With Who: Council on Social Work Education
Location: Alexandria, VA
Type of Employment: Full-Time
Position Description: As Director of Meetings and Events, your role is to creatively and strategically direct, administer, develop and execute all meetings and events for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) locally and nationally. This entails working collaboratively with the Council’s leadership team to ensure that meetings and events meet CSWE’s standards. A successful candidate will also maximize outcomes across the organization that create industry leading educational programs and virtual meeting and learning experiences. In this role, you’ll work to identify new and emerging areas of learning technology related to meeting management. You’ll also take a lead role in incorporating and instituting collaborative objectives. The Director position is accountable for logistical planning, budgeting and complex contract negotiations and vendor management.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- General Meetings & Events Management
- Develop, plan and manage the RFP/Bidding process, and provide complete analysis of future APM locations, meeting facilities, decorating company, housing and registration services.
- Develop and monitor the meeting revenue and expense budget.
- Manages and provides all logistics for meeting room setups, food/beverage, audio visual, power, Wi-Fi, floral arrangements, registration counter equipment, move in and out coordination with hotel loading dock for annual program meeting.
- Schedule and assign meeting rooms for all educational and plenary sessions; preconference institutes, invited sessions; affiliate meeting space requests; luncheons, receptions, and business meetings for annual program meeting.
- Oversee meeting sales and logistics coordinator and any other meetings and events staff member that manages logistical needs for APM exhibit hall including the floorplans, hall setup/teardown, ordering of booth equipment for CSWE and MFP booths and final fire marshal approval.
- Administrative
- Review all vendor billing and payments for audio visual services, hotel and/or meeting site, decorating company, power, internet, registration and housing, and resolves discrepancies and assigns accounting codes.
- Negotiate third-party registration contract, in collaboration with the meeting planner designs, tests, development of registration website, reviews, establishes and implements policies, procedures and guidelines for registration services.
- In collaboration with the VP of Finance and Operations, develops the APM crises management plan.
- Manages and monitors multiple hotel room blocks, develops online housing reservations and policies, creates VIP, vendor and staff rooming lists.
- Assist meetings and events staff with the development of graphics for charging stations/lounges, floor clings, exhibit entrance towers, twitter monitors, ribbon wall and registration counters. Oversees draft and approval processes with decorating company.
- Work in partnership with communications team’s work on the APM website, mobile applications and print materials related to the conference.
- Supervise, mentor and serve as a leading authority to staff involved in the meetings management and sales functions.
- Collaborate with sales staff member regarding exhibitor registration module development, testing, and problem-solving.
- Work collaboratively with the marketing and communications department to create and produce all communication briefs for the meetings department.
- Manage and create content for the CSWE APM website including registration pages, categories, rates, policies, transportation and hotel information tab
- Assist with other meetings and events as needed.
Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills Required:
- A Bachelor’s degree or an advanced business degree
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in meetings and exhibits planning, including project management, business planning, and integration of technology on both a strategic and tactical level; experience leading meetings for an association strongly preferred
- Certified Meeting Professional certification a plus
- Experience managing large vendor contracts concurrently
- Supervisory and staff development experience
- Knowledge of exhibit, sponsorship and advertising sales a plus
- Excellent communication skills including public speaking, writing, active listening, and synthesizing information from diverse sources when working with colleagues, members, and volunteers
- Outstanding attention to detail
- Strong, proven leadership skills amongst staff and management; ability to engage effectively with senior professionals (internal and external business partners)
- Strong budget management skills
- Stellar interpersonal skills and ability to cultivate an atmosphere of collaboration, integrity, trust, diversity, and respect
- Ability to solve problems with good judgment and maintain effective working relationships
- Ability to efficiently manage time, meet schedules/deadlines and handle multiple assignments simultaneously
- Computer proficient and adept at learning new software
ADA Specifications: This position is primarily sedentary and is performed in an office setting. The physical demands of this position include moving articles to be used in program activities. Position requires ability to communicate effectively, and the ability to use computers, telephones and other office equipment. Periodic out-of-town travel is also required, as well as attendance at and/or support of meetings and events outside of normal working hours which may include evenings and/or weekends. To be qualified, an individual must have the requisite skills, experience and education for the job and must also be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. The Council on Social Work Education provides reasonable accommodations to applicants upon request.
Notes: Employer will assist with relocation costs.
Apply (or request more information): Apply today! Submit your application via the CofC Alumni Career Center.