Communications & VIP Relations Manager, Events

Overview: 

The Business of Fashion (BoF) is seeking a highly organised,  proactive, editorially curious and relationship-driven Communications & VIP Relations Manager, Events - ideally with a background in fashion, luxury or beauty PR, to join our Events team. Reporting to the Deputy Head of Events, this role will be responsible for stewarding and growing BoF’s global network of fashion, beauty and luxury industry leaders, combining strategic thinking, sound judgement and operational excellence. This is a strong fit for professionals from PR, events, communications or talent agency backgrounds who already own guest lists, RSVPs and seating strategy for senior clients. 

Who Are We? 

The Business of Fashion is recognised around the world for its authoritative, analytical point of view on the global fashion and beauty industries. Our mission: to open, inform and connect the global fashion and beauty industries. 

Serving members in more than 125 countries, The Business of Fashion combines independent, agenda-setting journalism with practical business advice, online learning, career-building tools and immersive events, powering positive change in fashion and the wider world. 

Over time, our pioneering approach has made BoF the fashion industry’s leading source of business intelligence, and one of its most respected and influential voices, simply because you won’t find BoF’s original reporting, analysis and advice anywhere else. The Business of Beauty brings the same kind of agenda-setting coverage to the beauty and wellness space. Today, our talented team of correspondents, editors, analysts, engineers, designers, marketers and more numbers more than 100 people in London, New York, Paris and Milan. 

Commitment to Diversity 

BoF is committed to building a diverse workforce and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunities employer. All applicants and employees receive equal treatment regardless of race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity. 

Commitment to Inclusivity 

BoF is committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work and reach their full potential within their roles using a growth mindset. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture for our employees globally. 

Commitment to Accessibility

BoF is committed to providing an accessible environment for all applicants throughout any stage of the recruitment process, by removing any barriers to ensure we offer a process that gives all of our applicants an opportunity to shine. 

We will work with you to understand what adjustments you may need in the recruitment process to ensure you are able to perform at your best and we want to create a safe space to support this. Should you require any particular adjustment to be made, please let the Talent Specialist who is managing your application know when you are contacted for an interview, so we can consider how best we can support you with this.

What we need you to do:

The successful candidate will own and grow BoF’s global black book, ensuring it remains the definitive source of industry contacts, executive movements and relationship intelligence across the global fashion and beauty ecosystem. They will play a critical role in identifying, tracking and engaging the industry’s most influential decision-makers while supporting the delivery of BoF’s flagship and custom events.

While working closely with Events, Brand Partnerships and Marketing, this individual will help ensure BoF convenes the right people in the right rooms at the right moments across all flagship and custom events. As a champion of BoF and the go-to expert on BoF’s community, this individual will work closely with senior stakeholders to guide guest curation strategy. Success in this role requires exceptional attention to detail and a deep interest in the people and companies shaping the global fashion and beauty industry. In addition to this, you will;

Event Audience Strategy & Execution Excellence

• Lead guest list development, audience curation and invitation strategy for all events. 
• Partner closely with the Events team to deliver BoF’s portfolio of flagship and custom events, from strategy and guest curation to on-site execution and evaluation. 
• Support with, and at times lead, the development of seating plans for flagship and custom events.
• Apply strategic, relationship-driven thinking to seating decisions — using knowledge of the industry's key players, dynamics and priorities to determine who should be seated with whom.
• Build and maintain seating plans within BoF's events tools, ensuring they stay accurate as RSVPs and guest details change.
• Produce clear, accurate face sheets to support smooth on-site execution.
• In collaboration with Brand Partnerships and Marketing, manage end to end guest communication, including invitations, RSVP tracking and post-event follow up.
• Collaborate with Brand Partnerships on custom events to ensure audience delivery aligns with client objectives.
• Support the development and delivery of community programmes at flagship events, including event concierge services and networking sessions.
• Drive the cultivation and attendance of high quality executive audiences across all BoF events.
• Support on-site event delivery and act as a trusted ambassador for BoF, building relationships with senior leaders, guests and VIPs.

Industry Intelligence

• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of the global fashion, beauty and luxury industries, including key companies, executives, emerging talent and market developments.
• Collaborate with BoF's editorial team and key stakeholders across the business to stay ahead of industry news, executive moves and market shifts.

Community Strategy & Database Ownership

• Own and manage BoF’s global community event database, using AI-assisted tools where useful to work smarter, maintaining the accuracy, completeness and strategic value of the network as a core business asset. Establish and maintain best-in-class processes for data governance, enrichment and ongoing database hygiene. 
• Proactively track executive appointments, promotions, organisational changes and emerging industry leaders across fashion, beauty and luxury sectors.
• Develop and maintain audience segmentation frameworks across geographies, sectors, functions, seniority levels and strategic priorities. 
• Produce community insights and reporting with clear actions that support event planning, audience development and broader business objectives.

Who you are:

        Industry knowledge & background:

• Experience in a fashion, luxury or beauty PR, communications, talent or events agency environment is a strong plus - particularly if you’ve owned guest lists, driven RSVPs and led seating strategy for senior clients and managed VIP clients.

• An established network across fashion, luxury and beauty (PR, communications, talent, brand teams, executive teams) is a plus. 

• Strong understanding of the global fashion, luxury and beauty industries, including major brands, organisational structures and key decision-makers (or a demonstrated ability and appetite to learn it quickly).

• Demonstrated interest in industry news, executive movements and emerging trends.

  Database & operational excellence: 
   

• Experience managing complex databases, CRM platforms and audience management systems.

• Strong analytical and organisational skills, with an ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
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  Communication skills

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• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing polished, executive-facing copy (e.g. press releases, briefing notes or similar).

• Ability to craft thoughtful, polished outreach and engagement communications for senior industry audiences.

• Confident in engaging with senior leaders, VIPs and talent on-site at events, with a proven track record of looking after high-profile guests and a desire to continue to build the BoF events community and relationships across the industry.

           Personal attributes

• Naturally curious, proactive and resourceful.
• Highly collaborative, with the ability to work cross-functionally across Events, Editorial, Intelligence and Commercial teams.
• Professional, discreet, relationship-oriented and comfortable operating with senior executives.
• Passionate about building communities and creating meaningful industry connections.

You’ll know you're successful when:

• BoF's community database is widely recognised internally as the definitive, trusted source of contact and relationship intelligence — accurate, enriched, and consistently up to date.
• Guest lists for flagship and custom events are consistently high-calibre, reflecting sharp audience curation and a deep understanding of who matters across fashion, beauty and luxury.
• Seating plans and room dynamics at flagship events are thoughtfully curated, sparking the right conversations and reflecting a sharp instinct for who should be sitting next to whom.
• Events, Brand Partnerships and Marketing teams see you as an indispensable partner — someone who anticipates audience needs and proactively surfaces the right contacts and connections.
• Senior industry executives recognise and trust you, associating you with a professional, polished and discreet BoF experience across all touchpoints.
• You're the first to know about executive moves and emerging leaders in the industry, keeping BoF consistently ahead of the curve on who's shaping the conversation.