Position:  Regular, Full-time, Exempt

Reports to:  Vice President, Building Operations & Guest Services

Supervises:  Associate, Venue and Guest Services

Date Reviewed: February 2024

 Organizational and Program Background

For more than 109 years, the Cleveland Foundation has worked with donors, nonprofit organizations, and community partners to enhance the quality of life for all Greater Cleveland residents. With a focus on Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, the foundation builds community endowment, addresses needs through grantmaking and social impact investing, and provides leadership on vital issues. The Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation and one of the largest today, with approximately $3 billion in assets. 

Summary:  The Manager, Venue and Guest Services is a new position within the Building Operations and Guest Services (BOGS) team. This position is responsible for assessing the viability of all requests for meetings and events held in the Cleveland Foundation’s headquarters and directing the activities needed to ensure an excellent guest experience. 

Utilizing technology and effective communication skills, this person will manage the intake of all internal and external requests and develop an integrated process allowing staff to be informed participants in the building usage approach. Additionally, this position will act as the primary liaison for private headquarters venue rentals and space requests. The Manager, Venue, and Guest Services will ensure that all requirements for a successful event/meeting have been addressed prior to its start through post-event analysis.

Essential Functions and Expected Outcomes

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all Cleveland Foundation headquarters event venue requests for internal and external clients and act as the final approver of space requests.
• Gather information about clients’ objectives, budgets, preferences, and any other information contributing to a successfully hosted event. 
• Engage the Executive, Philanthropy, Grantmaking & Community Impact, and Marketing teams to identify if there are staff who should speak, present, or attend the event or if there is Cleveland Foundation content to provide to guests. 
• As needed, arrange for and coordinate with a retained event planning vendor to rent sound equipment, furniture, live music, and contract services such as catering, bar service, floral, valet, and A/V. 
• Oversee the day of client experience and assist with any issues during an event; remain in contact with all external vendors and service providers on the event day; coordinate vendor load-in and load-out times.
• Understand the cost of using the headquarters as a venue for meetings and events to make informed decisions regarding client charges. These costs include internal staff time, outsourced vendors, A/V, security, cleaning, parking/valet.
• Collect and analyze data on how the space is used. Work with the BOGS team leader to prepare reports for board committees.
• Work with Finance and Legal to develop and implement an effective and efficient contract management and invoicing system tailored to venue rental of the headquarters.
• Work with IT to develop a system that captures event-related data in the foundation’s customer relationship management database.
• Partner with Finance and Marketing to conduct a cost/benefit analysis of each event to measure the quantitative and qualitative ROI for using the headquarters as an event venue. 
• Contribute to managing the foundation-wide meeting & event calendar and requests tracker with the full Experiential Marketing & Events (ExME) team. 
• Understand fire code as related to event rentals at the building.
• Uphold and enforce all building operations, guest services, safety, and security protocols. 
• Provide input on rental brochures informing clients of the building’s offerings and potential.
• Manage creating visual floor plans for venue use that can be shared externally.
• With input from across the organization, create lists of preferred vendors; explore opportunities to develop hyperlocal relationships.
• Procure vendor insurance.
• Track building damage or repairs and report to the team.
• Recruit staff volunteers for larger events requiring foundation presence and assistance.
• In addition to the above general requirements, this position is responsible for acting as the primary liaison for the potential needs noted below:

Marketing

• Partner with the Marketing team to support internally driven events hosted at the HQ (e.g., MidTown Community Day, HQ donor reception, Philanthropy and GCI events, etc.)
• Engage marketing to leverage and/or amplify hosted events that help the organization reach a new audience for customer growth and engagement needs/opportunities (e.g., Corporate and Public Official audiences)
• Partner with the ECOE (Events Center of Excellence), IT, and Building Operations & Guest Services Team to develop a framework and project implementation plan for event and meeting space rental operations in the new headquarters building. 
• When needed, collaborate with Marketing to develop a plan to promote the venue to drive demand.

Essential Qualifications, Credentials, and Technical Skills Required:

• A bachelor’s degree preferred or an equivalent of seven or more years of experience in venue management and/or a service environment where responsibilities included coordinating all meeting and event planning aspects for diverse constituencies in a management-owned venue.
• Demonstrated knowledge of event planning, negotiating venue rentals and event contracts, and event budgeting/expense management.
• Functional understanding and ability to troubleshoot basic IT and A/V capabilities. 
• Working knowledge of and experience producing hybrid and virtual events, including various technologies.
• Proven ability to provide direction and garner cooperation among internal constituencies at various organizational levels, including executive leadership. 
• High degree of organizational skills and attention to detail. Ability to be flexible and adaptable, prioritize work effectively, and adjust to multiple demands within set deadlines.
• Exceptional customer service attitude, time management skills, and professional communications. 
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal direction and as a team member.
• Proficiency in utilizing technology to research, provide information and/or services, and create reports. A demonstrated quick learner of new technology platforms and database programs.
• Knowledge of the Greater Cleveland community and the local nonprofit sector is highly desired.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:

• The Cleveland Foundation exists to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Greater Cleveland. The ability to carry out our mission and to foster our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion can best be pursued if our workforce, grantees, donors, partners, and governing body are inclusive of individuals of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives. 
• We believe that diversity encompasses, but is not limited to, age, color, education, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental abilities or characteristics, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and/or other characteristics that make an individual unique.  
• The Cleveland Foundation is committed to equal employment opportunities for all, and our policy is to ensure that employees are selected, developed, retained, and promoted based on the individual’s ability and job performance, and without regard to that individual’s status or characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law.

PAY AND BENEFITS: 

Based on the foundation's compensation program, the estimated annual salary for this position may be anywhere based between $75,000 - $85,000 with some flexibility, based on the academic, professional, and community experiences and credentials of a candidate. 

The foundation offers an exceptional benefits package including medical, dental, vision, identity theft, and life and disability coverage, a comprehensive wellness program, an employee assistance program, a fully vested 403(b) retirement plan, ten paid holidays, and for exempt positions, 15 days of vacation and 12 sick days, prorated the first year of service based on date of hire. 

TO APPLY: 

If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your cover letter and resume as soon as possible.   This posting will remain active until the position is filled.  We regret that we cannot respond personally to each applicant.

Note: Our flexible workplace policy provides for one day of remote work per week.