Conference Producer

Reporting to: Conference Production Manager

Contract type: Permanent

Department: Digital / Content

About Hemming: With 100+ years of experience to draw from, Hemming Group is a highly respected media owner in the B2B arena. From exhibitions, conferences and awards to magazines, directories, print, data and digital publishing, we strive to find innovative ways to connect businesses and professionals while providing insightful news, analysis and comment.

Role Summary:To research, develop and deliver insight-led conference programmes across Hemming Group's growing events portfolio — securing high-calibre speakers, managing them from first approach through to the stage, and maintaining the programme and speaker content that underpins each event's marketing. The role also carries responsibility for category validation across Hemming's awards schemes, work that draws on the same networks and judgement. Conference production at Hemming is a content function. The role is accountable for what is said on event stages, by whom, and for ensuring those people arrive prepared. It is not an event logistics function.

Core Responsibilities

• Research and develop insight-led conference programmes across assigned events
• Identify, approach and secure high-calibre speakers, and manage them through to delivery
• Own the speaker experience from first contact to the stage
• Maintain programme and speaker content on event websites
• Research and/or validate categories across Hemming's awards schemes
• Research sectors, policy developments and market issues to identify the essential topics that will draw an audience
• Develop session titles, formats and running orders that are distinctive rather than generic
• Market test programme concepts with delegates, sponsors, advisory contacts and editorial colleagues before committing to them
• Work with editorial teams across Highways Magazine, The MJ, LocalGov, Executive Hire News and Builders Merchants News to align programmes with the wider brand narrative
• Write clear, accurate programme copy for agendas, websites and marketing use
• Apply the programme design standard to new and existing events — panels sized for genuine debate, no duplication of subject across theatres, and a defined proportion of partner-curated content

2. Speaker Sourcing & Management

• Identify and research prospective speakers, prioritising seniority, relevance, diversity and influence
• Approach, negotiate with and secure speakers, managing a high volume of concurrent conversations
• Maintain accurate records of approaches, confirmations and declines, so that progress against each programme is visible at any point
• Work to agreed programme milestones, ensuring agendas are locked and published in time for marketing campaigns
• Build and maintain Hemming's cross-portfolio speaker bank, so that relationships built at one event are used systematically across others

3. Speaker Experience & On-Site Delivery

• Brief speakers thoroughly on format, audience, timings and expectations
• Collect bios, headshots, presentations and technical requirements to deadline
• Prepare and support moderators and chairs
• Manage speaker readiness on site — call times, green room, final briefings and presentation collection — working alongside the operations and AV teams who deliver the technical side
• Gather speaker and delegate feedback, and other event metrics and apply them to the next cycle
• Create and maintain programme and speaker profiles on event websites via the content management system
• Ensure published agendas are accurate, current and consistent across the portfolio
• Work with the web team on presentation and functionality requirements, and with marketing on the content needed for campaigns

5. Awards Category Validation

• Research new, and review existing, awards categories annually against sector developments, recommending additions, retirements and changes to definitions
• Support the integrity of the judging process and capture judge feedback into future category design
• Use awards relationships to strengthen the speaker network, and speaker relationships to strengthen the judging panels where required

6. Collaboration & Ways of Working

• Work alongside the Conference Production Manager and our freelance producers, sharing contacts and intelligence rather than working in event silos
• Collaborate with marketing on campaign milestones, with sales on content-linked sponsorship, and with operations on event delivery
• Contribute to continuous improvement of programme quality, sourcing efficiency and event planning documentation

Person Specification

This role would suit a conference producer with two years’ B2B experience, or a strong candidate from editorial, policy, public affairs or association events looking to move into conference production. The work rewards curiosity about a sector, persistence in pursuit of the right speaker, and the organisational discipline to hold several programmes at different stages at once. Sector knowledge of highways, local government, construction or the builders' merchants trade is welcome but can be learned; judgement about what makes a session worth attending matters more.

• Experience of researching and producing B2B conference programmes, or closely comparable content development experience
• Confidence approaching and negotiating with senior figures, including public sector leaders, policymakers and C-level executives
• Demonstrable ability to manage a high volume of concurrent relationships and hit deadlines without close supervision
• Experience of using large language models to research and refine content programmes
• Strong written English and the ability to write clean, accurate programme copy
• Comfortable working with content management systems and maintaining web content
• Good analytical instincts — able to use audience data and feedback to shape programme decisions
• Organised, methodical record-keeping; comfortable with CRM systems such as HubSpot
• Willing to travel to events across the UK, including occasional overnight stays and consecutive show days
• Collaborative, and comfortable working across editorial, marketing, sales and operations teams

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive and the employee will also perform other reasonably related duties as assigned by the Line Manager and the Head of Department.

Our culture and values

Hhemming Group’s mission is to be a profitable, independent business, offering a creative environment where talent grows and prospers in order to deliver quality for clients.

Our values:

1. Ethical – we are a decent and honourable company to work for and do business with and we understand the importance of supporting mutual growth.

2. Sustainable – we strive to achieve the triple bottom line of People Profit Planet and our ability to balance the needs of all three.

3. Innovative – we value and nurture creativity; investing in it to create innovative, groundbreaking solutions for our customers and markets.

4. Collaborative – We respect each other’s workloads and time scales and understand the importance of working together to meet common goals.

5. Strategic – we have a clear idea of where we want to be in five years and a road map of how we intend to get there.

Hemming Group is a family company. We encourage a healthy work/life balance in our staff. We offer our employees competitive salaries, a generous holiday allowance and comprehensive benefits including private medical insurance, contributory pension, and an interest-free season ticket loan. We are committed to equality of opportunity and outcomes for all staff, and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

• 25* days’ holiday per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata based on months worked); *22 days’ holiday, increasing by 2 days annually until it hits 30 days, plus bank holidays and 3 days paid leave between Christmas and New Year.
• We support hybrid and flexible working and this role is open to work a mix of both onsite and remotely.
• Friendly and cosy office environment, with access to free yoga classes, Peloton bikes, wellness room and shower facilities, outdoor terrace and business lounge.
• Stakeholder pension scheme (5% employer contribution).
• Electric Car Scheme with Octopus Energy – enabling you to contribute towards a greener climate and lease a new electric car.
• Private medical insurance with Vitality including wellbeing benefits, high-street discounts and 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme to support you with any work, personal or family issues.
• Interest-free Season Ticket Loan.
• Summer and Christmas parties
• Culture of continuous learning and development, with free access to our L&D platform Go1, with over 90,000 learning courses to choose from.
• Investment in other training and development initiatives, plus opportunities for personal and professional growth.
• Menopause-friendly policies.
• Neurodiversity-friendly policies.

Diversity & Inclusion statement– if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements for the recruitment process or the role, please contact the HR department (o.sanderson@hgluk.com) and we will be happy to discuss. We encourage applications from neurodivergent talent and underrepresented groups.

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