HIRING Mint Plaza Event Manager 2024 (Contract)

Mint Plaza Event Manager 2024

Part Time / Contract

About Make It Mariko

Make it Mariko (pronounced MAH-ree-ko) is an award-winning creative events agency led by women of color that creates magical, meaningful moments for the community. We are experience curators, community activators, corporate planners, nonprofit advocates, and event enthusiasts.

We are committed to curating creative, inclusive, and diverse spaces in the events industry to challenge the status quo and pave the way for a new generation of event experience curators. Our company was founded in 2015 by Gina Mariko Rosales and we have a wide network of creative partners, vendors, and clients that we work with throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

We do Experience Design, Planning & Production for:

Events & Curated Experiences
Brand Activations & Launches
Corporate Events
Festivals (like UNDISCOVERED SF & POC Food & Wine Festival)
Conferences & Summits
Social Impact Events
Special Events (Holiday Parties, milestone birthdays, etc)
Weddings

Learn more about our company values and hear our origin store here: www.makeitmariko.com/about.

About the Role

Make It Mariko is seeking a highly motivated, organized, and community-focused Event Manager to lead the planning, coordination, and execution of a weekly event activation in San Francisco’s Mint Plaza (where we launched UNDISCOVERED SF in 2017!). This will be a weekly event series (aiming for Fridays from 5-9pm) featuring live music & DJs to help increase sales for local restaurants & businesses.

Event Goals:

Create a vibrant, engaging, and free all ages event to activate Mint Plaza on a regular basis.
Increase traffic to Mint Plaza to get more business and patrons to the local restaurants.
Support local artists & creatives
Invest in infrastructure that can help Mint Plaza continue to be utilized on a regular basis even after the event season ends.

This role is perfect for someone passionate about event production, logistics, helping small businesses, and San Francisco’s vibrant culture. The Event Manager will play a lead role in growing and developing this new event series, engaging with audiences, and ensuring our weekly events are successfully and well attended.

Key Responsibilities:

Event Planning & Logistics:

Develop and oversee a comprehensive event plan, timeline, and work within a defined budget for the weekly series.
Main point of contact with the venue(s)
Manage key production vendors:
- Bar
- Rentals or furniture purchases
- Storage
- Power
- Bathrooms
- Garbage
- Food or Dessert Truck/Vendor
- Semi-permanent Lighting
- Security
- Janitorial
- Signage
Manage our onsite Ops/AV team to ensure event setup, breakdown, and onsite operations happens smoothly
Manage vendor contracts, permits, and other production requirements for the Mint Plaza activation.
- Fire Permits
- Health Dept
- Entertainment Permit
- Possible Street Closure (in partnership with Gina)
Source and budget out purchasing equipment needed for the entire season (stools, dance floor, tables, semi-permanent lighting)

Onsite Event Management:

Serve as the main onsite lead for all weekly events, ensuring seamless execution from start to finish.
Oversee event staff, volunteers, and partners to maintain high-quality event production standards.
Troubleshoot any issues that arise during events, ensuring a positive experience for attendees and stakeholders.
Monitor attendee flow, vendor operations, and artist performances to ensure smooth coordination.

Post-Event Reporting & Improvements:

Gather feedback from attendees, vendors, and community partners to refine and improve future events.
Track and analyze key performance metrics, including attendee numbers, vendor sales, and social media engagement.
Provide weekly reports to the Make It Mariko team and our sponsor organization (Kultivate Labs), highlighting successes, challenges, and recommendations.

Meetings:

Attend bi-weekly meetings starting January 2025 (initial meetings MUST be in person at our new studio in SoMa on either Tuesdays or Thursdays)
Weekly check-ins once the event series begins.

Programming & Community Engagement:

Partner with local businesses on Mint Plaza to ensure we are meeting our goals of economic growth and that they are in alignment with the event.
- Burma Love
- Sushi Hashiri
- 54 Mint Cucina Romana
Manage regular meetings with key stakeholders.
Build relationships with SoMa community stakeholders, local restaurants, and business owners to integrate them into the event experience.
Work in partnership with our Music Curator and A/V team to feature live music, DJs, and other entertainment that resonates with the Bay Area’s diverse culture

Marketing & Outreach:

Post weekly about the event to promote and tag key stakeholders and partners
Make sure Marketing Team has all the necessary logistical information to promote each event each week including event maps, directions, vendors, etc

What We’re Looking For:

At least 3-4 years professional experience working directly in Events, Project Management, and/or Marketing. Past Client Experience is a plus.
Ideal candidate should be local to San Francisco, Daly City, or East Bay, understands and has worked with the SoMa community before, and is able to be onsite to work with strategic partners frequently.
Someone who LOVES the nitty gritty logistical details of events. You think well organized spreadsheets are sexy, slide decks are your best friend, and you pride yourself on being detail oriented
Demonstrated ability to deliver an exceptional experience for clients.
Strong problem solver who is resourceful and can find creative solutions to any challenge.
Great interpersonal skills – you enjoy interacting with people and building new relationships.
Impact driven work – We work hard, and we work smart. We are looking for someone who stays focused on goals and impact.
Strong communication skills – verbal, written and presentation – and can confidently pitch in both a 1:1 and group setting.
Someone who thrives in ambiguity and is highly attuned to people’s needs.
Past experience working with artists/arts orgs, social justice orgs, or nonprofits is a plus
Confident creative writing skills. Must use the Oxford comma 😉
Understands culturally sensitive language and understands how to write/speak appropriately about POC & marginalized communities
Flexibility to work evenings when events are happening.

2025 Timeline

January 2025	Interviews with candidates/agencies Event Concepting, Naming, and Ideation
February	Website Design & Graphic Design Talent Booking begins
March	Press Pitching & Video Production Talent Booking continues
April – June	Potential launch of the event. Exact date TBD depending on partnership discussions.
April – September	Potential for the event to happen weekly for a total of 18-22 weeks depending on budget.

Additional Details & How to Apply

Hours: Part Time Contract (1099 position)

Compensation: There will be a flat rate for the planning process, as well as rates per event with key deliverables that need to be met along the way.

Please submit your preferred hourly rate along with your application.

Location:

Most of the work will be done remotely, but we will meet in person in the first couple months to plan the event from our San Francisco office – Studio Mariko at 447 Minna St. MIM team typically works in the office on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
Role is expected to attend each event of the series in person.

How To Apply

Please email jobs@makeitmariko.com with the subject line “Your Name / EVENT MANAGER”, and include the following:

A Cover Letter in the form of an email describing your interest, experience, and background. Please make sure to address the following:
1. Why you want to join the Make it Mariko team
2. Your relevant experience for this role based on this job description (What events have you planned before? How many attendees? What companies have you worked for?)
3. Please submit your preferred hourly rate.
Resume (PDFs only)
Video Introduction – Create a short video (less than 2 minutes!) to introduce yourself and tell us in your own words why you’re interested in working with Make it Mariko. This should be a super casual video just shot on your phone – no need to do fancy editing or captions. Keep it short and sweet and just be yourself 🙂
Event Portfolio showing past events you’ve worked on and your role.

Pro Tips

NO CALLS. Questions are encouraged during the interview process.
Please follow directions. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
We can spot a Chat GPT cover letter within seconds. We will spend just as much time reviewing your application as you spend writing it. So please make sure to personalize.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the right candidate is found. Interviews will begin immediately.