Senior Event Planner

Senior Event Planner - Reporting into Head of Events

Company Description - Catering and Events experience is essential!

Social Pantry is a sustainably focused luxury caterer, offering fresh, stylish and seasonal food for events, weddings, festivals, and workplaces. We operate on a zero-waste policy and are committed to delivering minimal environmental impact while upholding social sustainability standards through programs like hiring prison leavers as 10% of our staff.

Event Planning

• Liaising and planning with a broad level of clients to create high-end events of all sizes, managing relationships, responding to budgetary needs, preparing for and responding to outcomes of proposals and menu tastings.
• Providing complete support to clients from initial venue advice and selection, complete food and beverage requirements, through to advice on event styling.
• Managing each event effectively from initial enquiry through to the feedback stage of the process.
• Building & maintaining positive relationships and dialogue with all suppliers and contractors.
• Maintaining a high level of administrative practices throughout the planning role ensuring meticulous detail throughout each step.
• Facilitating required client meetings and tastings and providing guidance allowing the client to make an informed decision on all event aspects.
• Revising and amending quotes at the client’s requests in order to meet the clients’ bespoke requirements.
• Ensuring you are quoting and providing a high level, effective and profitable event always.
• Monitoring all long lead event enquiries with care and attention required in order to win business.
• Putting together menu combinations for events in line with brand, seasonality and food trends.

Operations

• Attending meetings, site visits and menu tastings with the client and relevant suppliers.
• Producing and administering accurate and detailed job sheets ensuring that all suppliers are aligned.
• Ensuring effective communication to communicate the clients’ event requirements to the kitchen and logistics team.
• Working with the staffing manager to organise and book staff for each event in line with budget.
• Overseeing the booking and briefing of all event staff, including Freelance Managers, Waiting Staff, Chefs and Porters in line with event budgets.
• Overseeing the organisation of staff travel, uniform and logistics in line with event budgets.
• Booking all event hire, delivery, and load in and load out logistics in line with event budgets.
• Organising all general event logistics, travel, parking and details in line with event budgets.

Client & Venue Care

• Actively building relationships with new and existing clients, venues and suppliers encouraging loyalty and repeat business.
• Managing clients effectively, providing a friendly, polite, and flexible service.
• Consistently striving to exceed their expectations and always going above and beyond client expectations.

Financial

• Being proactive and reactive to new sales enquiries.
• Having a clear understanding of the monthly and individual sales targets.
• Assisting with the clients budgeting process, ensuring that events are delivered within allocated budget and to the correct company profit margins.
• Budgeting and executing events at the correct profit margin.
• Accurately budgeting for events.
• Comparing supplier charges and costs at all stages of event planning.
• Ensuring that event works is always populated with accurate supplier costs.
• Benchmarking relative competitors and knowing where Social Pantry sits within the competition.
• Reporting in your bonus when applicable.

Food Trends

• Following all seasonal, British and catering food trends closely.
• Understanding and appreciating food seasonality throughout the seasons and the menu impact.
• Taking an active interest in London food trends, talks, pop-ups, and current food affairs.

General

• Taking an active interest in Social Pantry, the progress, market growth and positioning of the company.
• Always working ethically and as a team member.
• Going above and beyond to always support and help other team members.
• Working honestly and with the interest of Social Pantry and the team. Supporting and upholding Social Pantry's sustainability policies.
• Enacting and overseeing environmental responsibilities where required.
• Considering the impact of all decisions to balance people, planet, and profit as per our updated Company Articles of Association: in accordance with B Corp, we have legally committed to using business as a force for good by:
• Creating a material positive impact on society and the environment through our business and operations.
• Considering `stakeholder interests` - including our shareholders, employees, suppliers, society and the environment.

SOCIAL PANTRY HQ

You’ll find us at our HQ in Battersea. This is home to our production kitchen, tasting kitchen, tasting room, and office. It's where our chefs lay their hands on the best seasonal produce and get to work developing inspiring menus and transforming food waste into food wonders. It's where our office team put heads together to see clients' dreams become a reality, and where all the planning happens! It's also where our team share a lot of laughs, celebrate small and big wins and enjoy brilliant staff food.

STAFF WELLBEING

We recognise the importance of a well-motivated and energised workforce and we run a culture and wellbeing programme that includes:

• Volunteer days
• Cycle to work scheme
• Management training programmes
• Supplier visits and team training sessions
• Team dinners, outings and team-building sessions
• Staff lunches, refreshments, and fruit bowls
• Staff F&B discount

To succeed in this role, you will:

• Have a passion for the food and events industry
• Already have knowledge and experience of the London events and venues world
• Have strong visual design skills
• Be a confident communicator
• Have an eye for attention to detail
• Be super organised and possess forward-thinking planning skills
• Remain calm, efficient and productive in what can be a fast-paced demanding environment

Social Pantry is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Social Pantry is an accredited Ban The Box employer!