Event Services Associate

**About MaRS**:
MaRS supports promising high-growth companies to scale their businesses globally, while tackling key societal challenges in areas such as Health, Cleantech, Finance, Transportation, AI, and others. In addition to helping start-ups launch, grow and scale, the MaRS community is dedicated to cross-disciplinary collaboration, commercialization of discoveries, and driving ideas to impact.

We understand qualifications on a job posting can be daunting. If you're passionate about the role and believe you can make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you, even if you don't meet every listed qualification. We’re always looking for great talent to join our team on planet MaRS.

**About MaRS Innovation Hubs**:
As the operators behind Canada’s leading innovation hub campus, the MaRS Innovation Hubs business is foundational to supporting the overall MaRS mission of helping innovators create a better world. Through developing, curating, operating and programming world-class properties, our work brings together active communities that converge sectors and disciplines to propel Toronto and Canada’s innovation economy. The Innovation Hubs business offers a dynamic, multi-faceted work environment with over 1.5 million square feet of purpose-built real estate under active management that includes a unique mix of offices, labs and research facilities, event spaces and retail space, with a tenant roster that includes start-ups, global tech companies, internationally recognized research institutions, capital providers and non-profit organizations.

**About the role**:
As part of the MaRS Innovation Hubs (MIH) team, this role supports the planning and delivery of MaRS events and meetings, both internal and external. The Associate plays a pivotal role on the ground serving as the main point of contact for clients before the event, coordinating event set-ups, executing events onsite, and ensuring a seamless transition between bookings. The role supports both the MaRS Centre and MaRS Waterfront locations.

**Key **Responsibilities**:
Planning:

- Support the coordination of all events and meetings, which includes but is not limited to venue set-up, catering orders, where required scheduling and managing third-party support staff, working with members of the MIH team to deliver a seamless event experience and overseeing any logístical requirements as outlined in the client's agenda and run-of-show documents.
- Responsible for ensuring that every booking is an operational win by ensuring timely and thorough communication with the MIH team, clients and vendors.
- Schedule set ups/strikes with the Senior Manager, Event Services and Logistics Associate Lead to ensure all set ups are done properly and in a timely manner.
- Prepare next-day event information for third-party support.
- Submit applicable permits.
- Participate in planning site visits.

Daily Event Support:

- Act as on-site contact for clients, available and accessible throughout the event’s duration.
- Cross-check meeting rooms before client arrival to ensure the layout, catering set-ups, and any special requests meet the pre-determined event specifications.
- Maintain meeting room and event space throughout the booking.
- Work closely with third-party staff and vendors acting as the MaRS venue representative to ensure they follow our venue protocols at both locations.
- Coordinate shipping services for clients and vendors at the MaRS Centre and MaRS Waterfront.
- Available to work late evenings, early mornings, and weekends across both locations.

Administrative Duties
- Assists with maintaining an accurate account, client, and event booking records in event planning system (Ungerboek/Momentus).
- Responsible for maintaining the venues and event planning guides for both locations working closely with the team to ensure accuracy and up-to-date information.
- Ensure shared resources are up-to-date and filed correctly.
- Ensure timely posting of all invoices related to event charges (catering, DGS, etc.)
- Work with Tenant Services to submit work orders for any event venue repairs required.

Other Duties
- Participate in cross-training to be able to provide backup support to other MIH delivery areas.
- Provide vacation coverage for Tenant Services as required.
- Fire warden for MaRS Centre and required participation in the annual training and fire drill procedures.

**Qualifications**:

- Post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate or equivalent experience.
- 2+ years of event planning work experience
- Excellent customer service skills
- Exceptional interpersonal & communication skills - both verbal & written.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-energy, and evolving work environment.
- Collaborative team player who can work with a variety of departments and stakeholders.
- Able to work independently and respond well to clear directions.
- Highly organized with an excellent attention to detail
- Solution-oriented and adaptable, able to