Offer summary

Qualifications:

7+ years in event management and experiential activations, Strong communication skills and attention to detail, Experience managing sponsor activations and consumer-facing experiences, Ability to develop strong internal and external relationships.

Key responsibilities:

Oversee planning and execution of assigned experiences and ensure alignment on timelines

Lead cross-functional meetings and manage project deliverables

Coordinate on-site logistics, including VIP areas and event operations

Create detailed recaps and reconcile budgets post-event

Job description

About Essence Ventures
Essence Ventures was established with the goal to articulate through experiences, media, technology, and commerce, that Black is not a monolith. Essence exists to serve Black Women deeply through culture, equity and celebration — encouraging and equipping them to embrace the power of their roles standing at the forefront of their lives, homes, and communities. We accomplish this mission and vision through our incredible and distinct brands: ESSENCE Communications, Inc. (ESSENCE, Girls’ United, Naturallycurly.com), AFROPUNK and ESSENCE Studios.

Overview
Essence Ventures is actively seeking a highly motivated and seasoned Experiential Producer to play a crucial role in the execution and success of the renowned ESSENCE Festival of Culture (EFOC). This pivotal position demands an individual with a proven track record in producing large-scale experiential events, ideally with a focus on cultural celebrations and festivals. The Experiential Producer will be responsible for a wide range of tasks, from initial concept development and vendor management to on-site execution and post-event reconciliation. This role requires a proactive, detail-oriented individual with exceptional organizational and communication skills, capable of collaborating effectively with internal teams, external partners, and sponsors to deliver exceptional and memorable experiences for festival attendees. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of event logistics, budget management, and risk mitigation strategies, as well as a passion for the ESSENCE brand and its commitment to celebrating Black culture.

Responsibilities

Serve as the caretaker of assigned experiences and all details relating to the planning and execution.
Understand the intersection points for all stakeholders and project manage coinciding deliverables to ensure everyone stays aligned on timelines.
Lead weekly cross-functional meetings for production and separate cross-functional meetings for programming.
Maintain the timeline and assigned budgets.
Drive delivery of the specific vision, experience pillars, and goals for the assigned experiences as directed by leadership/Sr. Producer.
Raise flags to Sr. Producer on deliverables that may endanger the timeline, budget, or delivery quality.
Oversee all agencies for the assigned experiences & ensure no gaps b/w production agencies, programming, stage operations, talent, etc.
Oversee load-in, agency deliverables on-site, shipping & receiving of experience elements, production schedules, & production check-lists.
Ensure the marketing promotional materials are consistent with the actual on-site experience.
Make necessary decisions related to the cross-functional variables based on quality control, budget, and strategy.
Lead POC for the assigned experience on-site. Coordinate on-site details for VIP areas, greenrooms, consumer giveaways, apparel management, event logistics, venue operations, and manage alignment with various Essence departments as needed.
Ensure owned assets are inventoried & stored properly.
Manage a Production Assistant for 4-weeks (on-boarding for your assigned experiences and on-site tasks).
Ensure all experience check-lists are completed daily and report concerns / issues to the Sr. Producer immediately (ensure all follow-through & solutions are executed).
Maintain status report, planning documentation, and templates as assigned by Sr. Producer.
There may be a need for some light physical labor during load-in / load-out.
Create a detailed, metric focused recap with key learnings from all agencies and stakeholders.
Reconcile budget and ensure agencies are receiving appropriate payments on time (raise issues immediately to the Sr. Producer).

Qualifications

7+ years in event management and experiential activations
Team Player with ability to be collaborative and calm in high pace / intense environments
Attention to detail with strong communication skills
Prior experience managing sponsor activations & consumer facing experiences in a leadership role
Successful experience with VIP management & celebrity talent
Success in developing strong internal and external relationships
Ability to quickly be solution focused while following the outlined protocols and leadership guidelines

Dates: This contract position will span from May 2025 through July 2025, encompassing the pre-event planning, execution, and post-event wrap-up phases of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

Rate: The contracted rate for this position is $9,225.00/month, payable in equal semi-monthly installments on the 15th and the last working day of each month.

Location and Travel: The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is scheduled to take place at the Caesars Superdome in the vibrant city of New Orleans from July 4th to 6th, 2025. All necessary pre-event visits and event day-related travel arrangements, including flights and hotel accommodations, will be fully covered by ESSENCE. Additionally, a pre-designated per diem will be provided for each required trip to cover incidentals.

Agencies: Essence Ventures is not partnering with agencies nor accepts unsolicited resumes and will not be responsible for any fees or expenses related to such unsolicited resumes and/or applicants.

If you require reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, please let us know by contacting HR@sundialmediagroup.com. We will work together to best meet your needs.

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