FASS, an association management organization, is seeking an Exhibits/Sponsorship Manager. The Exhibits/Sponsorship Manager will be responsible for selling and managing exhibit booths, sponsorships, and advertising for FASS clients. The position will be responsible for developing accurate budget projections as well as selling, tracking, analyzing, reporting, and managing exhibitors, sponsorships, and advertising. Additionally, the position will be responsible for management of clients’ trade shows and will collaborate with the communication and meetings teams to assist as needed with the execution of conference planning and logistics.

Successful candidates for this position will share a commitment to our clients’ diverse memberships and unique missions, and will bring expertise in the management of exhibits and sponsorships to the organization to support growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Exhibit Sales and Management:

Solicits new exhibitors and confirms previous exhibitors for conferences to meet and exceed revenue sales/budget projections.

Collaborates with FASS Director of Meetings, FASS Communications Manager, and client leadership to develop budget goals, sales plans, and marketing and promotional campaigns.

Manages the sales process from pricing through contract execution, payment, and financial record keeping and reporting.

Establishes and maintains successful customer relationships, including identifying customer needs while applying skills and knowledge to determine client solutions and identify opportunities for advertisers, exhibitors, and sponsors.

Manages retention strategies and strategies for generating leads.

Designs exhibitor prospectuses and related material.

Updates and maintains advertiser, exhibitor, and sponsor data in association management system (AMS) and other databases as needed.

Maintains exhibitor information on website.

Coordinates operation production schedules for pre-show marketing, pre-show communications, on-site logistics, and post-show communications and evaluations.

Works with on-site decorator to confirm exhibitor kit info.

Selects/confirms exhibit hall vendors, confirms all logistics with vendors.

Manages onsite exhibit halls from set-up through tear down.

Works with membership and accounting departments to ensure that invoicing and billing are done promptly and correctly.

Sponsorship and Advertising Sales and Management:

Solicits new and works to retain previous sponsors and advertisers for clients to meet sales/budget projections.

Collaborates with Director of Meetings and Communications Manger to develop budget goals, sales plans, and marketing and promotional campaigns.

Manages the sales process from pricing through contract execution, payment, and financial record keeping and reporting.

Establishes and maintains successful customer relationships, including identifying customer needs while applying skills and knowledge to determine solutions and identify opportunities.

Manages retention strategies and strategies for generating leads.

Designs sponsorship/adverting prospectuses and related material.

Manages fulfillments of all sponsorship/advertiser agreements.

Markets sponsorships and ads for client publications, including client websites, print material, and email.

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, business, or related field required

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the field of marketing, sales, integrated marketing communications, or closely related field required
• Work experience in associations preferred

Skills:

• Strong customer service skills
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Excellent diplomacy skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Quick and accurate data entry
• Time management skills
• Able to identify opportunities/overcome objections.
• Some design and layout, desktop publishing skills preferred.

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of marketing and sales strategy, planning and execution
• Advanced knowledge of association best practices
• Advanced knowledge of office etiquette
• Intermediate knowledge of association, board, and non-profit structures

Abilities

• Able to handle sensitive information and maintain the highest levels of confidentiality
• Able to learn and process information quickly
• Able to multi-task
• Able to be a self-starter
• Well organized
• Able to collaborate well with groups and individuals
• Ability to be flexible and fluid

About FASS

FASS, Inc. a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1998, provides shared management services to more than 10,000 professionals in not-for-profit animal science and related organizations. FASS currently provides its members with accounting, conference planning and event management, membership and administration, publication services, and information technology services. The FASS office is at Research Park, a leading innovation hub of unique startups and established companies, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. The Champaign-Urbana community is a downstate community with a suburban feel, abundant sports, music, food, and cultural events, and was named by Livability.com as one of the top 100 Best Places to Live in America in 2021. FASS, Inc. offers competitive salary and excellent benefits with a zero-dollar group health deductible and automatic 5% contribution to your retirement plan. FASS encourages work-life balance by providing employees with a generous time off policy, the ability to work flexible hours, and hybrid/remote work.

Connections working at FASS