Guest Experience Manager

Overview:

We are looking for an experienced Guest Experience Manager to join our team immediately on a contract basis in Abu Dhabi, supporting the delivery of a high-profile, government-led international summit.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the complete guest and delegate journey, from invitations, registration and pre-event communications through to accreditation, arrivals, onsite hospitality and departure. The role requires extensive experience delivering government summits, international conferences, ministerial events or other high-profile diplomatic gatherings, with a strong understanding of VIP/VVIP protocol and senior stakeholder engagement.

The Guest Experience Manager will work closely with government stakeholders, international organisations, protocol teams and multiple event workstreams to ensure a seamless, professional and personalised experience for all guests and delegates.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of the end-to-end guest and delegate journey, ensuring a seamless experience from invitation through to departure.
• Manage and maintain the master guest and invitee database, ensuring data accuracy, confidentiality and effective coordination across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Oversee the complete invitation process, including guest categorisation, RSVPs, confirmations, reminders, cancellations and waiting lists.
• Develop and manage guest-facing communications, including invitation letters, confirmations, event information, arrival instructions and accreditation details.
• Coordinate VIP/VVIP guest requirements, including those of ministers, ambassadors, senior government officials, international organisations and C-suite executives.
• Work closely with Protocol, Programming, Partnerships and stakeholder teams to manage high-profile guest profiles, requirements and arrangements.
• Oversee VIP arrivals, meet-and-greet arrangements, escorts, holding areas, access permissions and venue movements.
• Manage registration and accreditation workflows, ensuring accurate guest categorisation, badge permissions and access requirements.
• Coordinate with registration and accreditation providers to ensure accurate guest information, effective system functionality and timely resolution of issues.
• Develop guest journey maps, identifying potential challenges and implementing practical solutions to enhance the overall guest experience.
• Plan and oversee onsite guest services, including registration desks, welcome areas, information desks, VIP lounges, wayfinding and delegate assistance.
• Determine staffing requirements and lead the briefing, training and supervision of guest-facing teams to maintain high service standards.
• Develop guest service operational plans, briefing documents, FAQs, escalation procedures and service protocols.
• Act as a senior escalation point for sensitive guest enquiries, operational challenges and VIP-related matters.
• Coordinate closely with Protocol, Security, Operations, Production, Marketing, Programming, Transport and Logistics teams to ensure seamless guest movements and service delivery.
• Maintain guest registration dashboards, invitation trackers, accreditation matrices, VIP journey plans and operational reports.
• Prepare regular registration, attendance and guest experience reports for senior project leadership and stakeholders.
• Lead onsite guest experience operations, ensuring consistently high service standards and professional resolution of guest issues.
• Conduct post-event evaluations and provide recommendations to enhance future guest and delegate experiences.

Job Specifications:

• Minimum 8–10 years of relevant experience in guest experience, delegate management, registration, VIP services, protocol or event operations.
• Demonstrable experience delivering large-scale government summits, international conferences, COP-level events, ministerial meetings or major government-led events .
• Proven experience managing complex invitation and registration databases involving multiple government, institutional and international stakeholder groups.
• Strong experience working directly with ministers, senior government officials, diplomatic representatives, VIPs/VVIPs and C-suite executives.
• Excellent understanding of government protocol, VIP etiquette, confidentiality and professional communication standards.
• Hands-on experience managing registration and accreditation platforms, guest categorisation, access permissions and large delegate databases.
• Proven ability to manage complete guest journeys, including invitations, registration, arrivals, hospitality and onsite guest services.
• Strong experience leading guest services teams, coordinating staffing requirements and maintaining high service standards.
• Previous UAE/GCC government event experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience delivering events at major international conference venues is an advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage with senior government and international stakeholders.
• Exceptional attention to detail, data accuracy, organisation and multitasking capabilities.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgement.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment.
• A highly professional, diplomatic and service-oriented approach, with the ability to anticipate guest requirements and proactively resolve challenges.
• Must be available to join immediately.