1 Director, Exhibits Job in Rockville, MD
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The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Rockville, MD | Full Time
$94k-132k (estimate)
2 Weeks Ago
Director, Exhibits
$94k-132k (estimate)
Full Time
2 Weeks Ago
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is Hiring a Director, Exhibits Near Rockville, MD
Job Details
Description
This role champions the value of exhibitors as a vital source of non-dues revenue and member engagement. Key responsibilities include leading the growth of the exhibit hall, establishing comprehensive approaches, managing relationships with stakeholders, and ensuring an exceptional experience for exhibitors across all Association events.
The Director oversees event business operations, manages relationships with staff, members, exhibitors, and service providers, and requires expertise in citywide events with integrated education programs. They are responsible for contract review, vendor management, budgeting, forecasting, cost savings, bill reconciliation, and risk mitigation.
Additionally, the Director plays a pivotal role in destination Convention RFPs, site visits, and advance planning for contracted destinations. The Director provides leadership and coaching to a team of two exhibits staff members, collaborating and coaching on exhibitor retention, sales strategies, marketing, and attendee attraction to meet exhibitor ROI goals.
Travel is required throughout the year.
Description
- General Description:
This role champions the value of exhibitors as a vital source of non-dues revenue and member engagement. Key responsibilities include leading the growth of the exhibit hall, establishing comprehensive approaches, managing relationships with stakeholders, and ensuring an exceptional experience for exhibitors across all Association events.
The Director oversees event business operations, manages relationships with staff, members, exhibitors, and service providers, and requires expertise in citywide events with integrated education programs. They are responsible for contract review, vendor management, budgeting, forecasting, cost savings, bill reconciliation, and risk mitigation.
Additionally, the Director plays a pivotal role in destination Convention RFPs, site visits, and advance planning for contracted destinations. The Director provides leadership and coaching to a team of two exhibits staff members, collaborating and coaching on exhibitor retention, sales strategies, marketing, and attendee attraction to meet exhibitor ROI goals.
Travel is required throughout the year.
- Responsibilities:
- Lead, manage, and actively participate in strategic and operational efforts to create successful and thriving exhibit halls for the Association. Collaborate closely with the Senior Director of Convention and Meetings and other ASHA team leaders to develop and implement growth and engagement strategies for exhibit and commercial opportunities. Ensure effective budget management, efficiency, and risk mitigation while incorporating industry trends and event design to enhance attendee experience.
- Manage the complete lifecycle of the Association’s Convention exhibits program, from long-term site selection and licensing to on-site management. This involves supervising, coaching, and training support staff, vendor partners, and temporary personnel. Finalize license agreements, develop detailed specifications, clarify responsibilities, oversee implementation, and manage complex service billing and reconciliation. Additionally, ensure compliance with Association and venue rules and regulations, including permitting and fire marshal regulations, by communicating and enforcing them to exhibitors and their contractors before and during events.
- Provide guidance to Association National Office staff on enhancing exhibit hall engagement and experience design to benefit members and exhibitors. This includes, but is not limited to; improving systems, tools, processes, and policies, fostering partnerships with the sponsorship team, promoting industry best practices, customer service standards and enhancing event and sales marketing efforts. Serve as the internal subject matter expert on exhibits, implement strategies and serve as a key decision maker regarding ASHA meetings with Exhibits related needs.
- Identify, select vendor partners/service providers, and direct the work of in advance planning and onsite logistics for the conferences and Convention. The scope of vendor services and products includes, but is not limited to, exhibit software (sales, purchase, floorplans, API for registration, etc.), general contractor/decorator service, security, floral, lead retrieval, and key Convention Center services such as electrical, first aid, and telecommunications.
- Evaluate exhibitor satisfaction through surveys using established metrics for attendance, satisfaction, and quality. Analyze survey results to identify areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement.
- Coach and mentor the exhibits team across various facets of successful exhibit hall development, sales, logistics, and management. Guides the team in updating systems, developing and revising floorplans, conducting testing, managing terms and conditions, and preparing exhibit hall and administrative specifications. Additionally, the position advocates for recognizing the team's expertise and experience in leading exhibit management and sales for smaller conferences developed by other Association teams. This involves ensuring that business owners comprehend critical exhibit requirements and policies, adhere to industry standards, establish appropriate timelines, fulfill contractual obligations, grasp sales strategy and exhibit hall marketing, and effectively communicate information.
- Contacts:
- Staff responsible for managing and implementing tasks and activities in meetings, conferences, Convention, and educational programs.
- Staff in the Information Technology, Finance team, and Surveys and Analysis teams regarding technology changes and improvements.
- Staff in the Marketing and Sales unit regarding best practices for events marketing, sponsorships, and advertising opportunities.
- Association members, exhibitors, corporate partners, and companies that are customers that exhibit at the Association’s Convention and conferences.
- Representatives of other associations primarily in the health community, education, and disability industries to facilitate ASHA’s standing in the association community.
- CEOs, National Sales Executives, Project Managers of destinations and corporations that work with ASHA as corporate partners, and companies that are customers exhibiting at ASHA’s annual convention.
- Community and other associations leaders to provide and promote the Association’s perspective and expertise in the development of facilities and services within the local community and the national hospitality industry.
- External vendors and suppliers to form partnerships with convention and meetings staff to enhance production of all aspects of convention and meetings.
- Freedom to Act:
- Qualifications – Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills:
- CEM or other industry certifications, preferred.
- 7-10 years’ experience in association exhibit sales and operations with a demonstrated capability in leading large-scale exhibit initiatives
- Strong leadership qualities with a proven track record in supervisory roles
- BA/BS degree in related field, or equivalent training and experience
- Demonstrated expertise in refining exhibition and convention policies to meet evolving needs.
- Exceptional project and process management abilities, including setting and meeting deadlines and effectively multitasking to prioritize and oversee multiple actions or events simultaneously.
- Advanced negotiation and contracting skills. Demonstrated ability to review and negotiate contracts/license agreements with convention centers, destinations, vendors and supplier partners, labor unions and other as needed for successful exhibit hall production.
- Demonstrated knowledge of leading exhibition floorplan software platforms (preferably Map Your Show) and ability to create and edit exhibit hall spaces, terms and conditions, service kits, run reports, gather revenue data and more; sales platforms and sales plan development; demonstrated ability to identify, learn and implement new software applications with relative ease.
- Demonstrated financial acumen to understand and interpret financial data, lead overall cost analyses to forecast revenue multiple years in advance, business development, sales and growth strategies, and complex reconciliation of event expenses.
- Demonstrated ability to collect, interpret, and report statistical data, to understand and interpret reports and surveys, evaluate ROI and engagement, prepare and share reports to leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to write clearly and succinctly for a variety of audiences, and different purposes.
- Ability to write clearly and succinctly in a variety of settings, and for unique audiences, and may include leadership reporting, event summaries, sales reports, and marketing messages. Effective in a variety of formal and informal presentation settings, both inside and outside the organization, on expert, routine, or controversial topics.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate, direct, and facilitate groups and teams to achieve desired goals and outcomes. Dedication to detail and ability to work under pressure in a deadline driven environment.
- Positive work ethic and excellent customer services skills; ability to exercise tact and discretion in dealing with colleagues, members and the public.
- Demonstrates a proactive, self-starter attitude, thriving in fast-paced environments. Actively engages in tasks while skillfully delegating responsibilities to staff members whose skills align with the work at hand.
- Commitment to working both independently and as an effective and collaborative leader; strategic and practical thinker; motivated and dependable and able to work within team and across the Association to achieve the best possible results for Association.
- Demonstrated ability to influence and persuade groups and individuals to understand and consider the impact and consequences of decisions; ability to make important decisions and to know when to refer decisions to others or seek advice or clarity.
- Demonstrated knowledge and ability to problem-solve independently and proactively, and to lead collaborative efforts to define solutions; communicate effectively with all persons involved.
- Demonstrated ability to interact effectively and communicate clearly (orally and written) with diverse groups of people including members, association leaders, staff, corporate partners, vendors, and other professionals.
- Creative thinker with innovative spirit.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in procedures, practices, and engagement.
- National Office EEO Policy:
- Disclaimer:
Job Summary
JOB TYPE
Full Time
SALARY
$94k-132k (estimate)
POST DATE
06/08/2024
EXPIRATION DATE
07/04/2024
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