FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City
Manager of Events and Activations
FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64101
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.
Check you match the skill requirements for this role, as well as associated experience, then apply with your CV below.
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.
Check you match the skill requirements for this role, as well as associated experience, then apply with your CV below.
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.