Events Manager

Reports to: CDO

Location: On-site
FLSA Status: Full-time - Exempt

About Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF)

Downtown doesn’t happen by accident—it takes vision, hustle, and heart. Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF) is a mission-driven 501(c)4 organization leading the charge in shaping a vibrant, inclusive, and thriving urban core. We exist to activate the city’s center—through placemaking, storytelling, partnerships, and daily boots-on-the-ground effort.

We’re all in on Downtown. We connect business owners, civic leaders, artists, residents, and visitors to cultivate a culture of creativity, opportunity, and progress. If you're looking to make an impact where it matters most—this is the place, and now is the time.

Role Overview:

The Events Manager drives the planning, execution, and continual improvement of DTSF’s signature events and year-round activations. This role is ideal for a highly motivated, energetic individual who thrives on feedback, actively seeks ways to elevate existing programs, and embraces opportunities to develop new experiences that strengthen Downtown’s economic and cultural vitality. A successful candidate is systematic and detail-driven, capable of building and managing a strong volunteer corps to expand capacity and reduce staff burden.

This role requires exceptional project management, relationship building, and logistical execution. The manager is responsible for curating memorable, mission-aligned events; coordinating seamless participant experiences; and leveraging events as a revenue generator through strong vendor pipelines, sponsorship integration, and high-value programming. They work cross-functionally to ensure events drive foot traffic, economic activity, and community connection—while owning the backend systems, operational workflows, and metrics that measure event impact.

Full time, Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Required to work some evenings, weekends, and Holidays. DTSF Signature Events may require heavy lifting, exposure to weather, and prolonged standing. Riverfest and Parade of Lights events are considered black-out days for PTO for all staff. The events manager is expected to be present at all Signature events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, execute, and continuously improve DTSF’s signature events and year-round activations, ensuring they drive foot traffic, economic impact, and community engagement.
• Recruit, train, and manage a reliable team of volunteers to support event setup, execution, and tear-down—expanding organizational capacity and reducing staff burden.
• Recruit, curate, and manage event participants—including vendors, performers, artists, and businesses—to ensure high-quality experiences and maximize event revenue through booth sales, registrations, and program participation.
• Build and maintain event registration and participation systems in Neon CRM and related platforms, ensuring smooth workflows, accurate rosters, strong customer experience, and timely communication.
• Lead all event logistics, including permitting, contracts, infrastructure, run-of-show development, public safety coordination, vendor onboarding, and onsite troubleshooting.
• Manage event budgets, aligning expenses with organizational priorities and driving revenue growth through participation fees, sponsorship integration, and strategic programming.
• Evaluate event performance and implement improvements, compiling insights, testing new concepts, and proposing innovative programming that aligns with DTSF’s mission and downtown advocacy goals.