Events Director

Welcoming Neighbors Network (WNN) seeks a hyper-organized, experienced, and dynamic Events Manager to help plan national and regional events that bring together pro-housing advocates for relationship-building, shared learning, and collective strategizing.

Through coalition-building, community organizing, policy development, and grassroots lobbying, Welcoming Neighbors Network member organizations advocate to legalize abundant housing options, lower the cost of housing, reduce the displacement of marginalized communities, and ensure all Americans can find safe, stable housing that fits their needs and budgets. As a national network, WNN members come together to hone strategies, support one another, share lessons, replicate successes, avoid mistakes, and tackle challenges creatively.

• Provide full-spectrum event-planning support for the annual YIMBYtown conference (“YIMBYtown”) Provide project-management support to local host organization(s) of the YIMBYtown conference, the national two to three-day pro-housing conference that brings together more than 1,000 grassroots organizers and advocates, academics, electeds, etc. Ensure all work streams of YIMBYtown event-planning are assigned to an individual/organization, provide ongoing support and accountability to those managing different work streams, and take leadership of work streams when host(s) requests you to do so.
  
  Provide logistical support for YIMBYtown (venue, catering, registration day-of coordination, etc.) Ensure that YIMBYtown’s programming is engaging to a wide variety of interests and learning styles, and relevant to pro-housing activists from across the country, empowering the hosts to imbue it with their own local flavor and bringing together stakeholders from across the country to guide the more general content.
  
  Ensure cohesive branding and narrative around YIMBYtown, working closely with local host organization(s) and WNN key stakeholders to craft and promote a clear story about the convening throughout all public promotion (press outreach, social media content, regular email newsletters, etc.) Help develop fundraising materials for host organization(s) and capture event highlights for future fundraising opportunities. Be accountable to and collaborate closely with the local host organization(s) and planning team.

• Support the institutionalization and replicability of YIMBYtown and other events that bring together pro-housing advocates Document, organize, and share best practices, lessons learned, feedback from past events and recommendations for future events, operations processes, materials and templates, etc. Ensure transferability of event communications and technology platforms, contact lists, etc. Ensure that event debriefs occur and that takeaways are captured and shared with relevant stakeholders.
  
  Provide onboarding to new YIMBYtown hosts to ground them in the existing history and materials and support them to hit the ground running.

• Provide logistical and other event-planning support for WNN regional gatherings In coordination with local host organization(s), manage logistics for WNN’s in-person regional gatherings which bring together 30‑75 pro‑housing advocates in a given region. Develop and execute standardized operations processes, including disbursement of financial assistance for travel. Be accountable to and collaborate closely with the local host organization(s) and planning team.

• Provide ad hoc support for other virtual and in-person WNN events Provide logistical and other planning support for in-person network trainings and convenings, including organizing trainings. Provide occasional technology support on virtual trainings and gatherings.

• Implement practices, policies, and guidelines to ensure that events are equitable, inclusive, and accessible Work with WNN Equity Working Group to build out and refine guidelines for hosting equitable, welcoming, and inclusive events. Identify and help carry out logistical, financial, and other event‑planning measures that can help events be more diverse, welcoming, and accessible. Incorporate feedback related to accessibility.

• Plus other related…