Sr. Events Operations Specialist - Tradeshows

Articulate

About The Position

Articulate is seeking a Senior Events Operations Specialist, Tradeshows to own the operational execution of the companyâs trade show programs and events. This role serves as an operational lead for assigned trade shows, with full accountability for logistics planning, vendor strategy, budget oversight, and onsite execution. As a senior individual contributor on a lean, high-performing Global Events team, this role operates with a high degree of autonomy and independent judgment. This role balances strategic oversight with hands-on execution, adapting level of involvement based on trade show complexity, timelines, and business needs. The ideal candidate is both strategic and execution-oriented, able to design scalable operational frameworks while also leading complex, high-visibility tradeshow programs from planning through post-event analysis. This position plays a critical role in ensuring Articulateâs trade show presence delivers consistent brand quality, operational excellence, and measurable business impact.

Requirements

5â8 years of experience in trade show operations, corporate events, or event marketing operations within a high-growth or global organization.
Demonstrated experience owning complex trade show programs, including logistics strategy, vendor management, and onsite leadership.
Strong project and program management skills with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities simultaneously.
Proven ability to exercise independent judgment, solve complex operational challenges, and make decisions under time-sensitive conditions.
Financial acumen with experience managing event budgets, reconciling expenses, and providing spend analysis.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a collaborative, cross-functional approach.
Proficiency with Google Workspace, Notion, Slack, Zoom; experience with event management platforms (e.g., Cvent, Bizzabo) preferred.
Ability to travel up to 25% annually, primarily domestic with limited international travel.

Nice To Haves

Prior ownership of trade shows, conferences, or branded experiential programs.
Experience working with creative agencies, fabrication vendors, and production partners.
Strong analytical mindset with experience evaluating tools, vendors, or processes to support scale.
Familiarity with project management or collaboration tools used to manage complex, cross-functional programs.
Experience with event registration platforms and virtual or hybrid event technologies.
Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate risks and independently drive resolutions.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end operational planning and execution for assigned trade shows, from initial planning through onsite delivery and post-event evaluation.
Serve as the primary operational lead for assigned trade shows, accountable for logistics strategy, execution quality, and issue resolution.
Lead the logistics workstream across all phases of trade show delivery, including planning timelines, production schedules, run-of-show development, and onsite execution.
Exercise independent judgment to prioritize resources, resolve operational risks, and make real-time decisions that impact trade show quality, cost, and attendee experience.
Act as the onsite operational lead at select trade shows, empowered to make decisions related to staffing, scheduling, vendor coordination, and attendee logistics.
Ensure consistency, scalability, and adherence to Articulateâs brand and quality standards across all trade show executions.
Develop and manage relationships with trade show organizers, vendors and production partners, including booth fabrication, show services, AV, freight, and labor providers.
Own trade show program budgets, with authority to allocate and approve discretionary spend within assigned limits; escalate and recommend additional investment needs to leadership.
Handle invoice reconciliation, variance analysis, and proactively surface scope or budget risks to mitigate overspend.
Partner cross-functionally with Marketing Operations, Sales, Customer Success, Creative, and external agencies to align on booth design, collateral, digital assets, and promotional materials.
Hold vendors and partners accountable to service levels, timelines, and quality expectations, and recommend corrective action or termination if performance is substandard.
Orchestrate the logistics for assigned trade shows and related programs, including travel, lodging, freight, AV, catering, registration, onsite staff operations, and materials.
Provide light-touch operational oversight for select virtual events and webinars associated with trade show and partner programs, ensuring platform readiness, speaker coordination, and seamless execution appropriate to program complexity.
Oversee shipping, storage, and inventory management for trade show assets, establishing scalable systems that ensure accuracy, efficiency, and asset reuse.
Oversee trade show registration workflows and attendee communications, ensuring a seamless and professional experience while delegating or executing tasks as appropriate.
Maintain critical trade show documentation, including contracts, manifests, run-of-show, booth inventories, and attendee data, and continuously evaluate opportunities to improve data integrity and accessibility.
Collaborate on postâtrade show reporting and analysis, including lead capture coordination, ROI tracking, survey execution, and documentation of insights to inform future planning.
Identify and implement process improvements across trade show logistics, vendor management, and operational tools to increase efficiency and scalability.
Partner with the Senior Manager, Global Events to evaluate opportunities for trade show program enhancements, tooling improvements, and operational standardization.
Contribute to the development and documentation of trade show playbooks, templates, and best practices that support consistency and long-term program growth.