Conference & Events Coordinator

MDR Strategy Group is seeking an experienced Conference & Events Coordinator to lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of our next AI in Regulation conference, taking place in Toronto in March 2027. This is a hands‑on, part‑time contract role for an experienced event professional who can take ownership of the many moving pieces required to deliver a polished, high-quality professional conference. The successful candidate must be based in Toronto or Halifax and have significant experience managing conferences, corporate events, or other complex professional events. The Conference & Events Manager will work closely with MDR's leadership team and will serve as the central point of coordination across the venue, suppliers, speakers, sponsors, delegates, and internal team.

Key Responsibilities

• Conference & Project Management
  • Develop and manage the overall conference work plan, critical path, timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
  • Coordinate all operational aspects of the conference from planning through onsite delivery and post-event closeout.
  • Maintain detailed planning documents, schedules, checklists, supplier information, and event specifications.
  • Lead regular planning meetings and provide clear updates on progress, deadlines, risks, decisions, and outstanding actions.
  • Anticipate operational issues and resolve them before they affect the delegate or speaker experience.

Budget & Financial Management

• Develop and maintain a detailed conference budget in collaboration with MDR leadership.
• Track revenues, expenditures, commitments, deposits, invoices, and projected costs against budget.
• Maintain accurate financial records and provide regular budget reports and forecasts.
• Review supplier proposals and contracts and support negotiations to achieve strong value while maintaining event quality.
• Monitor registration and sponsorship revenue against conference targets.
• Identify potential cost pressures early and recommend appropriate adjustments.
• Support final financial reconciliation following the conference.
• Excellent financial management skills and demonstrated experience developing and managing significant event budgets are essential for this role.

Venue, Food & Beverage and Logistics

• Serve as the primary operational liaison with the conference venue.
• Coordinate meeting rooms, floor plans, room capacities, staging, signage, registration areas, speaker preparation areas, and other event spaces.
• Manage food and beverage planning, including menus, dietary requirements, guarantees, service schedules, and banquet event orders.
• Coordinate conference logistics including shipping, materials, signage, equipment, supplier access, setup, teardown, and storage.
• Conduct venue walkthroughs and ensure all operational requirements are documented and delivered.

Registration & Delegate Experience

• Oversee the conference registration process and registration platform.
• Monitor registrations and maintain accurate delegate information.
• Coordinate confirmations, attendee communications, dietary and accessibility requirements, name badges, registration materials, and onsite check‑in.
• Develop an efficient onsite registration process and manage the registration desk during the conference.
• Help ensure delegates receive a professional, organized, and welcoming experience from registration through the conclusion of the event.

Audio-Visual & Production

• Coordinate all AV and technical requirements with the venue and production suppliers.
• Develop detailed requirements for staging, screens, presentations, microphones, lighting, sound, video, recording, and other technical needs.
• Coordinate speaker presentations and technical requirements in advance.
• Manage technical rehearsals, speaker sound checks, and presentation testing.
• Work closely with AV teams during the conference to ensure seamless program delivery.

Speakers, Program & Sponsors

• Coordinate speaker logistics, schedules, biographies, presentations, technical requirements, travel information, and onsite needs.
• Maintain the master conference program and detailed run‑of‑show.
• Coordinate sponsor deliverables and onsite requirements in collaboration with MDR.
• Ensure sponsor commitments, recognition, signage, exhibits, and other agreed benefits are delivered.
• Coordinate VIP, keynote, moderator, and special guest requirements.

Onsite Conference Management

• Serve as a key onsite operational lead for the conference.
• Develop and manage detailed production schedules and run‑of‑show documents.