Event Travel Consultant

FCM Meetings and Events was born out of the evolution of the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) family of brands. As one of the world’s largest travel agencies, Flight Centre’s footprint spans across 95+ countries and encompasses over 30 brands of corporate and leisure services. We’ve been in the event game since 1986, connecting people across the globe and bringing their visions to life.

We pride ourselves in being able to offer a level of flexibility and customization that is not common amongst our competitors. Our people are out of the box thinkers and problem solvers, helping create memories that will leave a lasting impact.

Our services include: Event Management (Live, Virtual & Hybrid Events), Event Travel, Event Technology, Venue Sourcing & Strategic Meetings Management

To learn more about FCM Meetings & Events please click HERE

About The Opportunity

Are you passionate about event coordination and travel management? This exciting role offers you the chance to be at the heart of event execution, ensuring seamless travel arrangements for attendees and contributing to the success of each event. You will play a crucial part in the Event Travel Team and Event Management Team, supporting them in the execution and reconciliation of event travel.

This position demands strong problem-solving and analytical skills, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively and efficiently under pressure. As a key contributor, you will report weekly to the leaders on assigned teams regarding the status of workflows across multiple jobs. Additionally, you will provide daily/weekly updates to the Event Management Lead or Lead Ticketer on specific event tasks, and quarterly reports to the Team Leader focusing on competencies, growth, development, and Brightness of Future.

The role is primarily office-based, offering the benefit of a non-travel position. However, occasional onsite travel may be required as backup depending on client needs and specific events. This opportunity emphasizes personal and professional development, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. If you are looking to drive success in a dynamic environment and enhance your career, this is the perfect role for you!

This is a full-time position. Typical workdays and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist event attendees with booking flights, accommodation, and ground transportation as needed. Ensure travel is ticketed accurately and adheres to event travel policies and restrictions.
• Responsible for the booking status of event attendees, ensuring everyone is booked by the event deadline.
• Liaise between the attendee and meeting planner for approval on policy exceptions, special requests, and deviations.
• Accurately document internal notes in a timely fashion and format notes in line with meeting management software.
• Maintain effective and customer-focused communication throughout the event with all stakeholders, responding to client and delegate inquiries professionally within agreed timeframes.
• Communicate thoroughly internally with lead planners, project teams, and the Event Management Lead OR Lead Ticketer regarding workflow within event-specific tasks.
• Assist with pre-event admin tasks and business-related tasks to keep the business operating.
• Participate in available training opportunities directed by your Business Leader and keep competency, growth, and development top of mind always.
• Take an interest in individual "Brightness of Future."
• Ensure compliance with federal and provincial employment laws, regulations, and company policies.
• Demonstrate constructive conflict resolution skills to ensure a positive outcome for all involved, maintaining objectivity and seeing the big picture rather than reacting emotionally.
• Think through all potential scenarios that could impact the integrity of the overall event or a specific component being managed by the Coordinator.
• Probe for further information or greater understanding of a problem, using data effectively to improve reporting and manifests, including looking at lists and summaries, identifying patterns, analyzing results, and making recommendations to others.
• Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives, being able to build consensus and work effectively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced collaborative environment.
• Set goals/deadlines daily and work to exceed them, being hard-working, time-efficient, showing initiative and diligence.
• Maintain a calm and positive attitude during busy and sometimes stressful activities, identifying customer's needs and going above and beyond, ensuring client retention by exceeding client expectations in understanding/anticipating travel needs and preferences, responding quickly and proactively to requests and solving complaints/issues.
• Provide outstanding professional service by exceeding all client/delegate expectations, maintaining a friendly, professional, positive attitude when engaging with clients.
• Exhibit passion for the business and company, encouraging a sense of enjoyment in the workplace.
• Break goals down into achievable milestones, recognizing and celebrating team members' contributions, maintaining a high-level team spirit, commitment, and enthusiasm.

Experience & Qualifications

• Must have GDS experience; Sabre experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Previous experience in travel management, demonstrating high-touch service. 
• Strong Power BI skills for reporting, particularly for workflow management and analytical insights.
• Proficiency with C-vent for event coordination, rooming management, and attendee tracking.
• Education: High School
• Experience in service-oriented industry with a focus on building and maintaining strong relationships.
• Consistently looking to achieve results, even under tough circumstances, positively receiving feedback to improve performance, recognizing and acting on opportunities for personal and professional development, being self-motivated, enthusiastic, and willing to learn.
• Be ambitious with a desire to be successful and achieve, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm, holding an optimistic view, being persistent and self-driven.
• Take ownership for success and failures.
• Ability to create, manage, analyze, and cross-check data reports for accuracy.
• Demonstrate proficiency for managing workload, focusing on details to ensure accuracy and minimize risk; strong knowledge of fares, products, and systems with the desire to continue learning.
• Ability to prioritize a large volume of tasks that are simultaneously assigned and work on multiple tasks at the same time, completing them within required time frames and quality standards.
• Ability to work efficiently and collaboratively with others, responsive and accountable to deadlines, adapting well to changing needs.
• Be innovative, agile, and resourceful, actively seeking opportunities to improve and addressing potential problems immediately while communicating with the manager, taking ownership of solutions.
• Excellent organizational skills with unparalleled attention to detail, always checking for accuracy and correctness, taking pride in the full completion of work.
• Positively embrace and accept change 100%, contributing to achieving financial goals, acting proactively, not reactively, and acting with honesty and integrity to create high trust relationships.

Work Perks! - What’s in it for you:

FCTG is renowned internationally for having amazing perks and an even better culture.  We understand that our people are our most valuable asset. It is the passion and dedication of our teams that keep the company on top of the industry ladder. It’s also why we offer some great employee benefits and perks outside of the norm.

• Have fun: At the heart of everything we do at Flight Centre is a desire to have fun.
• Reward & Recognition: Celebrate the success of yourself and others at our regular Buzz Nights and at the annual Global Gathering - You'll have to experience it to believe it!
• Use your smarts: Our people use their quick thinking, expertise, and tenacity to always figure things out.
• Love for travel: We were founded by people who wanted to travel and want others to do the same. That passion is something you can’t miss in our people or service.
• Personal connections: We are a big business founded on personal relationships.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through initiatives like Diversity Day (paid leave to observe a holiday or cultural celebration of your choice) Employee Resource Groups (Racial Equity, Gender Equity, LGBTQ2IA+, Accessibility, Environmental Justice), DEI education initiatives, and equitable practices, including regular equity assessments and inclusive recruitment protocols.
• A career, not a job: We offer genuine opportunities for people to grow and evolve
• We back our people all the way: We are strongly committed to supporting every single employee in their professional and personal development.
• Giving Back: Our Corporate Social Responsibility program supports nominated charities through volunteering and fundraising, complemented by our Office Environmental Program, LEED® Gold-certified office spaces, and 1 paid Volunteer Day per calendar year.

Benefits Include:

• Paid Time Off: A comprehensive time off package, including up to 15 vacation days (prorated upon hire and increasing to 20 days after 2 years of employment), 5 sick days, 3 personal days, 1 Diversity Day, 1 Volunteer Day, and 8 recognized holidays annually.
• Travel perks/discounts
• Health & Wellness Programs and Employee Financial Wellness Services
• National/International Award Nights and Conferences
• Health benefits including, medical, dental, vision, gender affirming care, and fertility care
• Insurance including hospital indemnity, AD&D, critical illness, long-term and short-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401k program with partial match
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Share Plan – Ability to purchase company stock on Australian Stock Exchange with partial company match, subject to terms and conditions
• Global career opportunities in a network of brands and businesses

*Vacation, Personal, and Sick time accrual rates will vary based on full-time or part-time employee status. Recognized Holidays are either paid time off or, if required to work due to job requirements, holiday pay rate, and may vary depending on state.

#LI-SC1#MTEV#LI-Onsite

Location – Chicago, IL

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for then APPLY NOW.

For this position, we anticipate offering an hourly pay rate of $26.44. Hourly rate is dependent on relevant factors, including experience, geographic location, and job requirements.

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.

Our number one philosophy? Our people. Flight Centre Travel Group USA’s promise is to provide an environment with equality of respect, dignity and opportunity for all our employees. We value an inclusive and supportive workplace which truly reflects the diversity of our society.

We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer committed to providing a barrier-free pathway throughout our recruitment process. We welcome accommodation requests to help make our hiring and onboarding experience as accessible as possible. Please advise us about accommodation needs at any point by contacting our Recruitment Team at careers@us.flightcentre.com

🏆 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards: Silver Winner for Accessibility and Inclusivity (2023)
🌟 GBTA WINiT: DEI Leadership Pinnacle Award (2023)
✈️ CHHR: 5-Star DE&I Employer (2023, 2024)
🌍 Seramount, FCTG Mexico : Member of the Global Inclusion Index (2023, 2024)
🏅 Newsweek: America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity (2024)