Event Production consultant (1 post)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

Efficient, timely, responsive, and high-quality event organized and run in a smooth, seamless manner. Frequent communication maintained with the organizers, presenters and partners as well as with the technical officers at the UN venue to keep them updated and alerted of any issues that may emerge throughout the preparation. Innovation and creativity expressed through advice and suggestions for improvements to be made to the event running for 2024 and future World Wildlife Day events.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

2 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between states. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival (www.cites.org). The CITES Secretariat is administered by UN Environment Programme and is located at the Geneva Duty Station.

This assignment is part of the CITES Secretariat’s work under the Outreach and Projects Unit (OPU), and will involve supporting the planning and production of the high-level event of the UN World Wildlife Day 2024 (https://wildlifeday.org), which will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York City, New York, USA, on 4 March 2024, 10:00-13:00 EST/GMT-5. Under the theme “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation,” the World Wildlife Day 2024 celebrations will aim to raise awareness on the latest applications of digital technologies in wildlife conservation and trade and the impact on ecosystems and communities around the world of certain digital interventions.

The three-hour event will take place in the Trusteeship Council room or the ECOSOC Chamber (tbc) and will be in-person (no hybrid connections) with simultaneous interpretation and live streaming to a global audience.

The event includes an address from the high-level representatives of UN organisations and specialized agencies, followed by segments organized and supported by the event partners (i.e., International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Jackson Wild, WildLabs, United Nations Development Programme and the CITES Secretariat). It will include participation and interventions by representatives of governments as well as stakeholders from various sectors of relevance to the theme, with considerations for regional and gender balance. Musical performances and video playbacks will also be used to ensure a dynamic and immersive event.

Under the supervision of Chief, Outreach and Projects Unit (OPU) and overall guidance from the CITES Secretary-General, and in close cooperation with the communications contractor, the consultant will:

1. Support the preparation of the World Wildlife Day 2024 high-level event: a. Provide guidance to the CITES Secretariat on the preliminary agenda, as well as the list of speakers, panelists, and performers, particularly from the perspective of logistical and practical arrangements; b. Participate in the (bi)weekly meetings of the organizing partners to keep abreast of the event content development, respond to queries and gather information; c. In consultation with the CITES Secretariat, design the layout of the event venue, including seating arrangements, taking into considering presenter requirements, movement of speakers/presenters, etc.; d. Based on the draft event script prepared by the CITES Secretariat, revise and prepare a full choreography (run of show) document including movements of speakers/presenters, transitions, intro/outro, etc.; e. Liaise with the DGACM special event coordinator, audiovisual technicians, interpreters, UN Web TV coordinators, UN Security, etc. to ensure that the requirements and specifications for the supporting materials (chairs, podium, graphic stills, videos, recorded speeches, rollup banners, posters, water, etc.) would be communicated to the organizing partners in a timely manner; ensure that the necessary audiovisual materials are collected and tested ahead of time; and f. Advise on communication, and any other aspects of the event to improve its participation and quality delivery.

2. Lead the event production and tend to all logistical requirements before and during the event: a. Serve as executive producer during the live event, with responsibility for the overall stage management implementation and delivery of the physical aspects of the event, including the rollout of audiovisual materials and the movement and roles of people on the floor; b. Collaborate with the CITES Secretariat staff and partners to define roles and responsibilities on the day of the event, and oversee their activities c. Liaise with on-site audiovisual team to ensure smooth transitions of the videos and projected audiovisual components, and ensure smooth interpretation and webcasting of the event on UN Web TV; d. Provide on-site support to speakers/participants, musical/artistic performances, organizers, staff and volunteers as appropriate; and e. Liaise with the relevant staff/personnel responsible for photographing the event to ensure the collection of footage for communication purposes.

3. Prepare and participate in a debrief with the CITES Secretary-General to provide feedback on successes and areas of improvement for future events.

Qualifications/special skills

University degree in arts, communications, social science or related area. Minimum 10 years’ experience in production and coordination of a wide range of high-level events and meetings for the UN. Demonstrated experience in designing, producing, and implementing high quality events with ability to respond to real time challenges. Familiarity with UN Protocol and coordination/facilitation of high-level representation including VIP relations. Excellent coordination skills with a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with partners and clients. Excellent coordination skills with a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with partners and clients. Experience with organizing events for Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) is desirable.

Languages

English, French and Spanish are the working languages of the CITES Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Working knowledge of one of the two other working languages is desirable.

Additional Information

Competencies: To successfully undertake this consultancy role the incumbent will demonstrate the competencies of:

PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to produce high quality work in the area of resource management in a UN context; ability to liaise with external stakeholders in governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; ability to compile, structure and condense information collected from various sources into professional, technically accurate, clearly written, and concise policy-relevant outputs; awareness of and respect for political sensitivities and cultural differences

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed; skills in networking and communication and experience engaging with local communities and stakeholders in an illegal trade supply chain

PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Ability to work against tight deadlines; develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.

CREATIVITY Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems; or meet client needs; promotes new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box"; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.