Manager, Meetings and Events

Department Overview

The Department of Meeting Exposition Services provides suitable environments that encourage the personal exchange of scientific information and professional knowledge among our members and customers at regularly scheduled fall and spring meetings, expositions, regional meetings, and specialty conferences and events by coordinating logistics, housing, transportation, security, and all other services associated with event planning.

Position Summary

The Manager, Meetings and Events reports to the Assistant Director in the Department of Meetings and Exposition Services. The position will supervise up to 4 staff members and provide operational oversite and project management for departmental and organizational goals. The Manager, Meetings and Events, will oversee and facilitate all aspects of meeting planning: project management; logistical management; financial management; conduct location and venue RFPs, site selection, and site visits; create and manage vendor RFP process, negotiation, contracting, and vendor communication; coordinate and manage event registration creation (in conjunction with registration staff); coordinate marketing (in conjunction with marketing staff); provide housing management; provide onsite staffing and logistical management; and create detailed post-event reports. In addition, the position will provide operational support for the department including budgeting and creating/updating standard operating procedures as well as support volunteer leaders with strategic planning for the organization.

Position Accountabilities

• Supervise up to 4 staff members and provide support to them in their professional development
• Provide operational oversite and project management for departmental and organizational goals
• Work on multiple meetings: ACS regional, Pacifichem, ACS Spring/Fall, specialty conferences and events simultaneously
• Manage finances of projects including creating and managing meeting budgets and financial reports; reconciling registration, sponsorship, and exhibit revenue and reconciling and processing all expenses
• Create request for proposals (RFPs) for meeting site venues for up to 15 different events per year
• Act as project manager for assigned projects/meetings, which includes creating and managing meeting production timelines (work plans) and conducting planning meetings with clients and partners
• Provide logistical management for meetings including preparing event specs to include detailed set-up requirements; accurately communicate requirements to clients, venues and vendors
• Accurately review and approve BEO’s, flow sheets, and function orders with venues and vendors
• Utilize Cvent venue database/software to conduct city/hotel/convention center site searches based on general meeting specification, RFP, and specific client preferences for up to 15 different events per year
• Conduct in-person and virtual site visits/inspections as needed
• Create and manage request for proposals (RFPs), selection, and contract negotiations for vendors in several areas including: general services contractors, audio visual, catering, mobile apps, printers, shipping, and other vendors as required
• Act as main point of contact for all vendors to ensure work is completed
• Coordinate with registration staff and clients to create and manage registration website, flow, and registration form for assigned projects
• Coordinate with the marketing department to create and send event marketing materials and communications via email, web, and print
• Review all meeting marketing and client-created meeting materials including correspondence, program book, mobile app, and website pages 
• Provide housing management; create and manage VIP and staff housing lists, monitor hotel pick-up weekly, manage pick-up and attrition and provide solutions to housing challenges
• Provide onsite support for in-person and virtual meetings to act in logistical or registration management roles
• Create post-event meeting reports to include details regarding: registration, financials, attendee surveys, sales and mobile app statistics
• Liaison with ACS internal survey department to create post-meeting attendee survey
• Draft and track department budgets throughout the year
• Review and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for department as needed
• Support volunteer leaders with strategic planning for the organization.
• Provide timely, outstanding customer service for internal and external clients
• Respond in a timely manner to customer inquiries
• Perform other duties as assigned by management

Education/Experience/Technological Knowledge

• College degree or equivalent experience; may have an advanced degree or equivalent experience
• CMP, CMM, CEM, or other Meeting Industry certifications preferred
• 7+ years of demonstrated meeting planning experience
• 2+ years of people management experience
• Demonstrated meeting planning and project management experience required
• Strong writing and verbal communications skills for interacting with stakeholders
• Strategic and creative thinking
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and other relevant business software
• Organizational and analytical skills with an attention to detail are highly desirable
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with focus on collaboration and consensus building between teams
• Collaborative approach to all work; ability to create productive and efficient working relationships
• Ability to work nights and weekends for successful execution of events
• Ability to move about to accomplish tasks for many hours a day during events
• Conduct oneself in a positive, professional, and ethical manner
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.
• Travel up to 30% of the time

This position will be primarily based in the Washington D.C. office. ACS employees work a hybrid work schedule, consisting of working onsite, three days per week. ACS employees are in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday with the third in-office day scheduled in consultation with the manager. While always welcome to work in the office, employees may work the other two days of the week from a location of their choice. New employees are immediately eligible for this hybrid work arrangement. ACS offers relocation assistance, if applicable.

EEO/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran