Ranked a Best Employer in Canada for 24 years, Bennett Jones is one of Canada’s premier business law firms and home to 500 lawyers and business advisors. With deep experience in complex transactions and litigation matters, and offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and New York, the firm is well equipped to advise businesses and investors with Canadian ventures and connect Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities around the world. Serving clients since 1922, we are proud to be the firm that businesses trust with their most complex legal matters.

We are currently recruiting for the following role in our Calgary office:

Manager, Events and Client Programs

The Role:

The Manager, Events and Client Programs at Bennett Jones plays a strategic leadership role within the firm's Client and Business Development Team. This individual will oversee the event function, ensuring seamless execution of high-quality events that align with the firm’s strategic objective across all offices. They will lead a national team of event specialists and coordinators, managing assignments, workloads, and professional development while standardizing processes and documentation to drive efficiency and consistency.

In addition to providing strategic oversight, the Manager, Events and Client Programs will offer hands-on support where needed to ensure the successful execution of key projects, working alongside the team to problem-solve and manage complex initiatives.

This role will oversee the team’s planning and execution of a wide variety of firm events, including internal initiatives, external client events, ticketing, webinars, conferences, and firm signature events. The role will work with the Specialist, Sponsorships and Client Engagement to manage requests for sponsorship-related events.

They will collaborate closely with firm leadership, lawyers and members of the CBD team to intake and align event requests with business objectives, manage event budgets, and ensure a strong return on investment for client engagement initiatives.

Essential Functions:

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead a national team of event specialists and coordinators across multiple offices
• Manage team workload distribution, ensuring effective prioritization of projects and balance of resources
• Provide coaching, mentoring and professional development opportunities to elevate team performance and expertise
• Support team members in managing complex or high-priority projects, stepping in as needed to ensure successful execution
• Liaise with functional teams across the firm including Facilities, HR, and Professional Development to ensure cross-department cooperation.
• Foster collaboration across offices to ensure consistency and best practices in event planning and execution
• Provide regular reporting and forecasting to stakeholders

Strategic Event Oversight

• Strategic Event Oversight
• Partner with firm leadership to intake and assess new event requests, aligning initiatives with business goals, budgets and client engagement strategies
• Oversee the development and execution of firmwide event strategies, ensuring high-impact client experiences
• Guide the team in implementing best practices for event planning, logistics, and expense management
• Ensure firm branding and messaging are consistently applied across all events; driving creative conceptualization for the firm and team
• Provide prompt and professional responses to client & stakeholder event enquiries

Process Standardization & Documentation

• Establish and maintain standardized project management processes, documentation, and reporting protocols
• Implement tools and systems to track event success metrics, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with business objectives
• Utilize the firm’s DM system to centralize storage of event budgets, contracts, invoices, receipts, communications with stakeholders, vendor negotiations, workback schedules and run sheets
• Leverage CRM to enable tracking of event engagement to specific clients or new business opportunities
• Drive consistency in event execution to maximize efficiency and impact

Vendor & Contract Management

• Together with the Procurement Manager, oversee the selection, negotiation, and management of contracts with hospitality vendors, including hotels, conference venues, catering services, photographers, restaurants, transportation providers, and AV suppliers
• Maintain strong relationships with key event vendors to ensure high-quality service, cost savings, and priority access to preferred venues
• Negotiate competitive pricing, service agreements, and contractual terms to maximize the firm's return on investment and negate risk
• Monitor vendor performance and service delivery to ensure alignment with contractual obligations and event expectations

Financial Management & Budget Oversight

• Develop and manage the firm’s event budget and oversee forecasting and reconciliations to ensure accurate financial tracking and reporting
• Continually evaluate event ROI to inform future event decisions
• Ensure prompt payments to vendors and timely submission of event expenses to allow for accurate forecasting
• Ensure transparency and accountability in event-related expenditures, tracking cost savings and value-added benefits from vendor partnerships and identifying areas for improvement

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Event Management, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in event management, preferably within a professional services or corporate environment
• Strong leadership experience, with a demonstrated ability to manage, mentor, and develop high-performing teams
• Expertise in event strategy and aligning initiatives with firmwide objectives
• Ability to understand how to deliver integrated marketing campaigns and programs to both a wide range and specific target audience
• Extensive experience managing RFPs and contracts with hospitality vendors, negotiating agreements, and ensuring vendor accountability
• Proven experience standardizing processes and managing event budgets at an organizational level
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership and external partners
• Presents the firm’s image and serves as a model of the firm’s brand and culture
• Experience supporting internationally based events is an asset
• Proficiency in event management software, CRM tools, and financial tracking systems
• Willingness to work flexible hours and travel as required
• Valid Canadian driving license

Apply To:

Human Resources
Bennett Jones Services Limited Partnership
3400 One First Canadian Place
P.O. Box 130
Toronto, ON M5X 1A4
E-mail:  hrdepttor@bennettjones.com
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