Manager, Venue Procurement
EmeraldThe Venue Procurement Manager supports the strategic sourcing, contracting, administration, and ongoing management of hotel and venue agreements across the organization's event portfolio. Working closely with the venue procurement team, event operations teams, third-party sourcing and housing partners, hotel and venue representatives, Legal, Finance, and other internal stakeholders, this role manages the day-to-day procurement workflow from sourcing through contract execution and post-contract administration. The position serves as a key operational extension of the venue procurement team, independently managing routine procurement activities and negotiations while escalating material financial, contractual, operational, or risk-related matters. Key Responsibilities Contract Review & Negotiation Review hotel, venue, and room-block agreements against approved organizational contracting standards and templates. Manage routine contract negotiations with hotels, venues, and third-party sourcing partners. Review key business terms including room rates, room blocks, concessions, commissions, rebates, attrition, cancellation, rate protection, construction/renovation provisions, and other commercial terms. Identify deviations from established contract standards and escalate material exceptions to the Director of Venue Procurement and/or Legal as appropriate. Coordinate revisions, redlines, and clean agreements through final approval. Procurement & Sourcing Support Support hotel and venue sourcing initiatives across assigned events. Prepare and distribute RFPs and organize proposals and responses for review. Develop comparison summaries highlighting rates, concessions, financial terms, contractual obligations, and significant areas of risk. Conduct initial negotiations and follow-up with venues and sourcing partners. Maintain sourcing documentation and decision history. Contract Administration & Quality Control Serve as the primary quality-control checkpoint before contracts are escalated for final approval. Confirm approved commercial terms are accurately incorporated into final agreements. Track contract status, outstanding redlines, approvals, deadlines, and next actions. Coordinate signature routing and maintain executed contract documentation. Manage routine amendments and room block adjustments within established approval parameters. Third-Party & Hotel Partner Management Serve as a day-to-day point of contact for hotel partners, cvb partners, sourcing agencies, and housing providers. Monitor outstanding deliverables and drive timely responses and contract turnaround. Ensure third-party partners follow established procurement procedures, templates, and contracting standards. Resolve routine issues independently and escalate significant negotiations or exceptions to the Director. Financial & Commercial Administration Review contracted commissions, rebates, and other financial concessions for accuracy. Maintain visibility into contracted financial terms and supporting documentation. Coordinate with housing and sourcing partners regarding commission/rebate reporting and documentation. Support reconciliation, audit, and reporting initiatives as needed. Process & Portfolio Management Maintain contract templates, negotiation playbooks, SOPs, and procurement tools. Track assigned sourcing and contracting projects and proactively identify items requiring action. Maintain standardized documentation and contract records. Identify recurring negotiation issues and recommend improvements to templates and processes. Support development of preferred terms and repeat-use agreements with strategic hotel partners. Qualifications 5+ years of experience in venue sourcing, hotel sales, hospitality operations, meeting planning, or procurement. Strong understanding of hotel contracts, room blocks, attrition, cancellation, concession management, and group housing practices. Demonstrated experience utilizing Cvent technology solutions, including sourcing…