CONVENTION MANAGER

Our Chicago office has an opportunity available for a Convention Manager with 5+ years association or corporate meeting planning experience. The ideal candidate must have pre, on-site and post meeting planning coordination for national and international meetings of 300+ attendees; strong knowledge of US destinations and familiarity with international destinations; experience in site selection and negotiating multi-hotel contracts, packages, food & beverage; strong financial management and experience working with volunteer committees.

Demonstrated Experience:
Manage team members, and serve as key interface with other team members, internal account team members, and external clients (vendors) maximizing productivity and delivering high quality conventions/trade shows.
Ensure effective convention/trade shows as evidenced by early problem resolution, positive attendee and Board feedback.
Ensure critical deadlines and budgetary guidelines are adhered to, and response expectations and quality standards are met.
Demonstrate industry knowledge by contributing effective ideas to client strategic planning and analysis processes.
Oversee continuous communication between SmithBucklin units, clients, vendors, and exhibitors to meet client needs.
Develop and nurture good relationships with clients and outside suppliers to enhance service, manage expectations, and respond to client feedback in a timely and efficient manner.
Provide direction on individual staff development. Appraise and evaluate individual team member performance.
Allocate people and resources to meet objectives and investigate and implement ways to improve the efficiency of a service or operation.
Coordinate staff representing other Business and Service Units within the client team.
Ensure work is within a prescheduled budget and is completed expeditiously with accuracy and exceptional quality.
Encourage and motivate direct reports to support SmithBucklin initiatives and promote the development of peer relationships and personal/professional growth opportunities.
Create a good team spirit both with in the staff team and with the client and provide leadership by encouraging cooperation and communication between team members.
Assist in acquiring new business by demonstrating SmithBucklin reputation in the marketplace for professional knowledge, fiscal responsibility, and buying power. REQUIREMENTSBachelors degree required
Minimum 5 years experience in convention/tradeshow industry or event/meeting planning; 2 years supervisory experiencePC experience with Windows operating system and a variety of software programs (Microsoft Office, and/or exhibit software)Excellent knowledge of industry terminology and trends
Ability to work as team leader, team member, and independently to best serve clientHigh level of professionalism
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Proven ability to sell ideas to Clients
Strong Time management and organizational skills (multiple concurrent tasks)
Strong business negotiation, project, financial and strategic management skills
Strong customer service skills

SmithBucklin is proud to offer the following benefits which include but, are not limited to: Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance, 401(k), Tuition Reimbursement and Educational Assistance.
To learn more about SmithBucklin Corporation, visit www.smithbucklin.com .
Please use the following guidelines to ensure your resume is quickly and accurately processed:
Salary requirements must be included
Format resume as either a MS Word doc or pdf
E-mail preferred method of retrievalWe are an EOE M/F/D/V employer.Attn: Human Resources
SmithBucklin Corporation
401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60611
E-Mail: [Click here for email]