WE ARE LOOKING FOR A KICK-ASS CONFERENCE PRODUCER

If your core skill set includes writing, research, content development, AND you’re addicted to early-stage tech, AND you’re willing to bust a$$ to get the job done, you may be just the unicorn we’re looking for…

ABOUT THE POSITION: 

We are looking for a conference producer (editorial lead) to join our SF-based team. As part of the business development & events division, you’ll be a huge force in developing content & recruiting speakers for our conferences, leading research & composing agendas for our “Geeks on a Plane” world tours, and crafting the high-profile packaging & marketing of these initiatives to our 800,000+ subscribers worldwide. It’s a highly detail-driven role and requires someone who is a flexible perfectionist, gets the tech/startup scene, knows how to market to them, can write amazing copy, and is a do-er more than a scene-ster.

Want a taste of the fun? Here’s footage from a founders conference we hosted in Vegas earlier this year:

WE ARE: 

Looking for an experienced, hard-working, self-motivated, tech-loving “journalist” type who can fearlessly jump into unknown situations and emerge with an informed & balanced narrative, straddle serious backend content with 500’s signature front-end “unruly badass” tone, and handle multiple deadlines, timelines, operational variables, and priorities without freaking the hell out.

YOU ARE: 

All of the above + wanting to work in a culture that inspires creativity, in an environment that rewards risk-taking, and with an endeavor that will truly make a difference on a global scale.

IN THIS ROLE, YOU WOULD:

• Mastermind & manage the product development of some of 500’s most important conferences, leading all aspects of content, marketing, and customer acquisition
• Interview tech’s leading entrepreneurs on important areas of company growth (product development, distribution, design, etc.) and tech’s leading VCs on the latest investment trends and strategies
• Transform interviews into balanced narratives (agendas) for some of the best & most popular startup conferences in the tech industry
• Recruit & coach speakers on content to be presented at our tech conferences
• Creatively author witty & effective marketing copy for our event websites, marketing campaigns, & social media channels reaching 800,000+ tech enthusiasts globally
• Stage produce live conferences, working alongside the operations team & overseeing the entire production
• Map out global startup ecosystems, identify the startups & companies we should meet, and string together disparate information into on-point agendas for our insanely fun and educational “Geeks on a Plane” world tours
• Plus other areas of content development, marketing, social engineering and tomfoolery… 😉

2015 AREAS OF FOCUS INCLUDE:

This year’s conference & event lineup includes the following:

• PreMoney: Invite-only conference for accredited investors about new models & approaches for venture capital investing. We host this conference multiple times per year in startup hubs around the world.
• Weapons of Mass Distribution: One-day conference covering marketing & distribution hack-tics to grow your startup. We host this conference in San Francisco.
• Geeks on a Plane: Invite-only tour for startups, investors, and executives to learn about high-growth technology markets worldwide. This year, the Geeks will journey throughout the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Amman & Cairo).

WARNINGS IN ADVANCE!

1. Our work can be tedious, and there’s A LOT of it. Plus, it involves extreme precision. Eighty percent of the job will involve speaker outreach, meeting deadlines, keeping up with massive amounts of email, copy editing (and more copy editing), and staying hyper-organized. We have 500+ attendees, plus 40-50 speakers, relying on us for organization and information per event—so we don’t have much room for error.

2. This isn’t an easy-going atmosphere, despite our t-shirts & flip-flops. We move quickly & get a lot done. This requires a tight-knit culture steeped in productivity, speed, precision, & focus.

3. To thrive here, you must be a problem solver. Sometimes instructions are crystal clear. Sometimes there are no instructions. You will need to improvise, ideate, infer, and find solutions in the midst of extreme ambiguity, and often, urgency. If you crave certainty and predictability, this isn’t the place for you.

4. There are no conventional promotions, though there are regular 1:1 reviews and bonuses over time. The sense of growth comes with the things you create. We need someone who wants to grow with 500 and knows that growth requires serious perspiration. Like, really sweaty stuff. We’re looking for people who are incredibly motivated to think bigger, move faster, and do more.

5. Dave McClure is our founding partner. ‘Nuff said.

WHY THIS JOB ROCKS:

1. This role is like being a journalist, except it pays way better. You’ll spend your days (and often nights) researching, interviewing, reading, writing, editing, rewriting, packaging, marketing, and producing content that educates our audience about building & investing in technology companies.

2. Startup life = Never a dull day. Each day is different, unique, challenging, exhausting and exciting. We’re still a startup, so you’ll never (ever) get bored or feel uninspired. We promise.

3. 500 culture is the shizzle. We love wit and we value risk-takers. We don’t have egos, we are all truly passionate about our company, and we care for each other as co-workers and people. We call ourselves “500 family” for a reason.

4. With over 1,000 investments, 500 Startups is the world’s most prolific VC firm. Our team is continuously growing, and we’re going places. You will, too.

5. Dave McClure is our founding partner. ‘Nuff said.

THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

Holler at us by completing THIS FORM, and we’ll be in touch if we think there’s a good fit:

To complete the form, you’ll need to provide the link to a youtube video where you intro your fabulous self. You can start by answering the following questions…

• Who are you?
• Where are you from, and where do you live now?
• Why are YOU ideal for this role?
• What excites you most about this position?
• If you can ask any tech influencer a question—whom would it be, and what would you ask?
• What are your salary and  job requirements?
• What else do you want us to know about you?