summary
The Events & Development Manager is a non-exempt, confidential position, with the primary objective of providing a variety of meeting and conference planning management activities, and developing Associate Member (AM) support via sponsorships, exhibitor participation, publication advertisement and other forms of participation in a way that supports the strategic plan and goals of the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan.
This position will recruit and be supported by student interns and outside exhibitor firms, and coordinate with other teams within CRA in this work. The Events & Development Manager reports to and works with the Deputy Director of Engagement, and will take a lead role in planning and execution of events and sponsorships. The team leader drives the conference/event process and AM development activities, and all staff participate.
To view a letter written by the CEO of the County Road Association of Michigan,
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Position Responsibilities
- Serve as team leader for nine conferences per year, ranging from 50-1,200 attendees. This includes:
• Developing RFPs, making site visits and recommending conference sites to Director/committee leadership;
• Negotiating venue and related contracts for CEO’s signature;
• Budgeting events to be revenue-positive;
• Coordinating effective timelines and task assignment for events;
• Arranging for and overseeing on-site staffing;
• Ensuring exhibitor and sponsor satisfaction;
• Working with CRA communications team to promote events in advance and on-site;
• Communicating event progress to Board as needed; and
• Utilizing internal tools to automate, manage and track event tasks.
- Ensure conference and meeting logistics including:
• Overseeing travel, lodging and expenses for participants; and
• AV, food, lodging blocks, parking, other on-site amenities.
- Ensure conference follow-up activities including:
• Surveying participant blocks;
• Communicating with event partners; and
• Analyzing event statistics, ratings and preparing post-event reports for Board.
- Provide meeting planning support for other CRA meetings including Council and committee meetings, ensuring timely notification to members, event logistics and coordination with CRA team for virtual and in-person events.
- Manage development work with AMs according to board-adopted AM Strategy, updating it as needed, to include:
• Soliciting memberships, sponsorships, exhibitor participation for conferences;
• Developing/maintaining strong relationships with exhibitor, sponsor AMs;
• Soliciting publication advertisement commitments and other forms of support; and
• Providing value to AMs seeking to work more effectively with county road agencies.
- Utilize internal professional services automation system to develop, manage and track event project timelines and related tasks.
- Develop events to ensure they create positive fund balance, as they are a significant source of revenue for the Association.
