Events and lettings Coordinator – Job Description

AccessEA is seeking to recruit a resourceful, motivated, and ambitious Sales and Events Coordinator who will be a key member of commercial team during an exciting period of growth and development.

As Sales and Events Coordinator, you will be tasked with taking all the best things about the Academy - the historic spaces, fantastic facilities, wonderful grounds, and knowledgeable people - and make them work for our community.

You will hold responsibility for effectively managing and facilitating all event types, from Weddings, Socials, conferences, and dinners, managing the process from enquiry through to delivery in accordance with the client’s requirements, ensuring we always offer the highest standard of customer care, while exceeding financial goals and customer expectations. You will be responsible for all aspects of the customer journey from the point of enquiry through to the event day, providing a high quality, bespoke event planning service to every client.

The successful applicant will be based at our offices within the Arboretum site, however regular meetings, site visits and events will take place at Henderson Row, therefore own mode of transport is preferred.

Due to the nature of the role, some weekend working will be required plus some weekday evenings.

AccessEA – The Edinburgh Academy Trading Company Ltd.

Edinburgh Academy Is a unique venue available to hire within Edinburgh’s new town area. Our strategy is to build a bridge between the Academy family and the wider community, and we require an energetic lettings and events coordinator to join our team to help support this period of growth.

The EA Trading Company Ltd. currently has three divisions, one overseeing all lets and utilisation of facilities within our Arboretum Road Sports Hub, the second dealing with all external education needs and the third dealing with all commercial activities associated with letting the facilities and management of events, in addition to selling our advertising spaces.

AccessEA presents a varied programme of commercial activity when school is not in session, particularly during the summer months when it is the chosen location for summer activity camps, international language schools, and increasingly popular as a wedding venue and unique location for film, photography, and corporate events alike.

We are an inclusive company, and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

• Generous pension
• Learning and development prospects providing the opportunity to earn qualifications while you work
• Free gym membership
• Employee discounts at entertainment venues and major retailers
• Employee assistance programme
• Free three course lunch during term-time

• Efficiently manage enquiries made by phone, email or in person. Respond quickly to enquiries received from web brokers and agents
• Complete financial costing for each event & develop proposals based on the brief given by the salesperson or client. Seeking further information where the clients brief is limited
• Ensured all proposals are the most up to date & accurate for venue/market specific formats
• Thorough diligence and creative planning, ensuring that all events are designed and delivered to the highest standard and therefore exceed the client’s expectation
• Plan all events, ensuring all details are captured in the confirmed Event Schedule & status of each event is processed through the Internal CRM system, ensuring all Information relating to the booking and corresponding client interaction is recorded
• Plan, organise and coordinate the assigned events, to include all food and beverage, meeting room set up, recreational activities and to ensure proper billing is maintained
• Host client site visits and menu tastings to successfully covert wedding and event enquiries
• To establish productive relationships with all internal and external stakeholders through the planning and implementation of stages
• Guide clients by making creative suggestions regarding all aspects of event to ensure all guests’ expectations are met and profitable margins are in place
• Maintain appropriate venue diaries and booking records within the company booking systems
• Issue final event orders, and provide internal departments with thorough information on all events to ensure elevated levels of service and client satisfaction
• Consistently perform standards of service, interact with guests/clients and all Edinburgh Academy employees in a professional, gracious, and friendly manner
• Maintain excellent relationships with catering partners ensuring the food provided at events is always correct, presented well and of the highest standard
• Meet and greet clients and suppliers and ensure the smooth running of events on the day
• Prepare pre-event checklists, function close checklist, gather event risk assessments and prepare all paperwork relevant to the event
• After the conclusion of an event, to work with the finance department to guarantee a detailed and complete final bill is sent to the client and payment is received timeously. Post event review to confirm that all billing was done in accordance with actual requirements
• Conduct client feedback surveys post event, evaluate and feedback internally to facilitate development
• Attend networking events and participate in events to promote AccessEA
• Assist with local marketing campaigns and work alongside the strategic marketing and communications team, taking direction on tasks that may require additional resource
• Always adhere to legal and company policies Including Health and Safety and Fire regulations
• Maintain accurate costings for each event during the planning process, ensuring each job is costed to deliver or exceed the set margin
• Deliver commercial revenue target as agreed, Input of financial data to budget reports
• Provide weekly reporting on forecasted margin. Lead on approved supplier strategy and contractors to ensure continuity and best value of deliverables
• Plan & deliver open days, evenings and tasting events & maximize the opportunity to achieve additional revenue opportunities
• Support the Commercial Director and Marketing and Communications Manager to conduct an annual review of sector package propositions to ensure they are still relevant to the market segment and meets the margin requirement for the business
• Working with Marketing team to contribute towards the marketing strategy as well as ensuring all marketing collateral requirements are kept up-to-date and relevant. This will include updates to website and contribution to social media

While these are the key responsibilities of the role, this is not necessarily an exhaustive list and other duties may be required to ensure the smooth running of events in Edinburgh Academy facilities.

General

• Exceptionally organised, well planned and have an extreme attention to detail with accurate spelling and grammar, with an elevated level of tact and diplomacy
• Flexible and able to work in non-business hours for client meetings & sales open days
• Have a commitment to delivering a creative, resourceful, and intuitive planning service to all clients
• Ability to prioritise and multitask
• Well-presented and professional
• Ability to focus attention on client needs, always remaining calm and courteous, ability to make decisions using initiative
• Committed to excellence in all client management and relationship management
• Friendly and sociable, comfortable in a customer facing role (be it in person or digitally)
• Working five days out of seven with occasional evening and weekend work required
• Must be eligible to work in the UK
• Driver’s license and own mode of transport preferred

Proven Experience

• Previous experience in a similar role preferred
• Have a wealth of experience in the event industry in Scotland and a proven record for achieving elevated levels of client satisfaction
• Keen eye for detail and creative flair
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving abilities
• Strong ability to multi-task and meet deadlines in a demanding environment
• Highly responsible & dependable

Knowledge, Skills, and abilities

• Excellent organisational, time management and administrative skills
• Strong IT skills – including Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint and CRM Systems, in addition to being competent in all social media channels
• Methodical planning ability
• Knowledge and understanding of working with brand standards and linking to overall business strategy
• University/College degree in related discipline preferred

Your team - working environment:

• Working with a busy office environment, linking in with both internal and external stakeholders daily
• Be a great collaborator, good communicator and have a cheerful outlook to managing challenging situations
• Cheerful outlook and supportive, team-based approach towards the attainment of the Company’s short and long-term goals
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships at all levels and work co-operatively within a team setting

The Edinburgh Academy is a fully co-educational school. The School consists of a Senior School, Junior School and a Nursery Department. The School is a member of HMC. The Edinburgh Academy moved to full co-education across the whole school in 2008. The Junior and Senior Schools are on separate sites, both of which have spacious grounds and sports facilities including extensive playing fields, an all-weather sports area, and a large Sports Hall and Centre.