About the Manager, Event & Culinary Production Position: Agency 21 (a21) is seeking an organized, highly motivated team player with a passion for food, hospitality, and live event execution to join our team. The ideal candidate is a versatile producer who can work across both event and culinary production, managing multiple projects and workstreams simultaneously while adapting to the needs of each event.
Primary Responsibilities:
Support and manage end-to-end planning and production for assigned events and workstreams from initial concept and ideation through onsite execution and post-event reconciliation Serve as an Event Producer and/or Culinary Producer across assigned festivals and events based on project needs Build and manage project tracking systems in Monday.com, including event timelines, vendor tracking, schedules, signage and creative, credentials, run of show, culinary outreach and confirmations, menus, equipment, COIs, travel, reimbursements, and other project-specific needs Coordinate pre-event production and logistics including: chef communication, vendor communication, rentals, equipment, disposables, signage, floorplans and layouts, talent, entertainment, and onsite operational needs Research and compile food and beverage talent rosters, identifying chefs and culinary talent aligned with event concepts, themes, and audiences Manage culinary talent communication from initial outreach and confirmation through advancing, load-in, onsite execution, and load-out Create and distribute culinary and event-facing materials including invitations, fact sheets, load-in documents, menus, schedules, run of shows, and event briefing documents Lead menu development and advancing conversations with culinary talent, coordinating dish concepts, dietary considerations, portion planning, equipment, disposables, staffing, and service needs Support the planning and execution of seated meals, chef demonstrations, tasting events, chef stations, and other food-and-beverage activations Coordinate spending, rentals, talent, culinary, and vendor costs in alignment with project budgets, maintaining an understanding of the overall financial picture and assigned scopes Work closely with internal departments, clients, sponsors, venues, talent, and vendors to communicate project needs and ensure alignment across teams Participate in and, as assigned, lead production and planning meetings, helping drive action items, deadlines, and follow-through Collaborate cross-functionally with Partnership, Partnership Fulfillment, Accounting, Marketing, and other internal departments Cultivate and maintain strong vendor, venue, talent, and client relationships, representing a21 with professionalism and care Assist with city, state, venue, health department, and other permitting and compliance requirements, including food safety and culinary-specific regulations Execute onsite event operations including load-in and load-out, vendor and delivery coordination, rentals and equipment, signage, talent check-in, culinary station setup, registration, and real-time troubleshooting Work collaboratively across event and culinary teams onsite, stepping into operational needs as they arise to ensure successful event execution Support post-event closeout including vendor reconciliation, invoices, reimbursements, expense tracking, recap materials, and other post-event deliverables Skills + Qualifications Needed:
- 3+ years coordinating meetings, Festivals, experiential events, or other live events
- 3+ years managing vendor, talent, client, or partner relationships Experience in the food and beverage industry, with exposure to culinary events or hospitality operations, strongly preferred Demonstrated understanding of live event production, including vendors, rentals, floorplans, timelines, load-in/load-out, and onsite operations Experience working with chefs, culinary talent, menus, kitchen equipment, food service operations, or culinary event production strongly preferred Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously Self-starter with a strong sense of initiative, accountability, and follow-through Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a high level of professionalism Ability to adapt quickly and problem-solve in fast-paced, live event environments Experience with project management principles and tools; familiarity with Monday.com, Canva or similar platforms preferred Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) for tracking, reporting, and communication
- Office administration and operations experience
- Knowledge and passion for the independent food and beverage industry a plus
- Flexibility to travel throughout the year (up to 20% including some nights and weekends)
- Must be able to lift, carry, and move up to 50 lbs and remain on feet for extended periods during live event production
