Job Description

The Commercial Club of Chicago and Civic Committee Overview

The Commercial Club of Chicago is a membership organization of senior leaders in the region. Our members span the business, education, civic, cultural, and philanthropic sectors - unified by excitement for the future of Chicago. We believe cooperation and an open exchange of ideas are fundamental to success.

Throughout our history, the Commercial Club of Chicago and our affiliated organizations have played a leading role in shaping the Chicago region. We have helped tackle the most pressing issues facing Chicago and have been instrumental in some of the City’s most visionary efforts.

Today, the Commercial Club continues to address social and economic issues of importance to the Chicago region.

The Civic Committee’s mission is to make the Chicago region a great place for everyone to live, work, and do business. Originally formed in 1983, the Civic Committee is tasked with identifying key issues facing the State of Illinois and the greater Chicago region and providing leadership, high-quality research, long-term policy recommendations and programmatic actions for the benefit of the city, region and state and all who live here. The Civic Committee is composed of the leaders of the Chicago region’s leading private sector employers and works with public officials and other civic organizations on transformational initiatives to promote our region's social and economic well-being. The Civic Committee generally serves as the Club’s lead on policy and programmatic initiatives and our focus areas currently include efforts in public safety, business diversity, transportation and infrastructure, and state and local finance.

We also work alongside, and partially fund, the organizations established by us to tackle key issues head-on:

Terms of Employment

This is a full-time position with benefits, reporting to the Director, Membership and Events. Initial employment will be on a introductory basis, with detailed evaluations and feedback at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks.

Position Summary

The Event Coordinator will play a critical role in supporting the Director, Membership and Events in event planning and execution, enhancing the membership experience, and scheduling/administrative tasks. The role will support the work of the Civic Committee and Commercial Club through developing and executing events that provide substance and value for members.

The Coordinator is responsible for the logistical planning and onsite execution of Civic Committee and Commercial Club events (typically 1-2 per month). Events include: Club luncheons, Annual Holiday Dinner, Civic Committee meetings and receptions, Board meetings, Committee meetings, Learning Series, and additional engagement events such as dinners and new member orientation.

The position handles numerous logistical details related to event execution, including venue selection, meeting room setup, catering, audio visual, and processing invoices. Events include meal functions, presentations, evening receptions, and dinners with senior-level business leaders. As a key liaison to venues and event vendors, the role will build and maintain important relationships with suppliers.

The role is well-suited for someone who is flexible, looking to gain experience and develop new skills, and interact with the senior leaders of the Chicago region’s largest employers. Civic Committee and Commercial Club members are comprised of senior business, academic, philanthropic, and civic leaders from across the Chicago region who have demonstrated leadership in their profession and engaged in civic activities which support the Club’s mission.

The individual in this role must have a passion for organizing events with outstanding attention to detail. They must have hands-on experience executing events, as well as expertise planning onsite logistics for events involving varying audience sizes. They must be able to multitask, as they participate in nearly every aspect of the Civic Committee and Commercial Club’s event portfolio.

The individual in this role must have good judgement and be able to work independently on projects, from conception to completion. They must be able to work under pressure at times and handle a wide variety of projects and activities.

Key Responsibilities

Events

Planning

• Participate in the development and planning of new programs and supplemental events for Commercial Club members. This includes the ability to generate and flesh out program ideas that members would find meaningful and enhance engagement.
• Schedule and participate in planning calls with speaker(s).
• Book travel arrangements for incoming speaker(s).
• Draft minute by minute event timelines including logistical details and staffing.
• Coordinate directly with vendors: venue, photographer, floral, and AV.
• Create RSVP lists; respond to members regarding RSVPs and event related questions.
• Partner with the IT department and external vendors to plan and set up technology as needed.

Materials

• Draft and send email invitations via MailChimp and reply forms; send out reminder notes if necessary.
• Produce printed items including name tags, place cards, and menu cards.

Event execution

• Serve as one of the main points of contact to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event including venue relations, meeting room setup, AV/tech support, registration, and catering logistics.
• Track onsite attendees and no shows.
• Assist with microphones during audience Q&A.
• Collect badges at the close of the event.

Post-Event

• Track and maintain attendance records for events.
• Schedule and attend internal debrief meetings for staff.
• Create post-event surveys for attendees as needed.
• Track costs for events and process invoices as needed.

Program Committee

• Schedule quarterly Program Committee meetings.
• In partnership with the Director, Membership and Events, assist in creating and distributing materials prior to the meetings.
• Attend meetings and maintain accurate post-meeting reporting and minutes.

Scheduling/Administrative

• Coordinate scheduling of all Commercial Club and Civic Committee events including luncheons, Annual Dinner, SuperDays, Program Committee meetings, and other events.
• Update and maintain the event page of the Commercial Club’s website.
• Order and maintain supply of printed materials and office supplies.
• Update Civic Leaders calendar.
• Provide excellent customer service to members with a positive and professional manner.

Position Requirements and Compensation

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 3-5 years of relevant work experience, ideally in a non-profit, association, or trade group setting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the events and hospitality industry including event planning and execution.
• Superior organizational skills and keen attention to detail.
• Ability to interface with all levels of clients, including C-suite corporate executives.
• Skilled at creating professionally written, accurate documents with minimal oversight.
• Experience working in Salesforce preferred. The individual in this role will run and analyze Salesforce reports.
• Expert in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat; proficiency in MailChimp.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with members, staff, and external partners.
• Being a self-starter who can manage multiple concurrent projects in varying stages of development and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work well in a team-oriented and fast-paced environment.

Working Environment

The position is in Chicago. Regular travel within the city is required. We believe that the path to achieving our missions requires our organizations and teams to regularly collaborate, work in teams, maintain collegiality, and provide a space for thought-partnership, all of which are best accomplished in person. However, we also recognize that appropriate flexibility is beneficial to the effectiveness of our employees and our organizations. With that in mind, we offer opportunities for employees to work in a combination of in-person and remote work (“hybrid” option).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Club and its affiliated organizations are equal opportunity employers and do not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of any legally protected characteristic, whether actual or perceived, including, including, but not limited to, an individual’s race, religion, color, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other legally protected status. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination

Compensation

Commensurate with experience, starting at $55,000 annually. The Club offers a competitive benefits package, subject to specific policy eligibility guidelines.

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