Education and Training, Meetings/Expositions/Events
Required Education:
4 Year Degree
Position Overview:
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association based in Herndon, Virginia, is seeking a senior manager of conferences. This position is a key role within the Education team at NAIOP, planning 5-7 conferences and meetings annually, ranging from 20 to 1,500 people in the US and Canada. The successful candidate will possess excellent project management skills, clear and pleasant oral and written communication, flexibility on project prioritization, and savvy negotiation skills. The meeting planner works with a third-party site selection firm, DMCs, hotels, convention centers, and internal teams to create excellent conference experiences.
Primary Responsibilities:
Conference and Meeting Logistics
Manages all hotel logistics, including food and beverage selection, audio-visual equipment, DMC contracts, room set-ups, guarantees, credit approval, preparation and execution of all event specifications;
Prepares and manages staff onsite work schedule;
Identifies potential vendors, negotiates vendor contracts, and coordinates vendor requirements;
Plans and manages special events;
Reconciles hotel and vendor invoices and processes them for payment;
Visits properties to plan and prepare for upcoming meetings;
Meets with vendors and appropriate event staff;
Identifies and visits potential locations for any off-site events.
Pre-Conference Activities
Coordinates logistics for pre-conference meetings including national committee meetings, Board of Directors, Foundation Governors, National Forums and NAIOP-PAC;
Plans Board of Directors receptions and dinners;
Plans Foundation Governors receptions and dinners;
Coordinates National Forums dinners and transportation;
Develops and maintains hotel reservation reports.
Future Sites Contracting
Identifies and analyzes feasibility of potential sites for future conferences;
Manages internal contract review, signature and return process;
Serves as main contact with meetings vendor in future site selection and contract negotiation.
Budgets
Recommends budgets for department review and executes the budgets, ensuring guidelines are followed;
Maintains working event budgets throughout the year, including projections for future years’ budgets.
Additional Responsibilities:
Provides customer service to members via phone and email interactions;
Performs other duties as assigned.
Supervises:
No supervisory responsibilities
Reports to Vice President for Education
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree required. CMP or other meeting/project management designation(s) preferred. Minimum 5 years’ experience planning complex association or non-profit conferences and meetings.
Demonstrated organizational skills, ability to manage multiple projects and move quickly from one project to another while maintaining thorough records. Requires the ability to be flexible and balance competing priorities.
Professional demeanor and effective interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills, and competency in Microsoft Office suite is required.
Outstanding people and customer service skills, including the ability to work effectively and collaborate with colleagues at all levels, members, and vendors.
Requires knowledge of conference facilities, hotels, convention centers, technology and equipment.
Exceptional customer service, initiative and a high degree of results orientation is required, and possess the ability to work effectively and collaborate with colleagues at all levels, members, and vendors.
Must have the ability to investigate, analyze, and synthesize information and make sound recommendations.
Travel requirement is approximately 20%.
About NAIOP
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP provides unparalleled industry networking and education, and advocates for effective legislation on behalf of our members. NAIOP advances responsible, sustainable development that creates jobs and benefits the communities in which our members work and live. For more information, visit www.naiop.org.
