Manager, Trade Show & Event Stores | Hybrid

Lifeway Christian Resources•Brentwood, TN

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lifeway is seeking an experienced Manager, Trade Shows & Event Stores to lead the strategic and operational execution of approximately 60 annual events that serve churches and ministry partners across the country. This role is the driving force behind Lifeway's trade show presence and national event store footprint — overseeing everything from product curation and merchandising to team leadership, vendor negotiations, and on-site execution. If you thrive in a high-volume, travel-intensive environment and love building teams and systems that scale, this is an opportunity to do meaningful work at the intersection of operational excellence and ministry impact. This position is based within the Nashville Metropolitan Area. Lifeway is a place where you can bring your faith and work experience to join in the most important mission in the world: making disciples of Jesus Christ. Whether you’re a creator or storyteller, data guru or problem-solver, or anywhere in between, if you’re passionate about serving the church, we have a place for you. Lifeway has a strong Work from Anywhere (WFA) culture that is deeply focused on our mission and values. While headquartered in Nashville, TN, many of our positions are remote-eligible and have autonomy and flexibility with work hours. We provide equipment and resources to ensure team members have access to a productive and ergonomic workspace. We believe building relationships and community is essential to how we work together, so Lifeway hosts all-team meetings several times per year and provides travel for key team gatherings for remote-based team members. Full-time employees are eligible for enrollment in our comprehensive benefits plans including healthcare, vacation and sick time, holiday pay, care days, 401(k) plan, maternity and paternity leave, adoption assistance, mission trip time, and more. If this sounds like a place where you would be excited to serve the kingdom of God, we would love for you to join our team. Learn more about our culture at team.lifeway.com/culture-code This is a hybrid remote/in-office position located in the greater Nashville, TN area. Relocation assistance is available.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree - Marketing, Event Management, Business, Communications, etc. or equivalent combination of education and experience, required
8–10 years of event operations or large-scale event management experience, including trade shows and national event stores from planning through post-event reporting
5+ years of team leadership or people management experience in a fast-paced, travel-intensive event environment
3+ years of vendor management and contract negotiation experience with venues, catering, transportation, and event partners
Demonstrated expertise in large-scale event logistics including freight, inventory workflows, merchandising, and travel coordination
Strong financial management skills including budgeting, expense tracking, variance analysis, and financial reconciliation for event programs
Proven ability to develop standardized workflows, SOPs, and process improvements that drive consistency and scalability across high-volume programs
Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting to and partnering with cross-functional teams, senior leadership, and external stakeholders
Actively involved in an evangelical Christian church

Nice To Haves

Experience with project management tools such as Workfront or similar trade show management platforms
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for financial tracking, reporting, and analytics
Experience with Oracle or Firebrand systems
Knowledge of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and experience in SBC event contexts
Prior experience working within a ministry, church, or faith-based organization

Responsibilities

Lives out Lifeway’s mission and values, showing deep commitment to Kingdom work
Owns and drives the operational strategy for approximately 60 annual trade shows and event stores,
Ensures consistent, on-brand execution that serves churches and honors Lifeway's mission
Defines event needs including size, layout, product curation, pricing strategy, signage, and attendee experience for national event stores and trade show conferences
Leads the product curation process for all event stores, consulting with ministry teams to align offerings with church needs and Lifeway's resources strategy
Oversees design, layout, and merchandising of exhibits, hospitality suites, trade show booths, and special projects — including oversight of new exhibit construction with cost management accountability
Leads, coaches, and develops a cross-trained team of Event Leads and Coordinators capable of executing both trade shows and event stores with consistency and confidence
Serves as on-site planning and logistics lead for major national events and trade shows, providing hands-on leadership across 20+ events per year
Negotiates contracts with venues, transportation vendors, catering providers, and event partners to meet annual budget goals
Oversee a $1M+ annual budget including forecasting, expense management, variance analysis, and post-event financial reconciliation
Partners cross-functionally with Strategy & Creative, Finance, Logistics, IT, and Warehouse teams to coordinate responsibilities and maintain accountability across the event calendar
Drives continuous improvement through post-event reviews, data analysis, and development of standardized workflows and SOPs for scalable event execution
Significant travel, typically overnight