Exhibits Manager

NAFSA: Association of International Educators•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Exhibits Manager owns the sales plan, management, and execution of the International Education Expo at NAFSA’s Annual Conference. The role is accountable for meeting the approved annual Expo revenue target and advises the Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development, on Expo strategy. Approved strategy is translated into sales plans, pricing recommendations, forecasts, and new Expo offerings. The Manager leads exhibitor sales, customer service, payments, logistics, and on-site operations in collaboration with the Conferences, Marketing, Finance, and Technology teams. The role maintains the Expo sales database and reporting used by SPD leadership and the CEO, and builds relationships with exhibitors, Global Partners, country and government partners, and vendors. This position supports Expo financial success, professional operations, and alignment with NAFSA’s mission.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least three years of successful experience managing tradeshows or events, including sales.
Experience building revenue forecasts, sales plans, or business cases for leadership.
Experience managing a CRM or sales database, such as Airtable or Salesforce, and producing regular reports from it.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
Creative problem-solving, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with a strong commitment to customer service.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
High attention to detail, especially with payments, contracts, and data.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability to work well independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment, and to adapt as responsibilities change.
Willingness to travel and work extended hours during peak events.
Passion for international education and alignment with NAFSA’s mission.
Ability to attend the Annual Conference during the week of Memorial Day, including the holiday itself.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a membership association or nonprofit.
Experience with expo and event platforms such as Map Your Show, Cadmium, Swapcard, and interactive floor plans, and with association management systems such as iMIS.
Experience working with a general services contractor such as Freeman and with venue labor rules.
Experience implementing or migrating an event or sales system.
Customer- or partner-facing experience.
Exposure to international education, global partnerships, university relations, or government and country pavilions.
Familiarity with sustainable event practices.

Responsibilities

Manage year-round relationships with organizations exhibiting at NAFSA’s annual conference and expo.
Oversee booth reservations and the annual rebooking process.
Maintain the online interactive floor plan and exhibitor service portal, including booth assignments, holds, and moves.
Provide orientation materials and concierge services for new exhibitors.
Lead exhibitor customer service, manage the shared exhibits inbox, and route payment, logistics, and sales questions.
Plan and send regular exhibitor communications and run webinars covering deadlines and logistics.
Manage exhibitor payments, credits, and cancellations according to documented procedures, including follow-up on overdue and upcoming payments.
Prepare and coordinate contracting and compliance documents required by some international and government partners.
Run the exhibitor sustainability program (Eco Pledge) and related Expo sustainability work with other NAFSA departments.
Serve as the on-site contact and problem solver for exhibitor issues during the Annual Conference.
Lead booth sales to new and returning exhibitors, country pavilions, and tabled pavilion partners.
Manage the active prospect pipeline and follow up with exhibitor accounts through each sales cycle.
Develop and deliver new Expo offerings from concept through pricing, sales, and logistics.
Develop and sell paid exhibitor visibility in the conference app and expo platform, including enhanced listings and cross-sell sponsorship opportunities.
Work with Marketing on promotional materials and campaigns that drive booth sales, including early-bird deadlines.
Support SPD by packaging exhibit benefits for Global Partners and managing partner sales onsite before public sales open.
Share Expo sales and outreach procedures with other NAFSA teams to support organization-wide revenue goals.
Support website content related to exhibiting.
Manage contracts and relationships with the general services contractor, lead retrieval vendors, insurance providers, and venue partners.
Coordinate with the general services contractor on exhibitor portal setup, exhibitor-list updates, floor-plan updates, and furniture orders for NAFSA-run spaces.
Oversee custom expo hall floor plans based on venue layout and exhibitor seniority.
Manage booth decor and services NAFSA purchases on behalf of partners, including EAIE, APAIE, and Booth-in-a-Box.
Coordinate exhibitor registration with the registration provider.
Work with venue contacts on catering, electricity, and rigging; identify and reduce labor-rule, space, and access risks.
Keep standard operating procedures for payments, discounts, reservations, and cancellations current.
Maintain the Expo sales database in Airtable, including bookings, reservations, cancellations, payments, company and contact records, and sales pacing.
Review and update payment records in the expo platform weekly; record wires and checks reported by Finance and reconcile received and outstanding amounts, including for audit requests.
Lead the Expo team’s role in moving from Cadmium to Map Your Show for the 2028 conference, working with Technology; own exhibitor-side setup and data quality after launch.
Produce regular Expo sales updates for SPD leadership.
Own the annual Expo sales plan and advise the Director on Expo strategy and ways to improve exhibitor experience.
Build revenue models and sales forecasts for the annual Expo budget and revenue target.
Recommend pricing, packages, and new offerings, and translate approved strategy into the annual sales plan.
Prepare Expo performance analysis for SPD leadership and other internal briefings.
Monitor exhibition industry trends and recommend enhancements.
Perform other duties as assigned to support NAFSA’s strategic goals and objectives.