Planner – Commencement

Planner – Commencement

Requirements

• Bachelors degree required
• Minimum 5 years event planning experience required
• Ability to travel to out of state events required
• Proficiency with Salesforce and social media platforms
• Outstanding writing and verbal communication skills are required

Responsibilities

• Commencement Event Preparation and Logistics Planning
• Develop a commencement checklist for each assigned ceremony.
• Schedule and hold planning meetings for each assigned commencement.
• Conduct ceremony planning site visit to identify logistic and production requirements at least three months out.
• Maintain commencement budget spreadsheet in coordination with commencement manager.
• Create a master calendar of timelines for assigned commencements.
• Collaborate with departments on commencement logistic items.
• Prepare a run-of-show schedule for commencement weekend.
• Plan and lead rehearsal with commencement participants.
• Inventory and order commencement supplies as needed.
• Assist with packing commencement materials/supplies and coordinate delivery to venue/WGU office.
• Determine vendor need and book vendors for each commencement ceremony by soliciting proposals and quotes, evaluate proposals, and ensure vendor obligations and commitments are met.
• Experience/ familiarity with: Onsite graduate regalia and faculty regalia orders, AV & Lighting, Music (String Quartet), Flowers, Merchandise, Photography, ASL Interpreters, Wheelchairs, Catering, Tradeshow Company, Transportation, Diploma Covers, Announcements, Individual Graduate Clips.
• Power and Internet needs for event spaces.
• Webcast Internet needs/testing for each commencement ceremony.
• Lower thirds and commencement reel testing with AV vendor.
• Production schedule including load-in and load-out times with AV vendor.
• Intro/outro slides for webcast.
• Tagboard feed.
• Setup for stage and related spaces.
• Truck delivery of event gear.
• Signage placement.
• Communicate final planning details and timelines to vendors/participants.
• Experience/ familiarity with: Name Readers, Anthem Singers, Stage Platform Party, Graduate Speakers, Faculty, Commencement Ambassadors, Graduates, ADA/Special Needs, Parking.
• Prepare technical production scripts for AV team.
• Review commencement script binder for commencement.
• Draft, maintain, and post content for each commencement ceremony web page.
• Gather content for commencement ceremony guidebook.
• Review and edit commencement forms.
• Meet with creative team prior to each commencement to plan and execute branding assets (e.g. lower thirds, artwork, commencement reel).
• Coordinate production of commencement signage.
• Create and distribute commencement ambassador form for assigned commencements.
• Determine manpower needed for each assigned commencement.
• Recruit commencement ambassadors for assigned commencements.
• Place commencement ambassadors in assignments based on needs and experience.
• Develop commencement ambassador schedule.
• Plan and execute commencement ambassador logistics (e.g. hotel, transportation, catering, and uniform).
• Prepare and deliver commencement ambassador webinar and in-person orientations.
• Create commencement ambassador team lead packets.
• Mail ‘Thank You’ to commencement ambassadors.
• Maintain commencement ambassador data.
• Create and distribute commencement ambassador survey.
• Create and distribute faculty RSVP form.
• Track eligibility of faculty.
• Coordinate participation of faculty.
• Maintain faculty participant data.
• Plan and execute faculty logistics (e.g. hotel, transportation, catering, and regalia).
• Order uniform regalia for faculty.
• Create and distribute faculty survey.
• Assist with cases that require escalation and resolution in coordination with commencement manager.
• Assist with answering incoming calls on hunt line as needed.
• Collect data from vendors and departments.
• Collect survey results from attendees.
• Prepare data slides for COE meeting.
• Assist with projects as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with transportation accommodations, lodging etc.
• Large-scale event planning experience strongly preferred (5,000+ people)
• Experience with cloud based applications and other MS products