Events Manager - 2027 AVCA Conference

ABOUT THE ROLE

Location: London, United Kingdom

Working Hours: Part-time (4-day/week)

Contract Type: Six-month fixed-term contract - 2027 AVCA Conference only

Reports To: Head of Business Operations and Finance

Direct Reports: Management of temporary event staff, volunteers and contractors as required

Right to Work: Right to work in the UK is required

Travel: International travel required

About AVCA

The African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) is the pan-African industry body championing private capital investment in Africa. AVCA acts as a trusted independent source of information, insight and intelligence, connecting, equipping and educating investors, fund managers, advisors, entrepreneurs, professional services firms and other stakeholders across the private capital ecosystem.

As a member organisation, AVCA creates value through advocacy, data and intelligence, community building and capacity building. Through its flagship conferences, summits, roundtables, training programmes and networking platforms, AVCA plays a leading role in convening the African private capital ecosystem and showcasing the impact of private capital investment across the continent.

About the Role

The Events Manager will lead the end-to-end planning, operational delivery and post-event close-out of the 2027 AVCA Annual Conference, AVCA's flagship convening for the African private capital industry.This is a six-month fixed-term role created specifically for the 2027 Conference. The postholder will take ownership of the conference delivery plan and coordinate all operational workstreams from mobilisation through onsite delivery and final reconciliation.

The role is project-focused and will conclude once the agreed post-conference reporting, supplier reconciliation, documentation and handover activities have been completed.Reporting to the Head of Business Operations & Finance, the Events Manager will ensure that the conference is delivered to a consistently high standard, on time, within budget and in line with AVCA's strategic priorities, brand and reputation.The post holder will manage the critical path across venue, production, registration, delegate experience, sponsors, speakers, suppliers, digital platforms, onsite operations and post-event closure.

The role requires an experienced event professional who can join an established team, gain momentum quickly and provide clear leadership throughout an intensive delivery cycle.The Events Manager will be working alongside an Event Associate, and will manage and coordinate temporary event staff, volunteers and contractors as required for the conference.

Key Responsibilities

1. 2027 Conference Planning, Delivery and Review

• • Lead the end-to-end planning, delivery and post-event review of the 2027 AVCA Annual Conference, from mobilisation and detailed planning through onsite execution, close-out and handover.
  • Translate the approved conference objectives into a detailed project plan, critical path, responsibilities matrix and delivery schedule, ensuring dependencies and deadlines are understood across all workstreams.
  • Manage venue, logistics, production, registration, delegate materials, speaker support, onsite execution, issue resolution and structured post-event closure, including lessons learned and recommendations for future conferences.

2. Financial Management and Budget Control

• • Collaborate with the Head of Business Operations & Finance and relevant stakeholders in the management, monitoring and forecasting of the approved 2027 Conference budget.
  • Track conference income, expenditure, commitments, supplier costs and budget variances throughout the delivery cycle, maintaining accurate and timely records.
  • Lead post-conference financial reconciliation and identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency and value for money.

3. Delegate Experience and Event Engagement

• • Oversee the 2027 Conference delegate journey from registration through to post-event follow-up, ensuring clear communication and a high-quality attendee experience.
  • Manage registration systems, delegate data, conference platforms and engagement tools to support smooth participation before, during and after the event.
  • Collect and analyse delegate feedback, attendance data and engagement insights for inclusion in the post-conference report and handover.

4. Sponsor, Speaker and Stakeholder Coordination

• • Coordinate conference requirements for sponsors, speakers, members, partners and senior stakeholders, working closely with internal relationship owners.
  • Provide operational support to sponsor acquisition activity where required, including timely delivery of event information and inventory updates.
  • Manage sponsor fulfilment, speaker logistics, branding, visibility, session requirements and onsite support against agreed commitments.
  • Act as a professional point of contact for conference-related queries, escalating risks, decisions or issues promptly where appropriate.

5. Supplier, Vendor and Procurement Management

• • Lead procurement and coordination of conference suppliers, including venue, AV, production, catering, registration, design, print, transport and other event services.
  • Prepare supplier briefs, obtain and evaluate quotations, support contract negotiation and manage delivery against agreed timelines, budgets and service levels.
  • Maintain complete supplier records and conduct post-conference vendor performance reviews to support handover and future planning.

6. Conference Governance, Risk and Compliance

• • Use and strengthen AVCA's conference SOPs, templates, checklists, trackers and delivery frameworks throughout the assignment.
  • Ensure the conference is planned and delivered in accordance with approved timelines, internal processes, delegated authorities, contractual obligations and governance requirements.
  • Maintain accurate conference documentation, including budgets, contracts, supplier records, attendee lists, workplans, decision logs, risk registers, incident records and post-event reports.

7. Digital Platforms, CRM and Automation

• • Oversee the operational use of AVCA's conference registration system, CRM workflows, conference app and delegate engagement platforms.
  • Work with internal teams and technology providers to maintain event data accuracy and improve registration, communications, reporting and automation across the 2027 Conference cycle.
  • Monitor platform readiness, adoption and engagement analytics; coordinate testing and issue resolution; and document recommendations for future delivery.

8. Team Leadership and Management

• • Lead the Events Associate for the duration of the contract, setting clear priorities, responsibilities and delivery expectations.
  • Coordinate responsibilities across the conference project team and provide day-to-day guidance, feedback, quality control and timely escalation.
  • Recruit or coordinate, brief and manage temporary staff, volunteers and contractors to ensure effective resourcing and smooth onsite delivery.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• • Degree or equivalent professional experience in events management, business, marketing, communications or a related discipline.
  • At least 5 years' experience in events management, including direct responsibility for delivering large conferences, summits or similarly complex multi-stakeholder events.
  • Proven experience managing multi-day and multi-stream major events through its full lifecycle, including project planning, budgeting, logistics, supplier management, registration, delegate communications, sponsorcoordination, onsite delivery and post-event reporting.
  • Experience managing substantial event budgets, commitments, income and expenditure, with strong financial reconciliation and variance-control skills.
  • Experience managing or supervising staff and coordinating contractors, volunteers or cross-functional project teams.
  • Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to take ownership of a live conference plan, manage competing workstreams and meet immovable deadlines.
  • Strong supplier and vendor management experience, including procurement, negotiation and performance monitoring.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • High level of attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills, including experience working with senior executives, members, sponsors, speakers and partners.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and productivity and work-planning tools/applications.
  • Experience using CRM, event registration, email marketing or event management platforms.
  • Experience managing conference apps, digital engagement platforms or virtual event tools.
  • Ability to work independently, integrate quickly into an established team and deliver effectively in a fast-paced international environment.
  • Flexibility to work outside standard hours at key delivery points and willingness to travel internationally for the conference and related site activity.

Desirable but not essential

• • Experience working in a membership organisation, professional association, financial services, investment, private equity, venture capital or international development environment.
  • Experience delivering major conferences in Africa or other emerging markets.
  • Experience using Salesforce, Fonteva, Jujama, Asana, WordPress, Mailchimp or similar systems.
  • Understanding of private capital, investment, financial markets or Africa-focused business ecosystems.
  • French language skills and/or experience delivering events in Francophone markets would be an advantage, particularly for coordinating with venues, suppliers, delegates, speakers and local partners.

Success Factors

• • Highly organised and delivery-focused, with the ability to gain momentum quickly and maintain control of a complex conference plan, deadlines and dependencies.
  • Commercially aware and financially disciplined, with strong budget control, supplier negotiation and value-for-money judgement.
  • Calm, proactive and solutions-oriented, particularly during live event delivery when issues must be resolved quickly and professionally.
  • Confident in stakeholder and vendor management, including working with senior speakers, sponsors, members, venues and international suppliers.
  • A capable and pragmatic team leader who can provide clarity, quality control and support to the Events Associate, contractors and event support staff throughout a time-bound assignment.

Remuneration and Contract

This is a full-time, six-month fixed-term contract. Competitive remuneration will be offered, commensurate with experience, with applicable benefits provided on a pro-rata basis.

Application Process

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role, your notice period and your availability to undertake the six-month contract to admin@avca.africa by close of business on 18th September 2026.

Email subject: Application - Events Manager, 2027 AVCA Conference

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.