Department: Industry Engagement 

Employment Type: Full Time / Hybrid / Term (3-year fixed term contract)

Language Designation: English Essential

Posting Close Date: 18 May 2026

About Destination Canada

Tourism is the heartbeat of communities from coast to coast to coast. At Destination Canada, our aspiration for the tourism industry is to generate wealth and wellbeing for all of Canada and enrich the lives of our guests. Our mission is to influence supply and build demand for the benefit of locals, communities and visitors through leading research, alignment with public and private sectors, and marketing Canada nationally and abroad. We seek diverse, ingenious thinkers teeming with intellectual curiosity and a deep desire to grow Canada’s tourism industry – strengthening the socio-cultural, environmental and economic vitality tourism brings to Canada.

About the role:

At Destination Canada, events are strategic platforms that bring Canada to life on the global stage. From immersive brand activations to high-impact industry gatherings, our events connect partners, showcase the country’s diverse tourism offerings, and create meaningful opportunities that drive visitation and growth.

Reporting to the Event Director, the Event Specialist plays a key role in bringing these experiences to life. This is a hands-on, fast-paced position for someone who thrives on coordination, execution, and seeing complex plans come together seamlessly. The role supports project coordination, logistical planning, vendor management, budget tracking, and stakeholder engagement across a diverse portfolio of events. You will work closely with teams across the organization and help ensure every detail contributes to a polished, on-brand experience.

Whether independently delivering smaller-scale events or providing operational and logistical support for large, high-profile initiatives, you will help translate plans into well-executed experiences. This is an opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio spanning leisure travel, business events, and corporate initiatives, and to contribute to work that directly supports Canada’s tourism industry.

Key accountabilities

Event Coordination and Delivery

• Supports the operational execution and delivery of approved event plans for signature, high-value events.
• Plans, project manages, and executes events of varying scope, including independently delivering smaller-scale events within established frameworks and approved budgets.
• Develops and maintains timelines and critical paths.
• Coordinates event logistics including hotels, venues, AV, catering, registration, décor, transportation and signage.
• Coordinates operational elements related to event technology platforms such as registration systems, event websites or mobile event applications.
• Coordinates partner and client engagement logistics delivered through events, including meetings, hosted programs and marketplace participation.
• Prepares event briefs, run-of-show documents, planning tools and operational checklists.
• Coordinates specific event components (e.g., registration, speaker logistics, production elements).
• Travels on-site as required to support event delivery.

Vendor and Agency Coordination

• Liaises with event agencies, contractors and suppliers.
• Supports vendor sourcing, RFP processes and contract coordination.
• Tracks vendor deliverables and timelines.
• Reviews invoices for accuracy and alignment with approved budgets.
• Provides input on vendor performance, cost considerations and service delivery to support effective vendor management and cost efficiencies.
• Escalates complex vendor issues or negotiations to the Event Manager or Event Director.

Budget Tracking and Financial Administration

• Tracks event budgets and expenditures.
• Identifies budget variances and provides input and recommendations to support budget management, cost efficiencies and financial planning.
• Maintains financial documentation and forecasting tools.
• Coordinates procurement documentation including contracts, purchase orders and amendments.
• Supports financial reporting and reconciliation processes.
• Ensures compliance with Destination Canada policies related to travel, hospitality, food & beverage expenditures.

Stakeholder and Internal Coordination

• Acts as liaison between business units and event delivery teams.
• Coordinates with creative, brand, communications, translation, procurement and finance teams.
• Supports executive-level logistics including briefing materials, scheduling and run-of-show coordination.
• Maintains project tracking systems and event documentation.

Brand Alignment and Operational Best Practices

• Ensures events align with Destination Canada brand standards and corporate guidelines.
• Supports sustainability and accessibility integration in event planning.
• Contributes to shared tools, templates and operational resources used across the Events team.
• Assists with post-event evaluations and documentation of operational learnings.

Operational Improvement

• Provides operational feedback to Event Manager and Event Director to support continuous improvement.
• Identifies opportunities to improve processes, coordination and efficiency across event delivery.
• Supports implementation of new tools, technologies or operational practices within the Events portfolio, including leveraging AI tools and technologies.
• Maintains awareness of event industry trends and technologies relevant to event delivery.

What you need

• Graduation from a recognized college or university in Marketing, Event Management, Business Administration, Tourism, Hospitality or other relevant discipline or an acceptable combination of education, training and experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in event planning or coordination, including:
  • Coordinating event logistics and working with vendors, venues and third-party suppliers,
  • Tracking event budgets and supporting financial reconciliation,
  • Developing timelines, run-of-show documents or event briefs, and
  • Supporting trade shows, conferences, meetings, or brand activations.
• Experience working in cross-functional or complex stakeholder environments.
• Knowledge of event, meeting and trade show planning processes and operational logistics.
• Understanding of project management principles and planning tools, including financial and administrative tracking.
• Ability to utilize and leverage workplace technology, including MS Office Suite, Google Workspace, project management tools, and AI-enabled productivity tools and technology, to enhance workflow efficiency
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, timelines and deliverables simultaneously.
• Ability to coordinate event logistics with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with internal teams, vendors and stakeholders
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues, suppliers and partners.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Sound judgment in identifying operational risks or issues and escalating them appropriately.
• Ability to troubleshoot logistical challenges and identify practical solutions during event planning and delivery.
• Cultural awareness, professionalism and discretion when working with diverse stakeholders and supporting high-profile events.

It would be great if you also had

• CMP designation (Certified Meeting Planner) or equivalent professional certification is an asset
• Familiarity with procurement and financial processes in a corporate or public sector environment
• Experience in the tourism industry and/or knowledge of the Canadian tourism industry and related stakeholders
• Familiarity and/or experience working with event management platforms, event websites, and mobile event apps
• Proficiency and/or familiarity with Asana
• Awareness of event industry trends and technologies, including AI tools and technologies
• French/English bilingualism

Compensation

Salary range: $80,213 - $100,267

Within the range, the base pay offered is determined by multiple factors, including job-related skills and relevant education/experience. Please note starting salaries for new hires typically fall between the minimum and mid-point of the range, to support internal equity and allow room for progression as employees grow and excel in their roles. The range above reflects base pay only and does not include the competitive at-risk pay program and benefits that we offer!

Our total rewards offering is designed to support your health, wellbeing, and life outside of work. In addition to base salary, you’ll have access to:

• Extended health and dental benefits
• A defined contribution pension plan
• A minimum of 3 weeks’ vacation
• 5 paid days for personal and family needs each year
• 1 paid wellbeing day per year
• Generous maternity and parental leave top-up
• An employee and family assistance program
• Flexible working options, including a hybrid model and compressed workweek
• Support towards your professional growth with learning and development opportunities, mentorship, and more.

Things you should know:

• This role follows a hybrid work arrangement, where work is performed onsite at least 3 days per week. Please note the work arrangement is subject to change.
• This is a three-year term role, with a fixed end date.
• This is a unionized role
• This role requires occasional travel to support on-site event coordination and delivery
• Overtime may be required during peak event planning and delivery periods.