The posting
Job Title: Coordinator, Events & Experiences (Blackhawks Ice Center)
Department: Events & Experiences
Reports To: Manager, Events & Experiences
Location: This role is 100% in-person and will work from both the Blackhawks Ice Center and the offices at the United Center.
Hours: General office hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm / Monday - Friday. However, this role will regularly work outside of these hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, as the event schedule demands.
Status: Full-time, Exempt
# Direct Reports: None
Compensation: This role is budgeted to receive an annual salary of $50,000. This position is eligible to participate in the Company's annual discretionary bonus program.
The Ideal Candidate:
A highly organized, client-focused event professional who is ready to own the successful end-to-end execution of the growing event business at Blackhawks Ice Center (BIC). You anticipate needs before they arise, take genuine pride in flawless execution, and understand that a well-run event is a sales tool - every client touchpoint is an opportunity to build lasting value for BIC.
Role Overview:
The Coordinator, Events & Experiences (BIC) independently owns the event program at Blackhawks Ice Center. This role is the strategist and decision-maker for assigned events from booking confirmation through post-event analysis - setting event scope, managing budgets, selecting and negotiating with vendors, and resolving issues without prior approval within established parameters. Embedded within the broader Blackhawks Events & Experiences team, this Coordinator also shapes the operating standards for BIC events and supports the department on marquee events hosted at the facility.
How You'll Contribute:
Event Program Ownership
- Independently plan and lead events at BIC, including corporate tournaments, private parties, space rentals, partner activations, and community events
- Determine event scope, format, timelines, floorplans, and staffing needs for each event; adjust plans as client and business needs change within established parameters
- Serve as the on-site decision-maker for assigned events, directing venue partners, vendors, and event staff and resolving issues in real time
- Manage the BIC master event calendar and make space allocation and sequencing decisions to maximize facility use and avoid conflicts
Budget & Vendor Management
- Build and manage budgets for assigned events; approve expenditures within delegated authority and reconcile actuals to budget
- Source, evaluate, select, and negotiate with third-party vendors, including catering, décor, A/V, and entertainment partners, and commit the organization within delegated authority
- Identify cost savings and margin opportunities and recommend changes to event pricing and packages to the Events & Experiences leadership team
Operating Standards & Client Relations
- Develop and maintain operating procedures, checklists, and quality standards for BIC events in alignment with department standards
- Serve as the primary client contact throughout the planning process; advise clients on event design and options, and approve scope changes within established guidelines
- Align resources and responsibilities with internal teams and operating partners, including American Sports Entertainment Company (ASEC), One Off Hospitality, and arena operations
Large-Scale Event & Sales Support
- Support the Events & Experiences team on large-scale events hosted at BIC (e.g., Blackhawks Hall of Fame, NHL Content Day, 1871 Tech Summit), leading assigned workstreams and on-site client liaison
- Partner with BIC sales leadership so event execution reinforces the sales effort; analyze post-event results and client feedback and recommend improvements to offerings and renewal strategies
Player Stats & Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, hospitality, or related field, or equivalent experience
- 2+ years of experience in event coordination, venue operations, or hospitality - sports, entertainment, or arena venue experience preferred
- Experience independently managing events end-to-end, including budgets and vendor negotiation
- Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple events simultaneously across varying scales
- Strong interpersonal and client-facing communication skills; comfortable as the primary point of contact and advisor for corporate and private clients
- Sound independent judgment; comfortable making real-time decisions under pressure
- Proficiency with event management tools, Microsoft Office Suite, and basic project management platforms
- Willing and able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays consistent with event schedules
- Demonstrates our organizational values of integrity, curiosity, empathy, collaboration, and originality
The Chicago Blackhawks is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, religion or religious creed, color, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, local law, ordinance, or regulation and will not be discriminated against on these bases. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.
What It’s Like Working Here:
The Chicago Blackhawks experience isn’t just on the ice. Our office, located in the United Center, promotes a fun, engaging, fast-paced and collaborative atmosphere where we can celebrate both hockey and each other. Our commitment to curating an environment where all individuals feel empowered to bring their best self to work each day can be seen throughout our organization. Whether you are a job seeker looking to join the organization, a current member of our amazing team, or someone looking to help support our mission, our goal is the same – to reimagine the potential of hockey through memorable, inclusive experiences.
Perks and Benefits:
Competitive total rewards package, full benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401k matching, paid life insurance), employee assistance program (EAP), comprehensive PTO package, social events, volunteer opportunities, and learning and development. Employer-paid breakfast, lunch, parking, on-site gym and training classes, employee ticket program, and more.
The Team:
The Chicago Blackhawks started their journey as one of the NHL’s “Original Six” professional ice hockey teams in 1926. Members of the Central Division in the NHL’s Western Conference and six-time Stanley Cup Champions (1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, 2015), the team calls the United Center home.
Each day the Team works to uphold our mission to reimagine the potential of hockey. At its core, the team and greater organization uphold its mission through its core values centered around integrity, curiosity, empathy, collaboration, and originality. They are fiercely dedicated to evolving and delivering new and legendary fan experiences and captivating new and diverse audiences, both on and off the ice. As part of their unwavering commitment to drive impact and purpose in the Chicago community, the organization opened the Fifth Third Arena - now Blackhawks Ice Center (the team’s official practice facility and community space for youth hockey development), continues to make expansions to the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, and acquired the AHL team the Rockford IceHogs.
The Chicago Blackhawks continue to grow in its commitments to honor and celebrate Black Hawk's legacy by offering our platforms, making meaningful contributions, collaborating with Native American people, and reimagining ways to support the many Native American people and communities they live amongst and alongside. They engage in this work through their formal partnership with Black Hawk’s ancestral tribe, the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, which the tribe established with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021.
