Conference Producer – IC Events, IC Publications Group, London

Job Title: Conference Producer

Division: IC Events

Company: IC Publications Group

Salary: Depending on experience

Type of Contract: Full-time, permanent

About IC Events

IC Events is the events arm of IC Publications Group, publishers of New African, African Business, African Banker and New African Woman magazines. Drawing from the Group’s editorial expertise and an extensive network of contacts globally, IC Events has established itself as one of the leading organisers of African business and financial events. From small workshops and round-tables, to large business conferences and awards ceremonies, our events are recognised as some of the premier fixtures on the international calendar, and provide an excellent opportunity to network with the current decision makers and leaders from around the world. To date, we have organised events in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the USA and Asia.

For more information: www.icpublications.com.

Job Description

IC Events is recruiting for a Conference Producer to contribute to the production and management of commercially-viable conferences, award ceremonies and other international events focusing on business, finance and current affairs in Africa. The purpose of the job is: a) to conceptualise, design and manage programmes; b) identify, secure and manage high-level speakers; and c) to contribute, in collaboration with the team, to diversifying and developing IC Events portfolio.

The role is full time and suitable for a highly organised professional with experience in the production of small to large-scale, international conferences, ideally with an interest in and knowledge of Africa and the African markets. We are looking for a flexible, versatile and dynamic professional who enjoys travelling and keeping abreast of current economic and social developments across the region, working in international and very diverse environments, and who is able to work independently as well as part of a small, hands-on team.

The Conference Producer’s tasks include:

• Design and development of conference programmes and agendas
• Speaker management – from selection to invitation, follow up, briefing and on-site coordination
• Desk research on a variety of economic, business and financial issues in/relating to Africa
• Communication tasks such as writing concept notes, speaker briefs, invitations, website content, and other
• List research and sourcing of potential speakers for conferences and events, including update and management of speaker databases
• Liaison with Operations Team concerning Speakers’ logistics
• Liaison with Marketing, Communications and Sales Teams to identify target audiences and conference selling points, and to produce conference collaterals and marketing materials
• On-site coordination of speakers during events, including providing briefings regarding session topics and formats
• Liaison with Operations and AV teams on-site to ensure the smooth running of sessions
• To plan for an internal post-conference report as well as a rapporteur’s report on the conference that is circulated to attendees
• Management of event assistants, interns and other junior staff
• Other production and administrative tasks as required

Person Specification

• University Degree in a relevant subject
• At least 2 years’ experience in event production and speaker management
• Knowledge and understanding of different business models in commercial conferences
• Excellent research and English written communication skills, with the ability to familiarise themselves quickly with new topics, write clearly and concisely, and edit documents
• Strong telephone manners, interpersonal skills and versatile verbal communication skills, with the ability to deal confidently with stakeholders at all levels of responsibility and from different cultural and professional backgrounds
• Track-record of establishing and maintaining relationships with high-level stakeholders, securing their participation in events
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to work on multiple tasks and to deliver effectively under significant time pressure
• Ability to work under limited supervision, to foresee potential problems and to think-up solutions quickly and independently
• Positive, hands-on attitude
• Strong attention to detail
• Good command of the MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience in copy writing/editing (desirable)
• Knowledge of and interest in Africa and the African markets, and understanding of business and financial topics (highly desirable)
• Fluency in French (highly desirable)
• Fluency in Portuguese (an advantage)