Trade Show Coordinator

Description
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 Coordinator 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 Coordinator is accountable for leading the overall delivery of Trade Shows for a group of clients within a specified Smithbucklin portfolio. The Trade Show Coordinator acts as a Trade Show specialist and develops and implements Trade Show components and delivery. This role is accountable and responsible for Trade Show project management, expense management, team management and oversight of all aspects of Trade Show delivery for assigned clients.
Key focus areas and activities for the Trade Show Coordinator role include:

• Strategy Support: The Trade Show Coordinator supports the Event Director in implementing Trade Show aspects of event strategy.
• Tradeshow Management: The Trade Show Coordinator is responsible for planning, managing the delivery of all aspects of Trade Shows including execution of the Trade Show portion of the project plan, development of exhibit hall floor plans, management of show floor specialty areas (association booth, show floor education, poster sessions), supplier selection and management, exhibitor management and coordination, oversight of exhibitor customer service, and management of Trade Show expenses. Develops and manages project plan and timeline including end-to-end logistical management of Trade Shows.
• Manages Trade Show project scope of services, identifying issues and developing contingency plans.
• Manages Trade Show expense budgets.
• Proactively communicates project status, program deadlines, identifying any areas of concern and addresses issues to ensure Trade Show outcomes are met.
• Leads floor plan development and oversees exhibit booth space selection process. Manages online floor plan set-up and day to day management.
• Partners with education team to design, develop and manage logistics for show floor education.
• Supports prospectus development working in coordination with Sales Marketing Manager and Sales Manager; manage contract rules and regulations, create exhibit and sponsor contracts.
• Oversees third party supplier needs (General Services contractor, signage, security, first aid, promotional products) and coordination, leads RFP processes and supplier selection and ensures high quality supplier relationships and service delivery.
• Oversees exhibitor communications and ongoing customer service.
• Oversees sponsorship fulfillment in collaboration with Sales Manager to ensure delivery and fulfillment of sponsor benefits.
• 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.
• 4+ years of Trade Show 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 knowledge of meeting planning, tradeshow, and sponsorship processes
• Proficiency with basic computer programming including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing multiple clients simultaneously.
• Association experience a plus
• EXPOCAD or other exhibit hall floor plan management software experience a plus
• Project management experience includes meeting deadlines on time and on budget.
• Experience and comfort around financial management processes, including budgeting practices.

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.