Program Event Coordinator

About the Role

The Program Event Coordinator is responsible for the comprehensive planning and execution of the National Women's Shelter Network's key annual conference, as well as ongoing events such as webinars, workshops, symposia, and member gatherings held throughout the year. This position involves designing the conference program from inception to final agenda, coordinating speakers and participants, handling logistics with venues, sponsors, and exhibitors, and serving as the main organizer for both virtual and in-person events serving member shelters and safe havens nationwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and fully design the conference agenda including opening/closing sessions, keynotes, plenaries, breakout tracks, panels, and workshops specific to member requirements.
• Identify, confirm, and communicate with speakers, panelists, and facilitators, managing their session details, AV requirements, and travel logistics.
• Create and oversee the master conference timeline ensuring critical milestones such as save-the-dates, registrations, printing, signage, and materials are achieved on schedule.
• Liaise with hotels and venues regarding room blocks, meeting spaces, catering, signage, and on-site logistics.
• Manage sponsorship acquisition and ensure a smooth exhibitor experience including exhibition layout, sponsor benefits, and support during the event.
• Oversee the registration process, attendee communications, badge creation, and check-in procedures on-site.
• Plan additional conference activities such as board meetings, receptions, networking sessions, and special guest events.
• Handle conference budgets jointly with leadership, track expenses against projections, and reconcile vendor invoices.
• Lead on-site event management serving as primary contact for staff, vendors, speakers, and attendees during the conference.
• Conduct post-event wrap-up involving surveys, vendor debriefs, resource uploads, and compiling a summary report with recommendations.
• Plan and coordinate recurring webinars and virtual workshops in collaboration with the Research Director, managing all logistics from setup to post-event distribution.
• Coordinate regional and in-person workshops, symposia, convenings, briefings, and trainings, managing logistics and venues as needed.
• Maintain an updated events calendar and communicate upcoming events to members and staff.
• Track attendance and feedback to support continuous programming improvements.
• Maintain detailed records and contracts for all event vendors, venues, speakers, and sponsors.
• Develop event materials including agendas, presentation decks, sign-in sheets, and attendee guides.
• Perform daily administrative tasks related to event planning such as correspondence and scheduling.
• Support additional projects and administrative functions as assigned.

Qualifications

• Experience in event planning, program coordination, or managing conferences, preferably in nonprofit or membership organizations.
• Proven ability to manage multi-day conferences or large-scale event programs from planning through execution.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills, including budget and vendor management, and handling multiple concurrent timelines.
• Experience with virtual event coordination and familiarity with webinar and video conferencing tools.
• Excellent communication skills to collaborate effectively with board members, sponsors, speakers, and members.
• Proficiency in office productivity and project management software such as Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and event registration platforms.
• Willingness and ability to travel to the conference location and manage on-site logistics, including availability for some evening and weekend work.