Director of Travel and Events in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at LSU Alumni Association

Position Summary

We're looking for a talented individual to join our team! The Director of Travel and Events is responsible for the strategic planning, execution, and evaluation of LSU Alumni Association (LSUAA) travel and event programs. This role oversees all aspects of travel and event coordination, including logistics, budgeting, guest experience, and collaboration with marketing to promote attendance and enhance engagement. The Director ensures events and travel align with LSUAA’s brand, goals, and quality standards while delivering exceptional experiences for alumni and stakeholders.

Essential Functions

Plan, market, manage, and execute LSUAA events, including reunions, faculty events, Hall of Distinction, Football Fridays, Networking on the Geaux, Watch Parties, Tailgating events, Homecoming activities, board meetings, graduation-related events, future alumni programming, and other alumni and current student engagement initiatives.

Plan, market, manage, and execute LSUAA Traveling Tigers Travel platform, including sports travel trips, non-sport domestic and non-domestic trips.

Serve as the primary customer-facing lead for all travel and event programs, delivering exceptional service, proactively resolving issues, and ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for all participants before, during, and after each engagement.

Collaborate closely with the marketing team to support event strategy, branding, promotion, and attendance goals.

Pre and post and live posting of the events/travel trips on all LSUAA Social Media channels.

Oversee event design, production, and logistics, including venues, catering, décor, entertainment, transportation, and equipment.

Train, assign, and supervise staff and volunteers to ensure effective event operations and adherence to established procedures.

Manage guest communications, including invitations, RSVPs, correspondence, and special arrangements for honored guests.

Develop and manage event budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with organizational guidelines.

Evaluate event outcomes through post-event financial analysis and reporting, identifying opportunities for improvement.

Perform additional duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of two years of progressively responsible event planning or related experience.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; degree or coursework in an event-related field preferred.
• Ability to work extra hours; working and communication on weekends and holidays will be expected. This includes evenings.
• This position requires frequent travel (exceeding 40%), including weekend and holiday travel.
• Experience in developing and implementing business growth campaigns for events and travel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to post on all social media channels.
• Basic graphic design skills in platforms like Canva and InDesign.
• Basic understanding of AI tools.
• Collaborate effectively and lead teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.