About MaRS
MaRS Discovery District (@MaRSDD) in Toronto is the one of the world’s largest urban innovation hubs.
MaRS supports promising high-growth companies to scale their businesses globally, while tackling key societal challenges in areas such as Health, Cleantech, Finance, Transportation, AI, and others. In addition to helping start-ups launch, grow and scale, the MaRS community is dedicated to cross-disciplinary collaboration, commercialization of discoveries, and driving ideas to impact.
About MaRS Innovation Hubs
As the operators behind Canada’s leading innovation hub campus, the MaRS Innovation Hubs business is foundational to supporting the overall MaRS mission of helping innovators create a better world. Through developing, curating, operating and programming world-class properties, our work brings together active communities that converge sectors and disciplines to propel Toronto and Canada’s innovation economy. The Innovation Hubs business offers a dynamic, multi-faceted work environment with over 1.5 million square feet of purpose-built real estate under active management that includes a unique mix of offices, labs and research facilities, event spaces and retail space, with a tenant roster that includes start-ups, global tech companies, internationally recognized research institutions, capital providers and non-profit organizations.
About the role
MaRS hosts leading edge events and conferences aligned with the MaRS mission of being a hub of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship in Canada. The MaRS Collaboration Centre is comprised of 20,000 square feet of flexible state-of-the-art event space in the heart of Toronto and welcomes 100,000+ guests annually. The Nexus at MaRS Waterfront added a new venue to the events portfolio in 2022.
This role is responsible for the inquiry intake, triaging and sales of all Innovation Hubs event venues, including but not limited to the Collaboration Centre, the MaRS Centre common areas, Nexus at MaRS Waterfront, as well as other spaces outside of the MaRS Centre where MaRS events may be held.
As the first point of contact, the Manager is responsible for providing excellent customer service to existing and new clients. They play a strategic role by implementing best practices in event venue sales in line with the overall MaRS Innovation Hubs operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage all incoming event inquiries. Offer excellent and timely customer service and demonstrate a thorough overview of all event venue offerings, including in-house audio-visual services. Provide venue information, room booking pricing, and budget estimates
- Lead event inquiry site visits at all event venues, including showing all rooms and their capabilities and working closely with the AV designate to answer any related audio-visual questions
- Evaluate and prioritize event requests against venue and resource availability. Efficiently reserve and utilize event venue space to maximize revenues, occupancy and delivery of MaRS programming, while ensuring the best client experience
- Enter all event bookings in the venue management system. Negotiate contracts, work with Hubs Business Administrator to coordinate contract execution, provide smooth handover of client relationship to Event Lead for event execution
- Responsible for event venue marketing and associated materials including website presence, intake forms and Venue Guide(s). Ensure they are kept up to date and adapted to new business opportunities
- Monitor other event venues and identify opportunities by remaining current on industry trends, market activities and competitors. Respond to RFP’s, create proposals and identify strategic partnership opportunities. Develop and sustain industry and ecosystem relationships
- Manage and/or assist with event management and delivery as required. Remain flexible to work early mornings, late evenings, and select weekends across all MaRS event venue spaces
- Support cross-functional Innovation Hubs team with other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate program or equivalent experience; studies in hospitality an asset
- 3+ years of related event sales work experience
- High-level of business acumen
- Exceptional interpersonal & communication skills, both verbal & written.
- Highly developed organizational skills, able to multitask and is comfortable working in a fast paced, high energy, evolving culture and environment. Detail oriented and resourceful.
- Collaborative team player with an ability to develop effective working relationships with staff and vendors.
- High proficiency of venue management software platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Acrobat in an Apple environment.
- Presents a highly professional image at all times both internally and externally and is mature, has poise and a high level of personal integrity.
- Able to work independently; responds well to clear direction and is a strong decision maker with superior judgment, problem solving skills and discretion.
- Experience working with venue management platforms such as Ungerboeck an asset
Salary Range: $74,600 - $86,900, up to 10% discretionary incentive, benefits and paid time-off.
Applications will close at 5pm EDT on April 14, 2023.
Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada and reside in Ontario.
We are a purpose-driven organization on a mission to make the world a better place through inclusive innovation. This commitment to inclusion, equity and diversity are core to who we are and what we believe and, as such, encourage applications from members of diverse identity groups, including those who have been historically excluded and marginalized. You are welcome at MaRS.
We want you to be as successful throughout our recruitment process as possible. Please get in touch with us if there’s anything we can do to make your experience more accessible and inclusive, including accommodations for differing (dis)abilities.
