Sr Conference Planner - Production Project Management in Surrey

Gartner seeks a Senior Planner for its Production Experience Center of Excellence, supporting the global Destination Conference Portfolio in EMEA. This role provides administrative, logistical and organizational support for planning, pre‑production and execution of multiple conferences and events in EMEA. Success in this role requires thriving in a fast‑paced environment with strong attention to detail. Experience in live conference planning and project management is essential; audio‑visual knowledge is a plus. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong organizational and communication skills, works well across teams and cultures, and has a ‘Win as a Team’ mentality.

Primary Responsibilities

• Support the project management for the creation and delivery of Gartner’s highest level keynote sessions by collaborating with internal stakeholders and external vendors across multiple Conference portfolios.
• Follow standard operating procedures and global standards, utilizing best practices and established processes to ensure globally consistent execution.
• Schedule and participate in pre‑production meetings, which may be out of hours at times, acting as the representative from the Production Experience team bringing updates and questions to the wider planning teams.
• Support in managing the production timelines, key milestones, show flow documents and logistics.
• Prepare briefing documents, logistical arrangements, on‑site expectations, script management instructions and other documentation/correspondence as needed.
• Coordinate pre‑event and on‑site logistics including rehearsal scheduling, rehearsal logistics, AV setups, catering, and other activities.
• Collaborate with internal/external partners and vendors on visual asset production and onsite delivery assets (staging, scenic, graphics, audio, and other creative media components).
• Understand and uphold Gartner’s brand with all assets created.
• Collaborate with the Business and Technology Insights team to support the Keynote delivery team in developing scripts and graphics for presentations at conferences globally.
• Partner with and communicate with internal and external partners such as AV agencies, creative agencies, speaker/performance coaches, writers, etc.
• Oversee specific budget line items, produce accurate monthly forecasts, and manage invoices and expenses effectively.
• Engage in the review and enhancement process through detailed documentation and reporting of attendee feedback, wrap‑up notes and debrief reports.
• Build strong relationships with peers across all regions, sharing best practices and driving process improvements within the global Production Experience team.
• Manage multiple complex and concurrent projects.
• Support internal/corporate events periodically as the calendar permits.

Expected results

• High attendee satisfaction scores for Keynotes.
• Create a flawless experience for our speakers and analysts.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships.
• Achievement of financial objectives.
• Effective supplier and partner management.
• Exceptional operational efficiency.
• Extensive domestic and international travel will be required.

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in related field and industry.
• Strong project management, time management and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of live conference production and content creation preferred – agency experience advantageous.
• Strong executive presence and C‑Level communication and project management experience desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Self‑motivated, collaborative, passionate and solution oriented.
• Curious and inquisitive, creative and innovative.
• Willingness to travel.