Senior Events Manager

Summary:

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

As a key leader within the events function, the Senior Events Manager will balance hands-on delivery in London with regional ownership across EMEA, weighted at approximately equal measure. This individual will report to the Senior Director, Events and work in close partnership with the Senior Director, Business Development for EMEA and Asia, who sets the regional business development priorities the event program supports. The Senior Events Manager will also work proactively with office and practice leadership to develop the client event program in markets where it is still emerging, delivering through the firm's global platforms and processes rather than parallel local ones.

Responsibilities include:

London Program Leadership

• Oversee the lifecycle of the London program slate, applying high-level expertise to manage the office's most complex and highest-profile client events while maintaining the agility to support smaller-scale demands with equal precision and standard of care.
• Manage all phases of event planning, from initial site visits and contracts negotiation to on-site execution and post-event analysis.
• Serve as the senior events point of contact in London for partners and practice leadership, covering intake, scoping, prioritization and escalation.
• Develop and oversee comprehensive budgets, using approved templates, ensuring cost-effective practices and financial transparency without compromising the firm's high standards.
• Provide day-to-day guidance, coaching and quality review to the London planner and coordinator, synchronizing leadership efforts with the Sr. Manager, Client Events and the Sr. Manager, Events, who hold formal reporting responsibility for those roles.
• Contribute to workload planning for London, identifying capacity constraints and peak periods in advance rather than at the point of strain.

Regional Ownership, EMEA

• Work proactively with office and practice leadership across the region to identify and propose client event opportunities rather than responding only to requests as they arrive, particularly in markets where the program is still developing.
• Maintain a forward calendar for each office in the region on an agreed cycle, so that demand becomes visible in advance and can be planned against available capacity, and manage sequencing, clashes and audience overlap across offices and practices.
• Implement the firm's operational playbooks, templates, process manuals and execution standards across EMEA offices to ensure consistency in event delivery regardless of office or event type.
• Identify where local market practice, language or regulatory requirements call for a variation from the global standard, and bring those forward to event leadership so that they are agreed and documented.
• Act as the first point of reference on process, tools and suppliers for event colleagues in the region and for business development colleagues in offices where business development currently carries the events function.
• Lead or advise on an agreed number of signature events outside London each year, set annually with event and business development leadership, so that regional support is planned into the year rather than absorbed as it arises.
• Maintain and expand a regional network of high-end vendors and venues that align with the firm's brand positioning, negotiating within the firm's procurement framework.
• Oversee the utilization of existing systems to track RSVPs, manage attendee data, and ensure data integrity across the region, including GDPR-compliant handling of invitation and registration data.
• Ensure events are delivered in line with firm policy and local requirements across jurisdictions, including gifts and hospitality rules, risk assessment, accessibility and insurance.
• Collaborate with Accounting to track expected event charges, ensure timely invoice processing, and manage expense documentation in accordance with firm policy.

Analytics and Optimization

• Use performance data to evaluate and optimize event effectiveness and engagement, and to inform future strategies.
• Create KPI reporting for leadership insight, reporting regional results into the firm's global reporting framework and sharing that reporting with business development and practice leadership in the region.
• Continuously experiment and iterate on event design and delivery using data, feedback, and trend insights to develop fresh, impactful approaches.
• Conduct ongoing market and competitive analysis across EMEA venues, suppliers and formats to provide business intelligence that informs event strategy and identifies opportunities for service-level enhancements.
• Maintain an expert-level knowledge of current event technology and industry trends to modernize the firm's approach to engagement.

AI Aptitude and Innovation

• Exhibit willingness and aptitude for identifying and implementing AI-driven tools to enhance event planning, programming, and/or measurement and analytics.
• Integrate AI into workflows to optimize efficiency.

Qualifications:

• Exceptional ability to interact with all levels of internal leadership, including partners and executive staff.
• Proven track record of managing high-stakes, multi-day events with competing deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to guide, coach and develop colleagues and to raise service standards across a dispersed team, including where there is no direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrated ability to work within a centralized global function, applying shared standards and systems rather than developing parallel local processes.
• Strong experience in budget creation, expense tracking, and negotiating complex vendor contracts.
• Working knowledge of the events landscape across EMEA, including venues, suppliers, cultural expectations and local data protection requirements. Middle East experience preferred.
• High level of responsiveness and flexibility to travel and work outside standard business hours as required by event schedules.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with event and CRM platforms (e.g., Cvent, Interaction).

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent preferred.
• 15+ years of professional event planning experience, ideally within a legal or professional services environment.
• 5+ years of experience leading, coaching or developing event teams.
• Experience of multi-office or regional events responsibility, including large-scale client programs. Additional European language skills advantageous.

Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.