Olbrich Gardens Private Events Coordinator

Overview

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is a nationally recognized award‑winning botanical garden operated by a partnership between the City of Madison and the Olbrich Botanical Society. The mission is to "To enrich lives and inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world." This position is part of the Guest Experience Team and supports private events and rentals throughout the Gardens.

• Develop, implement, and administer systems to manage proper space use; coordinate event move‑in/out times and custodial services; oversee equipment availability and usage; and coordinate other related activities.
• Conduct tours of the facility for clients and prospective clients.
• Prepare and distribute event‑related information in event software in a concise, professional and accurate manner.
• Coordinate and communicate event equipment and service needs with clients, Olbrich staff, caterers, and other outside vendors.
• Plan, coordinate and oversee all phases of assigned events, including advance planning, client meetings, day‑of‑event details and post‑event evaluation.
• Modify facility usage policies, contract forms, photo guidelines, fee schedules and related policies and procedures.
• Work with appropriate Olbrich staff to develop, promote, and sell rental add‑on packages.
• Coordinate with the education team to welcome group tours.
• Review the website for needed updates; verify rental information is accurate and current and keep abreast of industry norms and trends.
• Assist the Education, Guest Experience and Facility Maintenance Departments to schedule the necessary building attendant staffing for evening and weekend use.

• Serve as a contact for visitor rental inquiries (by phone, website submission, email and walk‑in), responding to inquiries in a timely manner.
• Provide facility tours to prospective clients.
• Guide clients in facility usage and service parameters.
• Manage rental contracts and letters.
• Maintain client records (type, number of hours, guest count, fees, date, etc.), including client payments, monitor contracts and usage guidelines.

• Establish photography guidelines and fees for general photography, special large event photography (e.g., prom, graduations) and drone photography. Ensure City of Madison equity standards are followed.
• Monitor scheduling of all photo sessions at Olbrich Botanical Gardens to avoid conflict with other programs, rentals and photos.
• Issue photo permits for public use, explaining the photo policy to applicants.
• Maintain accurate information about photo policies posted on the website and onsite.
• Manage photo permits for large public popular events such as prom and graduations.
• Communicate with Public Relations and Marketing staff when commercial or publicity photo permits are requested.

• Monitor and control all billing activities for events; review event orders for accuracy of charges.
• Prepare, supervise, monitor and control all event billing activities in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Coordinate catering deposits for annual insurance liability; coordinate liability insurance coverage information for the garden clubs and plant societies; maintain accurate records of catering and bar service to share with the city.
• Maintain and utilize the computerized facility use database.
• Maintain records on types of rentals, number of rental hours, fees, contracts, attendance and other rental program data; prepare monthly and annual reports as required.
• Process payments and invoices for any transactions between the City of Madison and Olbrich Botanical Society.
• Evaluate policies and procedures on a regular basis and implement changes as warranted to ensure alignment with City of Madison Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiatives.

• Assist with general guest services related to front‑of‑house operations such as answering phones, ticketing, admissions, etc.
• Participate in Guest Experience Team trainings and City of Madison training opportunities.
• Maintain a courteous, cooperative and professional environment for clients, coworkers, vendors and the general…