Guest Relations Manager
Deadline for applications is June 8, 2018.
The Calgary International Film Festival’s mission is to entertain and engage audiences by curating the most innovative and compelling films and creating remarkable festival experiences.
The festival is a 12-day showcase of up to 200 multi-genre films from Canada and over 40 other countries, hosting gala events, screenings, award ceremonies and special presentations. Additionally, the festival co-presents other programs, such as Doc Soup, throughout the year.
Role
The Guest Relations Manager ensures flawless movement of guests to, from and through the festival by planning and managing itineraries (travel, hotel, ground transport, etc.) and coordinating guest services (including passes and ticketing) internally with other departments. The Guest Relations Manager also oversees guest hospitality & communications, thereby creating a welcoming, inclusive, fun and organized atmosphere.
Responsibilities include:
- Guest Database:
- Maintain a database of invited and accredited guests.
- Travel & Accommodation:
- Arrange travel to and from Calgary for out-of-town guests.
- Book accommodation for out-of-town guests at designated partner hotels.
- Communicate with invited guests regarding travel and accommodation arrangements.
- Guest itineraries.
- Plan and manage itineraries for invited guests of the festival.
- Create and maintain an always up-to-date document(s) with all guest itinerary information (Zone Festival and other documents as required), shared with appropriate staff (including programming team, fleet coordinator, operations manager, publicist); must contain, flight info, hotel info, ground transportation schedule, guest’s screening times, public appearances such as intros and Q&As (provided by Lead Programmer and Behind the Screen Programmer), and pre-scheduled media interviews (provided by Publicist).
- Ensure guests receive their individual itinerary information from Guest Relations Assistant in advance of arrival (also cc associated programmers).
- Be available to other staff at all times during the festival to respond to urgent itinerary questions and troubleshooting.
- Guest Passes and Tickets:
- Collaborate with Ticketing Manager to ensure that all required guest passes & tickets are generated in time for inclusion in welcome packages
- Ensure that all festival guests are fully informed of the festival’s guest ticketing policies & practices
- Guest Pre-Arrival, Arrival and Check-In:
- Plan and execute a process to ensure all guests (visiting and local) are welcomed to the festival and receive all necessary information.
- Plan Guest Welcome Info/Packages:
- The electronic package of all relevant guest attendance information at least one week before the festival.
- Delegate bags for pick up upon check-in.
- Train and oversee a specially designated volunteer (crew lead level) for airport welcomes.
- Plan and run the guest check-in desk (including personally staffing the desk as required).
- Hospitality:
- Plan and execute a series of guest hospitality & networking activities for invited and accredited industry throughout the festival, including:
- Filmmakers happy hours
- Filmmaker lounge
- Filmmaker brunch
- Special filmmaker dinners (as determined by Artistic Director)
- Oversee the creation of a daily bulletin throughout the festival by which all invited guests of the festival receive up-to-date information on industry-relevant events.
- Plan and execute a series of guest hospitality & networking activities for invited and accredited industry throughout the festival, including:
- General:
- Work within and track the Guest Relations budget.
- Oversee other Guest Relations unit staff (Fleet Coordinator, Guest Relations Assistant).
- Oversee Guest Relations volunteers.
- Create, in collaboration with Marketing Director, and distribute a post-festival industry survey; and submit results analysis to Artistic Director.
- Provide detailed post-mortem notes and archived files (hard and electronic) relevant to the position and the work accomplished following the festival.
Qualifications
- Outstanding collaborator and team player.
- Prior professional experience in coordinating invited guests of major festivals/events, including travel, accommodation and hospitality arrangements, and managing detailed guest itineraries.
- Strong organizational skills, including an exceptional eye for detail.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Exceptional problem-solver.
- Experience using project/event management database systems; quick learner with the ability to learn new systems.
- Experience leading a team of volunteers.
- A sense of pride in providing highest quality service and overall experience to invited guests.
- Ability to multitask, and to work calmly and excel under tight timelines.
- The ability to work effectively within budget.
- Proficiency in standard Office software applications.
- Valid driver’s license.
Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract
Start Date: Starts July 16, 2018, ends October 31, 2018
Hours: Varying throughout the contract. Estimated average of full time in July, August and the first half of September, and full time and above during the festival (September 19 to 30, 2018), which includes long days, evenings and weekends on-site; concluding with 32 hours per week during the first half of October, and 24 hours per week in the last half of October. Involves evenings and weekends, especially during the festival.
Reporting to: Artistic Director
Supervising: N/A
Salary/Fee: $13,600 flat for the contract
To apply email a resume and cover letter in a single document to hr@calgaryfilm.com by Friday, June 8, 2018. Please use Guest Relations Manager as the email subject line.
We thank everyone who applies for their interest, but only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
