The Senior Meetings & Events Planner is tasked with the end-to-end planning and execution of assigned meetings, incentive trips, and special events. This role manages all logistical aspects of programs while collaborating closely with the internal SET Events Team, department leadership, and internal clients. The Senior Planner begins with small to mid-size programs and progressively takes on larger, more complex incentive programs as experience and capability grow.

Responsibilities:

• Independently design, plan, and execute small to mid-size incentive programs, meetings, and special events from conception to completion.

• Support Lead Planners on large-scale incentive programs, assisting with logistics, budgets, vendor management, and on-site execution.

• Manage event details including communication, registration, amenities, catering, production, entertainment, transportation/manifests, venue selection, program content, and on- and off-site activities.

• Participate in vendor sourcing and support contract review; negotiate vendor agreements.

• Manage assigned program budgets ranging from $50K to $2M and support reconciliation and invoice processing for larger programs.

• Develop timelines, project plans, participant communications, and planning documentation.

• Collaborate with the internal team and leadership to review options and align on recommendations before presenting to internal clients.

• Provide on-site support and act as secondary lead on major programs; serve as primary on-site lead for smaller programs.

• Collect, analyze, and summarize program feedback to inform continuous improvement.

• Maintain awareness of industry trends, destinations, and event technology.

• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, partners, and vendors.

• Ensure compliance with legal, risk, and safety requirements across assigned programs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, Event management, business, or equivalent experience preferred.

• 6–10 years of corporate meeting, incentive program, or special event planning experience.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage small to mid-size programs with growing exposure to large-scale incentive programs.

• Strong negotiation, vendor coordination, and budget management skills.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Strong organizational, time management, and problem-solving abilities.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with event technology platforms (e.g., Cvent) preferred.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and remain composed under pressure.

• Industry certifications (CMP, CMM, CSEP) are a plus.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

• Ability to work flexible hours, including long days during on-site execution.

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and perform event-related physical tasks.