Event Project Manager - Europe

Rate: c. £400/day outside IR35 full time

Timing: Immediate interviews and start

Location: Flexible – within Europe, Geneva helpful

We are seeking an experienced event Project Manager to support the delivery of a high-profile three-day corporate exhibition spanning approximately 100,000 sq ft, featuring around 300 exhibitors and welcoming more than 12,000 delegates in May 2026. Working closely with the Project Director, you will be instrumental in translating strategy into action - driving day-to-day planning, coordination, and delivery across multiple workstreams. This is a hands-on role for someone who excels at staying close to the action, resolving challenges in real time, and ensuring the programme is delivered to the highest standard, with European travel required as part of the role. The creative direction has largely been set, and what is needed now is an experienced events Project Manager to support the Project Director in driving the successful event implementation. A hands-on style is required bringing energy, proactivity, pace and diligence. You must have strong communication skills, be able to work with trust and autonomy and be an excellent team player. The role is managing the event execution directly from the client side through workstream suppliers, and is not using a professional conference organising (PCO) company. Being based in Geneva would be a distinct advantage (but not essential), as is having preferably French or German business language fluency. Likely some UK (Surrey) location work also, but otherwise a hybrid approach is possible. Foreign travel expenses from a base office will be reimbursed on top of day rate.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day planning and delivery across creative, production, logistics, marketing, commercial, and operations workstreams.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, and budgets, proactively monitoring progress and addressing risks and issues.
• Provide visible, on-the-ground coordination and leadership, supporting suppliers and internal teams to maintain momentum and deliver against milestones.
• Facilitate strong communication and collaboration across teams, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and delivery plans.
• Support procurement processes, supplier onboarding, and contract delivery to achieve best-value outcomes.
• Oversee operational readiness and onsite delivery, ensuring the delegate and exhibitor experience meets commercial and strategic goals.
• Manage risk, issue, and change processes throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring timely escalation and resolution.
• Maintaining all project documentation for all workstreams, including suppliers.

Skills required:

• Proven experience project managing large-scale commercial exhibitions or corporate events, ideally involving thousands of delegates and complex stakeholder landscapes.
• Comprehensive understanding of the event lifecycle, from planning and creative development to onsite execution.
• Strong project management skills, including scheduling, budgeting, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Hands-on project leadership style, comfortable working close to delivery and solving challenges in real time.
• Excellent communication, organisational, and collaboration skills, with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel within Europe as required during planning and delivery.

About the client organisation: With a history spanning more than four decades, the organisation represents and supports a diverse network of companies across Europe, advocating for sustainable growth, operational excellence, and innovation in a highly specialised sector. It connects hundreds of member organisations through events, working groups, and collaborative initiatives, fostering knowledge-sharing, best practices, and positive regulatory development. The organisation is the driving force behind Europe's leading annual industry exhibition - a dynamic event that brings together thousands of delegates, hundreds of exhibitors, and key decision-makers from across the ecosystem.

Must have the following to apply:

• Proven large event project management experience
• Experience aligned with 300 exhibitors, 100,000 sq ft and 12k delegates over 3 days
• Minimal non-working time planned between now and the event and be available at the event in May 2026.
• Full workstream experience
• Superb communication skills and hugely positive, proactive and pacey approach with detailed documentation skills and planning.

Please do not apply if:

• You are an IT or other non-event project manager. We need event delivery experience.
• You do not have 3+ events under your belt as a project manager
• You are not willing to travel to Geneva frequently and for the event itself, or be based there
• You are not hands on and require a PCO to be successful

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 1. Applications must only be made via the link in this advertisement and NOT through other channels such as emails, mobile, socials, scheduling calls from our PRO PMs website booking tool or calling us via PRO PMs website contact details. 2. We guarantee that every CV application will be viewed, assessed fairly and as such, please do not call for a status. 3. Once an initial shortlist has been established, we do however guarantee to provide accurate feedback once any conversations have commenced with any candidates, and we are very transparent and timely about status and progress from that point forwards. 4. Initiating direct contact will not benefit your application, it detracts on time for all and would introduce a bias into the process which we do not support. It can negatively affect your application as these instructions are clear. This is to assist all applicants and the client in a swift efficient sourcing process to find the highest calibre contractor suited for the stated requirements.