Director of Event Operations & Experiences in Draper, Utah at The Living Planet Aquarium

Position: Director of Event Operations and Experiences

Reports to: Senior Director of Operations
Direct Reports: Event sales and event operations personnel
Compensation: Based on experience, with eligibility for the department’s approved incentive program

About Loveland Living Planet Aquarium:

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (LLPA) is a mission-driven institution dedicated to inspiring people to explore, discover, and learn about Earth’s diverse ecosystems. Founded in 1997, the Aquarium provides impactful educational experiences for guests of all ages and backgrounds.

Since opening its Draper, Utah facility in 2014, LLPA has welcomed more than 10 million visitors and delivered over 650,000 educational experiences to students. Home to over 4,000 animals representing 650 species, the Aquarium features immersive habitats from around the world, including coral reefs, kelp forests, the deep ocean, Antarctic waters, tropical rainforests, Asian cloud forests, and Utah’s freshwater ecosystems.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2019, LLPA is in an exciting phase of growth. With the opening of the Sam and Aline Skaggs Science Learning Center, the Aquarium became the largest in the Mountain West and the fifth largest aquarium in the continental United States, offering expanded opportunities for education, research, and professional impact.

• Lead the event sales and event operations teams, establishing shared priorities, clear responsibilities, and accountability for departmental results.
• Develop and execute an annual department plan covering revenue growth, profitability, venue utilization, signature events, staffing, and operational improvement.
• Establish a coordinated process from initial inquiry and proposal through contracting, planning, execution, billing, and client follow-up.
• Build and manage the department’s budget, staffing structure, and resource plans.
• Hire, coach, develop, and evaluate department personnel; address performance concerns promptly and consistently.
• Develop managers and team leads who can direct daily work and execute events within established expectations and authority.

• Direct operational planning and execution for private events, public experiences, and signature events across the Aquarium campus.
• Oversee staffing, scheduling, production timelines, room configurations, equipment, vendors, setup, transitions, and breakdown.
• Ensure the department can execute multiple simultaneous events while maintaining service standards and appropriate staffing.
• Establish and maintain operating procedures, event plans, checklists, pre-event briefings, and post-event reviews.
• Maintain event venues in Show Ready condition through coordinated preparation, maintenance reporting, and presentation standards.
• Incorporate venue capacity, accessibility, guest circulation, parking, security, emergency preparedness, and animal welfare considerations into event plans.
• Provide visible leadership during major events and resolve operational issues effectively.
• Coordinate with Facilities, Security, Audio/Visual, Guest Services, Education, Zoological Operations, and other departments to confirm readiness and resource commitments.

• Direct the Event Sales Team and hold staff accountable for revenue goals, prospecting activity, lead response, conversion, client retention, and repeat bookings.
• Conduct regular pipeline reviews and maintain reliable booking forecasts.
• Lead pricing, packages, venue rental strategies, and contract negotiations within approved authority.
• Ensure proposals and contracts reflect operational capacity, staffing requirements, service standards, and financial objectives.
• Develop corporate, hospitality, tourism, convention, and community relationships that generate qualified business.
• Partner with Marketing to promote venues and event offerings through coordinated campaigns and sales materials.
• Participate directly in major client presentations, complex proposals, and strategic account relationships.
• Ensure sales commitments are documented, communicated, and fulfilled through effective coordination within the department.

• Own departmental revenue and expense budgets, forecasts, and overall event profitability.
• Evaluate event pricing and anticipated costs before commitments are finalized, protecting margins and ensuring resources are adequately funded.
• Monitor labor utilization, vendor expenses, equipment costs, and other direct event expenses.
• Work with Finance to maintain accurate reporting, billing coordination, and financial controls.
• Evaluate individual event results and the performance of the overall event portfolio.
• Report regularly to senior leadership on revenue, bookings, pipeline, profitability, venue utilization, client satisfaction, and operational performance.
• Recommend corrective action when financial or service results fall below expectations.

• Lead the development, planning, execution, and evaluation of signature events, festivals, seasonal celebrations, and public experiences.
• Build business and operating plans for proposed events, including audience, revenue assumptions, expenses, staffing, capacity, and measures of success.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Education, Zoological Operations, and other departments to create experiences that support the Aquarium’s mission and brand.
• Ensure creative concepts are financially responsible, operationally feasible, and supported by appropriate resources.
• Use attendance, financial results, guest feedback, and operational findings to improve future offerings.

• Establish and uphold exceptional standards for client communication, hospitality, service recovery, and guest experience.
• Serve as the primary departmental liaison with the Aquarium’s Food & Beverage partner, coordinating service delivery, event requirements, and financial performance.
• Maintain productive relationships with vendors, production partners, entertainers, and other service providers.
• Resolve escalated client concerns and use feedback to strengthen service and repeat business.
• Reinforce the Aquarium’s Five Keys: Safety, Courtesy, Show, Education, and Efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, event management, business administration, operations management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in event operations, venue management, hospitality, or event production, including substantial leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience directly leading both event operations and a sales or booking team, with accountability for departmental financial results.
• Substantial responsibility for planning, staffing, and executing complex events; experience must extend beyond selling or booking event space.
• Experience managing a multi-million-dollar event or hospitality business, including revenue targets, operating budgets, forecasting, and profitability.
• Proven ability to oversee multiple simultaneous events and coordinate resources across multiple departments.
• Experience establishing sales goals, reviewing pipelines, coaching sales staff, and developing new business.
• Strong working knowledge of event logistics, labor planning, vendor coordination, technical production requirements, and venue readiness.
• Experience hiring, developing, and managing teams and addressing performance issues.
• Sound judgment, strong financial skills, and the ability to make timely decisions under pressure.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as event schedules require.

• Experience in an aquarium, zoo, museum, theme park, convention center, resort, or other destination attraction or complex event venue.
• Experience overseeing both private events and high-attendance public events.
• Experience developing and growing signature events or seasonal experiences.
• Experience coordinating contracted Food & Beverage services.
• Experience using event management and customer relationship management systems to improve sales visibility, operational coordination, and reporting.

Physical Demands of the Job:

While this job description attempts to describe the essential functions of the position, it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. It does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties or responsibilities to this job at any time. The overall work environment while doing this job includes exposure to weather conditions and the noise level is usually moderate. The employee is expected to adhere to all policies and to act as a role model in adherence to the policies.

The Living Planet Aquarium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We do not discriminate based on age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or military status. The Living Planet Aquarium is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application and interview process.