Exhibits Manager - SmithBucklin

Chicago, IL

About the Job

Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, is looking for a Trade Show Manager to join our Event Services team in Washington DC or Chicago. Our Event Services unit provides meeting, convention, event and tradeshow planning/execution worldwide through the expertise of our meeting professionals, who manage every facet and detail of our client organizations' events. Our goal is to work closely with a client organization's leaders to create an enjoyable conference experience for all attendees, exhibitors and sponsors, while ensuring a successful outcome based on the organizations' event objectives.

The Trade Show Manager is accountable for leading the overall delivery of trade shows for a group of clients within a specified Smithbucklin portfolio. The Trade Show Manager acts as a trade show specialist and develops and implements trade show components of event strategy and delivery. This role is accountable and responsible for trade show project management, financial management, team management and oversight of all aspects of trade show delivery for assigned clients.

Key focus areas and activities for the Trade Show Manager role include:

Strategy Support: The Trade Show Manager supports the Event Director in developing and implementing trade show aspects of event strategy.
Develops trade show strategies, solutions and innovations that are tailored and relevant to client needs to support the overall event strategy and achievement of event outcomes.
Supports future year(s) site selection strategy and confirms venue ability to deliver on client trade show specifications.
Trade show Management: The Trade Show Manager is responsible for planning, managing delivery of the financials on all aspects of trade shows including coordination of trade show project plan, exhibit hall floor plan, show floor specialty areas, show floor education and poster sessions, exhibit and sponsor prospectus , supplier management, exhibitor management and coordination with sales management.
Develops and manages project plan and timeline including end-to-end logistical management of trade shows.
Manages trade show project scope, identifying issues and developing contingency plans.
Manages trade show financials including development of Exhibit, Sponsorship and Advertising revenue projections, developing budgets, monitoring of financial performance and ongoing issue resolution, oversee monthly financial reconciliation and oversight of Accounts Receivable team member.
Proactively communicates project status, program deadlines, identifying any areas of concern and addresses issues to ensure tradeshow outcomes are met.
Leads floor plan management and oversees space selection process.
Partners with Education to design, develop and manage logistics for show floor education.
Supports prospectus and contracts development working in coordination with Marketing; determines exhibit and sponsor opportunities and pricing and contract rules and regulations with Sales.
Oversees third party supplier needs (General Services contractor, signage, security, First Aid, promotional products) and coordination, leads RFP processes, selection and ensures high quality supplier relationships and service delivery.
Oversees exhibitor communications and ongoing customer service.
Oversees Sponsorship Fulfillment programs in collaboration with Sales, to ensure creation, collection, inventory and fulfillment of sponsor benefits.
Responsible for show analysis, determining data required to support trade show growth in alignment to overall event strategy.
Contributes to overall team success by identifying problems and proactively seeking out methods to improve self-performance and/or efficiency of an operation or task.
Facilitates continuous communication between Smithbucklin service units, clients and exhibitors/sponsors, attendees and suppliers to meet the needs of client organizations.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent experience.
6+ years of trade show management experience
Ability to travel up to 20%, possibly both domestic and international (travel may include weekends)
Knowledge of meeting and trade show industry terminology and comprehensive knowledge of meeting planning, tradeshow, and sponsorship processes
Proficiency with basic computer programming including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience managing multiple clients simultaneously
Association experience a plus
Familiarity with venues, facilities, convention centers and convention city packages throughout the country
Project management experience to include meeting deadlines on time and on budget
Experience and comfort around financial management processes, to include budgeting practices
Experience with international meetings and tradeshows is a plus
Experience with Exhibit Management software is a plus
Experience with Salesforce and/or other CRMs is a plus

Where Do You Fit?

Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferrable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment, you must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.

Source : SmithBucklin