Trade Show Director jobs in Chicago, IL

• Create venue and audiovisual specs, food and beverage plans, assign meeting space
• Create revenue and expense assumptions for conference and tradeshow expense lines and manage to budget numbers
• Create housing blocks; understand hotel contractual terms and commitments
• Review vendor proposals/contracts and negotiate agreements
• Develop and implement event registration policies and procedures
• Create General Services Contractor specifications and create overall signage plan
• Oversee exhibitor space selection process
• Create trade show floor plan designs
• Fulfill year-round partner programs and serve as the primary contact for sponsor companies
• Bring innovation and invention to event planning

This Role Might Be for You If…

• You love the events and meeting space, you possess strong knowledge of industry terminology, sponsorship fulfillment, tradeshow, and registration processes
• You love innovation and coming up with new and interesting ways of doing things
• You love to multi-task, have strong time management skills and are known for your ability to prioritize effectively and flex when needed
• You are proactive, with a default towards taking action
• You thrive in pulling people together for a greater cause, eliciting cooperation from and inspiring clients, colleagues and suppliers
• When presented with a problem, you demonstrate a positive attitude, eagerness and open-mindedness towards solution seeking
• You possess intellectual curiosity, are a continuous learner and seek to understand the “why and how”
• You possess strong written and oral communication skills
• You have strong interpersonal skills and a high degree of responsibility, initiative, and professionalism.
• You possess familiarity with venues, facilities and conventions centers.
• You have the ability to travel 25%, both domestic and international, and work overtime as needed to attend events and client meetings (may include weekends)

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent experience
• 3-5 years relevant professional experience

Preferred Qualifications

• 3 year of experience in an event planning environment is a plus
• Experience with exhibit management software, Salesforce and/or other CRMs is a plus
• Proficiency with basic computer programming, including the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

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 fulfilment 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.