Event Specialist

Founded in 1946 and based in Nashville, Tennessee Wildlife Federation is one of the state’s oldest and most influential conservation organizations. For 80 years, we’ve worked to protect Tennessee’s wildlife, promote responsible stewardship of natural resources, and ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoors. As a trusted voice for sportsmen, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation advocates, we lead conservation efforts that make a real difference—and we’re looking for passionate people to help us continue that impact.

Building on this legacy, the Event Specialist plays a critical role in bringing our mission to life through engaging events that connect people to the organization and foster community.

The Event Specialist is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing a wide range of events that advance organizational goals. This includes overseeing all aspects of event logistics, budget development and management, collaboration with internal teams and external vendors, and ensuring events are executed seamlessly, on time, and within budget. By combining attention to detail, proactive problem-solving, and effective coordination, the Event Specialist helps create high-quality events that engage participants and support the organization’s mission.

Events are essential to supporting our fundraising and community engagement efforts, while also helping communicate and increase awareness of our policy priorities. The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, and energized by bringing people together. They are proactive, resourceful, and thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments, with a passion for creating meaningful experiences that inspire others to support conservation.

Event Planning & Execution

• Plan and execute donor and prospect engagement events, board of directors meetings and social receptions, community outreach awareness meetings, legislative receptions, policy fellows annual meeting, and other events that advance our mission.
• Manage all event logistics, including venues, equipment, volunteers, transportation, and vendor coordination.
• Provide on-site event management to ensure smooth operations, troubleshoot issues, and maintain a high-quality attendee experience.

Budget & Resource Management

• Collaborate with supervisor to develop event budgets and take ownership of managing and tracking expenses to ensure efficient use of resources and alignment with organizational priorities.
• Maintain organized records of vendors, attendees, budgets, and other event-related documentation.

Stakeholder Engagement & Development

• Coordinate with Development and Policy leadership to ensure engagement strategies are incorporated in all events to strengthen relationships with attendees, sponsors, and stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with Development, Policy, and Communication teams to align event strategy with organizational goals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, sponsors, partners, and vendors to enhance engagement and long-term support.
• Support and contribute to sponsorship strategy, including outreach and fulfillment.

Marketing & Communications

• Partner with the Communications team to create event-related materials, including promotional pieces (save-the-dates, invitations, venue maps) and day-of signage (directional, parking, welcome, and sponsor recognition).
• Oversee event registration, attendee tracking, and guest communications to create a seamless attendee experience and support engagement and donor relations.
• Coordinate post event follow-up and acknowledgments for partners, vendors, venues, and volunteers, when appropriate and in accordance with company guidelines.
• Evaluate event outcomes, track success metrics, provide post-event reports, and organize post-event debrief meetings to obtain actionable recommendations for future improvement.
• Stay current on nonprofit event trends, best practices, and innovative approaches to increase attendance, engagement, and impact.

Other Duties

• Manage multiple events simultaneously ensuring timely and effective completion.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Hospitality,…