Thank you for your interest in the Director of Meetings and Exhibitions position. There is a lot more to this position than we could include in the posting you read, so we wanted to give you some more information on the position itself, and what we’re looking for in a successful candidate.

Position Summary

In this position you will conduct site searches for our meetings, evaluate and negotiate contracts, work with the Chief Executive Officer to develop budgets and plan and organize meetings.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
This position has independent responsibility for a multifaceted annual meeting and other projects that often overlap and require attention to multiple projects simultaneously. The ability to make independent, sound decisions while supporting the IAOM mission is essential in this role.

  • All aspects of the annual Conference & Expo (800-1,000 attendees) and international regional meetings
  • Making logistical arrangements for the annual conference, all committee meetings and educational programs, as well as international regional meetings as needed
  • Performing site surveys and visits to determine appropriateness of facilities; researching and reporting on potential sites for conferences and meetings
  • Negotiating, researching and preparing hotel contracts
  • Managing solicitations and sales process for advertising, exhibits and sponsorships
  • Managing relations with advertisers, exhibitors and sponsors
  • Assisting with print/online marketing of events
  • Carrying out exhibitor recruitment and registration; coordinating booth selection and preparing contracts
  • Preparing evaluations for educational programs and expo; tallying and reporting results
  • Developing budgets, monitoring costs, and approving invoices for conferences and meetings
  • Evaluating and selecting vendors for outsourced services (audio-visual, decorator, caterer, photographer, printer, security)
  • Negotiating contracts with service vendors
  • Drafting scripts for conference presentations and introductions
  • Complying with conference insurance requirements
  • Collecting/compiling information for conference registration and promotional materials
  • Making arrangements for all award and recognition materials
  • Arranging all meeting and conference signage
  • Ensuring deadline management for a/v requests, promotional material, handouts and papers for conference, district, region and committee meetings, and educational programming
  • Assisting district leaders with district meetings on an as-needed basis
  • Overall logistics management (staff & VIP liaison, on-site logistics, attendee/VIP/exhibitor customer service)
  • Post-conference follow-up (exhibitor/sponsor acknowledgements, attendee/presenter/staff evaluations, review and approve invoices)
  • Maintaining event calendars and district information on website
  • Managing event and membership app
  • Working with coworkers to provide district leadership training

Results will be achieved through individual, office team, and committee/office staff efforts.

Knowledge, Skills, Training and Experience

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required:

  • Bachelor’s degree required, minimum three years’ meeting planning experience required, at least part of which should be with a nonprofit association
  • Experience in negotiating, planning, and managing meetings of various sizes, including large meetings with concurrent multiple sessions
  • Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with special attention to an understanding of written contracts and agreements, writing and editing promotional copy, and preparing publications
  • Solid computer skills are required, especially in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat
  • Extensive database experience required; knowledge of Netforum Pro is a plus
  • Candidate should possess strong attention to detail, the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and a hard-working, positive attitude
  • Ability to positively impact team environment, and be able to function as part of a team
  • Significant travel is required, including some international
  • Knowledge of standard event room setup layouts, procedures, and timelines
  • Knowledge of principles and practices of high-quality customer service, and demonstrated experience in their implementation
  • Demonstrated skill in maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of individuals within a wide and diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds
  • Demonstrated knowledge of safe working practices, including equipment safety guidelines, proper lifting techniques, and standard risk management practices for events
  • Demonstrated experience in working in a fast-paced environment while maintaining composure, making quick decisions which reflect good judgment and thoughtful consideration of a variety of important factors, prioritizing work assignments, coordinating many tasks, and completing assignments with strict attention to detail
  • Ability to provide concise, clear, and accurate verbal and written communication to a diverse public and staff, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation
  • Demonstrated ability to handle stressful situations and multiple deadline-driven projects and priorities with tact and humility
  • Light to moderate lifting is required

Position Relationships

  • Interacts with members by supporting the organization of district/regional meetings
  • Extensive contact with IAOM membership including liaison to conference host committee, exhibitors, advertisers and sponsors
  • Participates in outside organizations, societies, or trade associations to develop personal and organization contact base

Position Responsibilities
Policy Implementation: Implements education policies. Participates in policy formulation as to programs impacting on the incumbent’s areas of responsibilities, including promotion campaigns, sponsored events, and finance.

  • Recommends policies and changes in policies to the Chief Executive Officer
  • Working with the other staff, plans conferences and training sessions, and schedules committee and board meetings
  • Working with Chief Executive Officer, develops annual goals
  • Recommends meeting budgets to Chief Executive Officer, monitors income and expenses, reviews/approves vendor invoices
  • Maintains database of potential exhibitors, sponsors and advertisers
  • Receives general supervision from Chief Executive Officer as to goals and polices. Is expected to carry out routine tasks and responsibilities with little ongoing direction. Requires moderate to close supervision and direction on new, unusual projects and activities

Personality Wise, We’re Looking for:

  • Someone who is upbeat, personable, and gets along well with members, volunteer leaders, and co-workers; someone who has no problem picking up the phone and talking to a stranger, helping someone out, or setting someone straight in a customer-friendly, yet firm way.
  • A dynamic person who can switch projects and focus with ease, track where you left off, and can easily multi-task between various projects. Things can and do change directions, and this should be both expected and anticipated!
  • Someone who loves (not likes, but loves) organizing projects, helping association staff leaders stay on target, and assisting members by email.
  • An “If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it” personality. We encounter new opportunities every day and don’t always have the answers internally. You’ll often have to pick up the phone, “dig around,” or do some research to get an answer.
  • Someone who can take a project and just “get it done.” We don’t want to hear about the problems that come up, we simply want the results agreed upon to be completed on schedule and to spec, no excuses.
  • Someone who loves schedules and understands the importance of adhering to them. You make and manage your own calendar and get things done on (or ahead of) schedule.
  • Someone who can work independently. The Chief Executive Officer travels a great deal, and you need to be able to work on your own, answer your own questions and move ahead without waiting. This also means the ability to work without disrupting us or others. We’ll have scheduled times to catch up on projects, go over any questions, etc., but you MUST be able to do your tasks and projects on your own with minimal interaction.
  • Someone who will take ownership of and accountability for open issues or tasks. For example, if a vendor misses a commitment, or doesn’t deliver, you’ll straighten it out, and do whatever it takes to resolve the issue.
  • Someone who always says “Good morning!” and leaves their personal life at home. When you’re here, you’re here. No matter what happened before you walked in the door, you’re “present” and pleasant when you’re in the office.

This is NOT the Right Position for You If You Are:

  • A 9-to-5, punch-the-clock “Hey, I got done what I could today but I’ve gotta get going now, oh well, maybe tomorrow…” kind-of person
  • Only seeking short-term work – this position offers long-term, full-time employment with opportunities to grow professionally
  • Just looking for a “hobby” to get you out of the house – this is a real position with real responsibilities critical to the success of our business
  • Someone who comes in and thinks “Hmm… what should I do today?” (Hint: before you leave, you should already know what you’re doing the next day.)
  • Someone who likes to chit-chat with coworkers or get caught up on Facebook while – or instead of – actually working
  • Just starting out and have no real experience
  • Unable to provide UP-TO-DATE business references

Who We Are:

We are the headquarters office for a 126-year-old professional society of grain millers, with members spanning the globe. We are a small office of four full-time employees, who work hard to meet our members’ needs, grow the visibility of the association, and achieve its mission, all in a financially responsible and sustainable manner.

Where You’ll Be Working:
We have a professional, well-maintained, office environment in Johnson County, Kansas. The pace is fast, the expectations are high and the work satisfying – meeting the needs of our members. You’ll be working directly with volunteer leaders, an association executive, office manager, and professional development director. You’ll have your own desk, computer, phone, email. You will use a current version of several Microsoft Office products, Adobe Acrobat and a membership database to get your work done.

When You’ll Be Here:
This is a full-time (40 hour/week) position. Staff time is split between remote and in the office; office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch.

What You Can Expect From Us:
We are very focused on the business of serving our members, communicating electronically and through website and social media postings about the products, services and educational programs our association offers. We expect you to maximize your productivity and make the best use of your time and ours. We don’t take missed deadlines, error-prone work or excuses lightly, but we do keep an open line of communication during projects if you need help or guidance.

There is a 6-month probationary period, but it takes at least one year to go through our association’s business cycle and see or perform your job functions at least once. Your performance is evaluated by your supervisor. Performance evaluations are conducted at the end of your probation period, and annually thereafter. A staff member’s value to our organization is demonstrated through exemplary performance evaluations which is a major factor in salary increases.

We’re looking for qualified candidates only, and a full background and reference check will be conducted.

If You Think This Is You…

If you are uncomfortable or offended by anything you’ve read so far, we understand – this isn’t the right position for everyone. If, on the other hand, you’re intrigued by what you have read, then our company has a lot to offer.

Our staff is treated with great respect, presented with an opportunity to work in the association management field, and offered a position with great variety – you’ll never get bored, and you’ll gain knowledge and experience that will help you in all parts of your life.

If you think you might be a good fit, we’d be interested in talking with you further.

To submit an application, please click here.

IAOM is an equal opportunity employer. IAOM provides a competitive compensation and benefits package.

Thank you!