Local Events Host City Coordinator

Are you an event planner, community connector, or cultural "vibes" curator with strong ties to New Orleans (preferred)?

If so, Black Urban Growers (BUGs) wants to hear from you!

We're hiring a Local Events Host City Coordinator to help support our upcoming national conference in New Orleans. This is a fully remote, 3-month temporary contractor position with opportunities to collaborate closely with our conference planning team and local partners.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Please share this opportunity with your network!

To learn more, review the full job description through the link in our bio, or email us at info@blackurbangrowers.org with any questions.

📅 Interviews are being conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled—so don't wait to apply.

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Local Events Host City Coordinator

Contractor Position Available: Local Host City Coordinator (This is a contract position with Black Urban Growers)

Application Deadline: ASAP! Interviews will take place on a rolling basis until hired.

Tentative Start Date: first or second week in August 2026

Employment terms: The position will start in July 2026 and will end (15) fifteen days after the completion of the BUGS national conference on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

Payment: The consultant will receive a total payment of $7,500. The stipend will be paid out in installments upon the consultant’s commitment to meeting the deliverables.

Black Urban Growers (BUGs), founded in 2010, is committed to building networks and community support for growers in both urban and rural settings. Through education and advocacy around food and farm issues, we nurture collective Black leadership to support Black agrarianism and reimagine Black futures. Based in New York City, BUGs reach is national through its annual conference. 2026 will be the 14th conference.

Specific duties and responsibilities:

Black Urban Growers (BUGS) is looking to hire a local host city coordinator consultant to plan, manage and execute all aspects of the local activities in or around the city of New Orleans on behalf of the Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference.

• Co-manage all of the aspects for the local farm tours for the BUGS conference. Duties include: identifying farm sites, confirm farm sites to participate in farm tour(s), researching and securing tour transportation, coordinating invoices and payment for farm sites, coordinating lunch for farm tour participants, coordinating mapping / logistics / traveling between tour pick-up location, traveling between the farm sites and tour drop-off location.
• Manage the logistics for the Friday night welcome gathering. Duties include: identifying event venue options, securing event venue; managing invoice and payment of venue; identifying and securing local catering. Identity and help secure a local talent (i.e DJ).
• Manage the logistics for the Saturday night welcome party. Duties include: identifying possible event venue options; securing event venue; managing invoice and payment of venue; identifying and securing a local caterer and/or home cooks:. Identity and help secure a local talent (i.e. DJ).
• Co-plan and support a (tentative) Thursday night small dinner in partnership with other BUGs conference planners.
• Facilitate local host committee meetings. Help to generate ideas with the local host city committee for evening events and farm tours that reflect the local culture. Provide updates to local host planning committee on the status of local event planning.
• Write short descriptive blurbs to use for registration for the following activities: each farm tour site location; Friday night mixer, Saturday night closing party and related activities.
• Maintain timely email correspondence with tour guests. Send out timely pre-tour and event informational emails to tour participants prior to tour date.
• Help to curate some unique,fun local activities for conference attendees i.e. Porch or backyard party, boat ride, bike tour etc. (optional, if time permits)
• Attend all bi-weekly small team BUGS conference meetings with the other paid conference contractors.
• Attend weekly, one-hour check-in call with conference or assistant manager to discuss work plan and status updates on deliverables.
• Days-of-conference: Serve as the on-site lead coordinator and point-person for Friday morning farm tours, Friday Night Welcome Mixer and Saturday Night Party. Provide hands-on and administrative support where needed. (Conference date is October 23-25, 2026)
• Available to attend the three day conference in person. (Conference date is October 23-25, 2026)

Supervision received: Direct supervision will be provided by conference manager and assistant conference manager.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Existing, established relationships with local, New Orleans area-based farm sites
• Existing, established knowledge of event venues in New Orleans
• Deep relationships within the local black farming community in New Orleans
• Excellent project management skills
• Conference or special event planning experience (optional)
• Demonstrated capacity to meet deadlines
• Passionate about sustainable farming and addressing food system inequalities
• Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through with regards to administrative tasks and coordination
• Highly organized; able to juggle multiple projects and manage deadlines and priorities
• Strong ability to communicate clearly via email, on phone, and in-person
• Proficient in Word and online applications, comfortable with new technologies; willing and able to learn new systems quickly
• Demonstrated cross-cultural competency or lived experience, experience working with building relationships across differences of race, gender, ethnicities, class, language, and religion
• Enthusiasm and ability to work independently as a leader and as a team player

Minimum Formal Education: None. All relevant formal and informal education is valued.

Special Requirements:

To apply: Please email resume and brief cover letter to info@blackurbangrowers.org.