Meeting Planner

American Academy of Pediatrics•Itasca, IL

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

Manage meeting services activities for assigned live and virtual American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continuing medical education (CME) courses and other meetings, including Specialty Courses and Practical Pediatric Courses. This role involves managing all logistics, serving as the on-site representative, cultivating vendor relationships, developing and managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and staying current on industry trends to enhance processes and attendee experience.

Requirements

At least three years’ related meeting planning experience required, including managing meeting specifications, contract negotiations, budget management and forecasting, and on-site support.
Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, communications, business or related discipline or an equivalent combination of relevant education and work experience required.
Must be detail oriented, able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, display exemplary customer service skills, work both independently and as part of a team, take initiative, collaborate effectively with various internal and external high level constituents, and promote and maintain a positive and cooperative team-orientated work environment with a commitment to fostering a culture where everyone feels valued and respected.
Excellent verbal/written communication, negotiation, critical thinking, interpersonal, diplomacy, organizational, and project management skills required.
Strong technical acumen essential with proficiency in MS Office and the ability to learn and apply new technologies including the use of AI; experience with event management/registration software (e.g., Cvent), virtual meeting platforms (e.g., WebEx, Teams), and document collaboration platforms (e.g., SharePoint) preferred.

Nice To Haves

Professional designation (CMP, CAE) preferred.
experience with event management/registration software (e.g., Cvent), virtual meeting platforms (e.g., WebEx, Teams), and document collaboration platforms (e.g., SharePoint preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage logistics for all assigned meetings, including function space assignments, food and beverage planning, transportation, rooming lists, audiovisual requirements, security, and temporary help.
Serve as primary on site AA Representative for assigned AAP meetings.
Cultivate and manage hotel and vendor relationships pre-event and onsite, maintaining proactive communications and establishing clear expectations.
Develop, track, and manage CME course budgets, including expense forecasting, audiovisual pricing analysis, invoice tracking, and reconciliation for assigned meetings.
Solicit, negotiate, and manage contracts with hotels, venues, and suppliers for CME courses to secure favorable terms, mitigate organizational risk, and ensure agreements align with the AAP’s strategic and financial interests, including site visits if necessary.
Assist with contracting ancillary hotels for the National Conference & Exhibition.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and other meeting planning professionals(e.g., industry events, professional development opportunities, etc.).
Assist with National Conference activities as assigned.
Maintain and continuously enhance the department’s meeting planning templates, contract templates, SOP's, and best practices to support consistency, knowledge sharing, process improvement and organizational effectiveness.
Stay current on industry trends to recommend new/enhanced processes to improve work initiatives and meeting attendee experience.
Perform other duties as assigned.