Senior Manager, Events – Disney Cruise Line

About Disney Cruise Line:
Since launching in 1998, Disney Cruise Line has established itself as a leader in the cruise industry, providing a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and children can experience all Disney has to offer. Today, the award-winning Disney Cruise Line continues to expand its blueprint for family cruising with a fleet of five ships — the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish — and eight more ships on the way, including the expanded relationship with Oriental Land Company Ltd. to bring Disney cruise vacations to Japan, by 2031. The Disney Cruise Line fleet sails to destinations in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific, and Australia and New Zealand. The Disney Adventure, setting sail in 2025, will be the first to home port in Singapore. 

About the Role:
We are looking for a top-notch Events Manager to lead the planning and execution of media events designed to drive business results for DCL, Singapore, strategically. The Events Manager oversees the planning, development and production of medium and large-scale, complex and high-profile media-facing events supporting DCL. This role requires strategic thinking, strong project management and the ability to juggle multiple priorities. The individual’s success will lie in their ability to create impactful events – the likes of industry-leading communication and media events that garner widespread traditional/ social media coverage and digital virality –   which require strong project management capabilities and ability to manage multiple priority events where needed. Through close collaboration with internal and external partners, they will develop events that drive superior results [typically media/PR coverage] that align with business goals, objectives and strategies. This position will report to the Executive Director, Communications & Public Affairs APAC, Disney Experiences.

Responsibilities:

• Independently project-lead and manage the entire event lifecycle and all phases of event development, including creative planning, cross-business collaboration, stakeholder buy-in, development, budget management, production, execution and post-event evaluation/recap.
• Manage outside agency support across all facets of event management.
• Serve as main communications point for all key stakeholders on event-related details.
• Research and gather information needed to make informed decisions and recommend future improvements to how events are run.
• Be able to create presentation decks to confidently and effectively present event plans and objectives, to get stakeholder and leadership buy in.
• Anticipate issues, challenges and potential chokepoints that may arise which are event-specific, and proactively mitigate or propose solutions. 
• Proactively manage and track timelines in order to deliver on event milestones in a timely manner.
• Be prepared to work closely with different business teams, apart from PR, to support in areas where ad-hoc event support could be needed. 
• Be able to propose, plan, budget, and manage a gifting inventory for a spectrum of needs and purposes – such as gifts for media, government officials, community partners, internal staff, executives, ship crew, etc.
• Develop and manage event budgets ranging from tens of thousands to several million dollars, ensuring fiscal responsibility while delivering exceptional experiences
• Serve as a creative thought partner, stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, emerging technologies and leverage that knowledge to innovate events.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal stakeholders and partners throughout the organization, to carry out events smoothly.
• Cultivate and maintain effective external relationships with vendors and other essential partners.
• Lead creative sessions to develop new event concepts and options.
• Understand consumer insights research and gather information needed to make informed decisions throughout all phases and recommend future improvements.
• Understand how events can play a strategic role in fulfilling PR and business objectives
• Be prepared for occasional calls on different time zones due to stakeholders being in different geographies

Required Qualifications:

• 8 + years of special event experience
• Proven ability to think strategically, creatively and manage projects, budgets and timelines.
• Self-directed with proven event experience across SEA
• Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Be able to see the big picture on how events support business goals, but also dive deep into details that contribute to the success of events 
• Experience in successfully managing complex events and multi-million-dollar budgets
• Experience working with all forms of media [print, broadcast, online, social, digital].
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, a professional presence and a demonstrated ability to present event plans and concepts to internal and external stakeholders at all senior leadership levels and present a cohesive, influential story.
• Demonstrated skills in relationship management with the ability to develop professional partnerships that result in stable, consistent, reliable, and courteous communication.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple projects with varying priorities and deadlines.
• Success in this role is dependent on having attributes such as flexibility, resourcefulness, being detail-oriented, a self-starter, highly proactive, possessing excellent stakeholder management qualities, being comfortable working in a matrixed organization with more than one reporting line, and having the confidence and know-how to recommend and implement events ideas and solutions. 
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)  or Mac OS, SAP, and ability to learn new and existing software programs & applications. 
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally and work a varied schedule that may include evenings, nights, and weekends

 
Education

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (Event Management, Communications, Public Relations) or equivalent work experience 

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. We are committed to building a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.