Job Description

The Manager of Events and Activations will play a central role in the planning, coordination, and execution of official Host City events and public activations for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Kansas City. This role requires exceptional project management skills, creativity, and a passion for delivering impactful and unforgettable fan and community experiences.

Event Strategy & Planning

• Support the development and execution of the overall events and activations strategy, ensuring alignment with FIFA and Kansas City objectives, including FIFA Fan Festival.
• Contribute to planning and delivery of official public-facing events including community festivals, viewing parties, and countdown milestones.
• Assist with end-to-end event logistics including permitting, contracting, site layout, infrastructure, security coordination, vendor management, staffing, agenda design, entertainment sourcing and management, food and beverage, and transportation.
• Coordinate with marketing, volunteer, transportation, security, community engagement, and hospitality teams to ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Adhere to budget expectations and provide regular financial updates related to events.
• Actively participate in event strategy sessions and marketing campaign planning for community activations, sponsor events, and the FIFA Fan Festival.
• Contribute to and manage various RFI/RFP processes related to event execution.

Activation and Stakeholder Management

• Develop and oversee creative fan engagement activations in public spaces, airports, transit hubs, and key city locations.
• Partner with brands, sponsors, and civic organizations to deliver compelling co-branded activations and experiences.
• Manage timelines, deliverables, production schedules, and run-of-show documentation.
• Ensure all necessary permits and vendors are secured for activations.
• Support liaison efforts between the Host Committee, City departments, vendors, and local partners.
• Help ensure all events comply with city regulations and reflect Kansas City’s regional identity and values.

On-Site Execution

• Assist with on-site event operations including vendor coordination/staff support/guest experience/real-time problem solving.
• Work with the Director of Security to ensure safety protocols and crowd management plans implemented effectively.
• Provide on-site support to leadership, volunteers and event staff during activations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Hospitality, Marketing, or a related field.
• 5+ years’ experience in large-scale event production, festivals, sports, or entertainment industries.
• Demonstrated success managing outdoor public events with 1,000+ attendees.
• Strong knowledge of vendor/production management, permitting processes, and event logistics.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Evening, weekend, and holiday work is required, especially in summer 2026.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with global sports events or major civic celebrations.
• Multilingual proficiency or experience working in multilingual, multicultural environments.
• Working knowledge of project management tool Smartsheet.
• Familiarity with Kansas City neighborhoods, civic partners, and cultural landscape.

KC2026 is the 501(c)(4) non-profit entity that has been incorporated to lead the strategy for the planning and activation of the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Kansas City. KC2026 is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of elected/appointed officials, representatives from the local professional sports teams and key community leaders. The purpose of the entity is to maximize the positive momentum created by FIFA World Cup 26™ to unite, strengthen and elevate our region while propelling Kansas City to new heights in the nation and the world.

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