Category Archives: Casting Call

Events Director 

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) seeks a dynamic director to set and execute EdTA’s event strategy including planning, budgeting, and managing all aspects of national member events such as the International Thespian Festival and EdTA National Conference. Manages department staff and budget.

About Us:  The Educational Theatre Association is an international nonprofit association with more than 139,000 active members.  EdTA’s mission is shaping lives through theatre education: honoring student achievement in theatre; supporting teachers by providing professional development, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills. EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society, an honorary organization established at nearly 5,000 schools, that has inducted more than 2.4 million theatre students since its founding in 1929. EdTA also produces the International Thespian Festival and publishes Dramatics magazine in print and online for high school theatre students, and Teaching Theatre, a journal for theatre education professionals. The Educational Theatre Foundation is the philanthropic arm of EdTA.

Job Responsibilities:

• Oversees all planning and logistics for these two events throughout the year. Sets and manages revenue and expense budgets, conducts site visits, books venues/catering, logistics, etc.
• Prepares master schedule for event, assigns events staff responsibilities and oversees activities; tracks progress toward completion of all tasks and processes including registration, artist recruitment, scheduling, logistics, communications, materials/supplies, and other processes for each event.
• Oversees program scheduling, including teaching artists, workshops, auditions, and one-acts, adjudications, etc.
• Oversees housing arrangements and ticketing process.
• Manages the International Thespian Excellence Awards program (Thespys), including adjudication and on-site logistics.
• Plans and coordinates evening entertainment events.
• Selects vendors for shipping equipment and materials for event; coordinates pre-, during, and post-event loading, unloading and storage. Selects vendors for other event needs, such as registration bags and badges, T-shirts, and awards.
• Serves as on-site event manager and as primary contact with venue.  Proactively handles issues and troubleshoots emerging problems.
• Coordinate events feedback processes for continuous improvement, attendee satisfaction, and staff efficiency.
• Identifies and implements growth opportunities within existing events and through potential new launches that further EdTA’s mission.

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.
• Minimum 7 – 10 years if proven hands-on event planning experience.  Previous experience planning business or education conferences, and performing arts conferences or events are a plus.
• Theatre knowledge/experience is a plus.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Strong leadership skills and ability to see the big picture and meet strategic objectives for membership festival and conference events.  Vision for developing new programs and events that serve the association’s mission.
• Exceptional project and process management skills.  Ability to successfully manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously with an eye for details under sometimes aggressive timelines.  Ability to reimagine processes to improve efficiency and/or customer experience.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Strong business acumen, organization and time management skills, and attention to detail.
• Proven track record of managing event budgets, and meeting or exceeding revenue goals.
• Must be diplomatic and able to interact well with co-workers, event venue staff, vendors and association members.
• Proven ability to maintain and cultivate internal and external professional relationships, always showing respect for a diverse constituency of staff, volunteers, and members.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to think and work independently and use creative thinking to solve problems.
• Ability to stay clam in a crisis and be flexible when problems arise.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, project management software, and event technologies such as registration platforms and mobile event apps.  Familiarity with association management software (or CRM software) is a plus.  Ability to learn new software applications with relative ease.

Please submit cover letter and resume by email (Subject line: Events Director 2019-93) to:  HRManager@schooltheatre.org

First consideration will be given to applications received by 10/28/19.