Event Manager; Kansas ; Global Soccer; Home Improvement Client

Event Manager (Kansas City) (Global Soccer) (Home Improvement Client) (Contract)

Responsible for planning and executing event and experiential marketing programs. Next summer, Octagon will help bring the excitement of the FIFA World Cup™ to life across some of the nation’s most iconic cities! On behalf of our home improvement client, we’re hiring 1‑2 Event Managers in each host city to manage either the fan festival footprint or participating stadium footprint. Responsibilities will include being the on‑site contact for each venue, footprint & asset management, event operations, and team leadership.

The position will be responsible for managing the interns assigned to their footprint and report to the regional director in addition to the account team.

A typical day will include working 8‑12 hours outside at one of the fan festival zones or at the participating stadium within the host city. Because of the localized nature of the events, candidates must live or have housing in the host city location. In addition, we ask that each Event Manager work all or a majority of the event schedule which will run from mid‑May through mid‑July.

This will be a great opportunity to get hands‑on experience while being a part of one of the largest sporting events in the world! The right candidate will have large event management experience, be able to work as part of a larger, cohesive team and collaborate with various internal divisions, client partners/vendors, and consumers. Strong team dynamics skills and excellent interpersonal skills are required for this position.

Kansas City, MO

Contract dates:
May 15, 2026‑July 31, 2026
Contract type: W‑2 Employment

• Be the main on‑site point of contact for any outside vendor, host city personnel, or sanctioning body representative
• Oversee, manage and assist in executing all on‑site activities
• Ensure that the on‑site staff meet all event execution expectations
• Responsible for maintenance and security of all on‑site activation equipment & assets
• Set daily schedules and assignments as necessary
• Serve as a direct liaison between the Regional Director and the on‑site staff
• Oversee and verify all temporary staff hours
• Diplomatically solve any personnel issues within the on‑site team if necessary
• Ensure the fans and attendees that come into our footprint have a positive and engaging experience while on‑site
• Other related duties as reasonably assigned

Recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Sports”, Octagon is the global sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing arm of the Interpublic Group. We take pride in being Play makers – finding insightful, bold ways to create play in our work, our lives, and in the world. We believe in the power of play to create big ideas and unlock potential for our clients and talent.

We can put ourselves in the shoes of fans because we ARE fans – of sports, entertainment, and culture s expertise allows us to continually evolve the fan experience across sports and entertainment alongside some of the biggest brands and talent in the world. The world needs play more than ever. Are you a Playmaker?

• A passion for and expertise in sports, specifically soccer, entertainment, and/or pop culture
• 4‑5+ years’ worth of previous tour management experience
• Excellent verbal and oral communication skills; fluency in multiple languages is a plus
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Capacity to become knowledgeable about our client’s industry, brand and product offerings
• Confident in training and managing on‑site staff in each market, applying brand guidelines and operational procedures provided by the Octagon team
• Ability to lead, manage and diffuse customer concerns on‑site in collaboration with Octagon team
• Willingness to travel consecutive days, for weeks at a time
• Strong ability to work as part of a team, demonstrate initiative and solve problems effectively and independently
• Must either live or have housing in specified host cities
• Full availability to support all or a majority of the event days (mid‑May to mid‑July)
• Must be able to remain in a stationary…