.

Privacy: Metropolis Group respects the privacy of every person for whom we have personal data. We comply with data protection legislation such as the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation which regulates the processing of data and ensures that your data is processed fairly and lawfully, is kept secure and only that data necessary for any processing is kept. You can see our privacy policy at www.metropolis.co.uk/privacy.

Diversity and Inclusion: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, age, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.

How to apply: Please submit your CV and covering letter. Due to the volume of applications, we receive, we are unable to give individual feedback at the application stage, however if you are successfully shortlisted you will be contacted within 10 working days of your application.