Event Program Specialist

ONTARIO VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

POSITION DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Event Program Specialist

REPORTS TO: Manager, Events & Sponsorship

LOCATION: Milton, Ont. (Hybrid)

SALARY: $79,000-$99,000 / 35 hours per week

TERM: Full-time

Organization Overview

The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) is Canada's foremost veterinary association. We’re passionate about supporting veterinarians’ well-being and professional growth, contributing to the advancement of animal and human health.

Thousands of veterinarians depend on us as their collective voice in the province. They also rely on us as their source for news, world-class continuing education, extensive practice management resources, mental health and wellness tools and career advice. These services have been fundamental in helping practice owners, associates and students achieve their personal and professional goals.

Position Summary

OVMA is host to Canada’s largest annual veterinary conference, and the Event Program Specialist plays a central role in developing and delivering high-quality educational content across OVMA’s conferences, webinars, and other learning programs. This role leads the coordination and delivery of conference programming developed by OVMA’s conference committee and designated program leads, managing speakers and session materials, and helps to ensure an excellent educational experience aligned with the needs of the veterinary profession. A key focus is to increase member engagement, participation, and attendance across OVMA’s educational programs and events.

This individual will coordinate speaker invitations and communications following program selection, develop and manage session materials, collect and edit speaker information and abstracts, and oversee key educational components. The role will work closely with committees, sponsors, speakers, and internal teams to develop cohesive and compelling programs from concept through execution. Strong writing, content development, project management, and relationship-building skills are essential.

The role will also support the marketing and promotion of OVMA’s educational programming, working closely with the Communications team on email marketing, digital campaigns, and promotional materials. The ability to translate strong educational content into compelling messaging will be key to driving awareness, member engagement, participation, and attendance growth. This person will help take OVMA’s conference to the next level by growing attendance, increasing member engagement, and creating a conference experience that members look forward to being part of.

Responsibilities

1. Program Development & Conference Programming

• Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of conference programs in partnership with OVMA’s conference committee and designated program leads across all OVMA events.
• Support the conference committees in developing the True North Veterinary & the Great Ideas Conferences with their designated program lead.
• Recruit, coordinate, and manage speakers, including collecting speaker information, biographies, session abstracts, presentations, and other required materials.
• Manage symposium sessions and Showcase Stage content once sponsorship agreements are confirmed, including speaker coordination, abstracts, website content, publications, and AV requirements.
• Lead the development and coordination of webinar content and programming, including speaker management and logistics.
• Oversee Corporate Partner Program and breakfast series events including related content and event logistics.
• Manage CE program accreditation and RACE/CE approval processes.
• Ensure conference programming and educational content is accurate, timely, cohesive, and aligned with the needs of the veterinary profession.

2. Speaker Management & Event Content Logistics

• Manage all aspects of speaker logistics, including travel arrangements, accommodations, contracts, schedules, and onsite requirements.
• Coordinate speaker communications and ensure all required materials are received by established deadlines.
• Develop speaker promotional materials and graphics in collaboration with internal communications teams and relevant external vendors.
• Manage speaker content and materials across conference websites, publications, event platforms, and fulfill speaker & conference AV requirements.
• Lead AV planning and coordination for all conferences, working with speakers, AV partners, and internal teams to ensure technical requirements are met.
• Provide onsite support at conferences, including working alongside the speaker desk and assisting with speaker needs throughout the event.

3) Content Marketing & Promotion

• Develop and execute strategies with internal communications team to effectively promote conference programming, speakers, educational sessions, and other event content.
• Manage event publications and promotional conference materials, including flyers, advertisements, newsletters, articles, speaker promotions, and onsite conference programs.
• Work closely with the Marketing & Communications team to ensure event messaging and promotional campaigns effectively communicate the value of conference programming.
• Create and coordinate branded content and graphics for speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and educational programming.
• Apply strong writing, digital marketing, and content marketing skills to translate educational programming into compelling promotional content.
• Use digital advertising, marketing automation, and emerging event marketing techniques to support event promotion and audience engagement.
• Monitor registration trends and work with the Communications team to identify priority audiences, highlight relevant sessions and speakers, and adjust promotional efforts to support attendance goals.
• Work with the Events and Communications teams to ensure effective use of database data for event planning, engagement, and reporting.

4. Strategic Planning & Industry Expertise

• Stay informed on emerging trends, issues, and educational needs within the veterinary industry to inform conference content and programming.
• Develop a strong understanding of OVMA’s audiences and share industry insights and attendee feedback with the committee, program leads and communications team - to guide speaker selection, session topics, and program development.
• Identify emerging topics, speakers, and content opportunities that will enhance the value and relevance of OVMA events.
• Contribute to long-term strategic planning for OVMA’s conferences and educational programs.
• Build relationships with industry leaders, experts, and organizations to strengthen OVMA’s content and programming network.
• Continuously evaluate conference content and attendee feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation.

What We Are Looking For

• 5–7 years of experience in content development, event programming, communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of event experience, ideally with conferences, educational programs, or professional events.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Communications, Journalism or a related field.
• Strong writing and content development skills, with the ability to create engaging and relevant educational programming.
• Experience managing speakers, committees, boards, and multiple projects or stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with an interest in the veterinary industry and emerging trends in education and events.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and with committees.

What We Offer

• Pet-friendly office (obviously!).
• Fun (not awkward) team building activities.
• Summer hours.
• A culture that values work-life balance and employee well-being.
• Professional development opportunities.

• Opportunities for professional development and career growth.
• Exposure to both event management and financial operations, with mentorship across teams.
• A collaborative, supportive work environment.
• The chance to contribute to process innovation and data transformation projects.
• Work-life balance and flexible hybrid work arrangements.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion and rejects discrimination or harassment based on grounds such as race, colour, ancestry, ethnic origin, place of origin, age, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, marital status or disability. Every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

The well-being of our society and our profession is vital. OVMA is committed to ongoing and active promotion and maintenance of diversity and inclusion in its membership, leadership and organization; to ensuring that its services are provided without bias; and to educating its members regarding the value of diversity and inclusion.

OVMA is committed to working with the Ontario Veterinary College to ensure that the principles of inclusivity and diversity are reflected in the equitable selection of students, and to make veterinary education more accessible for underrepresented and minority groups. OVMA is also committed to working with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario to ensure that the principles of inclusivity and diversity are reflected in the licensing and regulation of Ontario’s veterinarians.

Our Values

Integrity: We lead by example by taking pride in working honestly and doing what’s right.

Connection: We nurture relationships and build bridges between people, organizations, generations and cultural groups so they can flourish.

Community: We are community builders and believe we are stronger together. We are enriched by the differences in experience, background and perspective that each person brings.

Innovation: We are trailblazers and lead the veterinary profession by remaining curious and doing things differently.

Care: We strive to make a positive impact on the world around us by taking care of each other, ourselves and our planet.