Trade Show & Merchandise Manager

Universal Nutrition•New Brunswick, NJ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Universal Nutrition is seeking a driven, detail-oriented, and creatively minded Trade Show & Merchandise Manager to lead two visible, community-facing expressions of the Animal brand: its presence at industry events and its branded merchandise line. Reporting to the 360 Brand Marketing Director within the Marketing organization, the role combines experiential marketing, brand merchandising, and community activation. The manager owns end-to-end planning and execution of Universal Nutrition’s annual trade show and events calendar, including major industry shows and grassroots community activations. The role also leads the full lifecycle of Animal apparel and accessories, from creative briefs and product selection through vendor management, production, inventory, and sales through direct-to-consumer and event channels. The position requires strong project management, visual merchandising judgment, and cultural fluency in bodybuilding and strength sports. This is a hybrid position based at Universal Nutrition’s headquarters in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Monday through Wednesday are required in-office days; Thursday and Friday are flexible, based on business needs and individual preference. Extended on-site presence is required during major event weeks, and weekend travel is expected for key activations. Travel is 25–40% of the time. The position is full-time and exempt.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Brand Management, Merchandising, Fashion/Apparel, Event Management, Communications, or a related field.
6–10 years of progressive experience in trade show management, experiential marketing, event marketing, merchandise management, or a combination, with demonstrated strength in at least two disciplines.
Demonstrated experience planning and executing large-scale trade show or event activations end to end, including logistics, vendor coordination, on-site management, and post-event analysis.
Experience managing a branded merchandise or apparel line, including product development, sourcing, vendor management, assortment planning, inventory management, and sell-through analysis.
Strong visual merchandising sensibility and ability to create on-brand, compelling, commercially effective product and brand displays.
Cultural fluency in bodybuilding, powerlifting, strength sports, and sports nutrition, including an understanding of the Animal community and its consumers.
Strong project management skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage concurrent activations and product development timelines.
Experience negotiating with vendors, exhibit houses, freight carriers, and apparel manufacturers; ability to manage supplier relationships and uphold quality and delivery commitments.
Proficiency with event management tools, project management platforms such as Asana or Monday.com, and Microsoft Office Suite.
Strong analytical capabilities, including interpreting merchandise sales data, event performance metrics, and margin analysis and translating findings into recommendations.
Willingness and ability to travel 25–40% of the time, including weekend travel for major industry shows.
Physical capability to support event setup and teardown, including moving and assembling booth displays and merchandise fixtures.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Shopify or a comparable e-commerce platform.

Responsibilities

Own the annual trade show and events calendar, including planning, logistics, and execution for brand activations at major industry events and community events.
Lead pre-event planning, including venue contracts, booth assignments, exhibit design briefs, display construction and installation, shipping and drayage, staffing, and on-site logistics.
Set event objectives and success criteria, such as sales targets, lead-generation goals, sampling volumes, engagement KPIs, and brand impression metrics; evaluate performance after each activation.
Negotiate with exhibit houses, display vendors, freight carriers, and on-site service providers to deliver quality execution within approved budgets.
Lead on-site booth setup, teardown, and troubleshooting for major brand activations.
Maintain the master event calendar and project timelines, coordinating deliverables and deadlines across creative, operations, sales, and athlete relations stakeholders.
Prepare post-event reports covering booth traffic, sales, sampling, captured photo and video assets, and engagement metrics; present findings and recommendations to the 360 Brand Marketing Director.
Coordinate event-based content capture with the 360 Brand Marketing Director for social, digital, and public relations use.
Manage event inventory, including samples, display materials, signage, point-of-sale materials, and giveaways; coordinate product allocation and replenishment with Operations.
Lead community outreach and grassroots programming with the Brand Community function, including gym sponsorships, local competitions, affiliate activations, and grassroots marketing.
Identify and recommend event and community activation opportunities aligned with Animal’s positioning and target consumers.
Coordinate athlete and ambassador appearances with the Athlete & Ambassador Manager, aligning scheduling, deliverables, and on-site presence with event strategy.
Build and maintain relationships with event organizers, venue operators, competition promoters, and community partners to secure placement, sponsorship value, and ongoing event presence.
Own the full lifecycle of Animal apparel and accessories collections, from seasonal concept through production, inventory receipt, and sell-through.
Develop seasonal assortment plans and creative briefs; partner with internal creative and external design resources and manage product development timelines.
Select merchandise assortments for events, including SKU mix, sizing, pricing, and on-site display presentation, to support event sales.
Source and manage apparel, manufacturing, printing, embroidery, and accessories suppliers; negotiate pricing, lead times, and quality standards.
Manage the merchandise roadmap and launch calendar, aligning product drops with major events, supplement launches, athlete collaborations, and seasonal campaigns.
Lead limited-edition and event-exclusive merchandise programs from concept through sell-out, coordinating production quantities, pricing, event allocation, and online fulfillment.
Manage merchandise inventory across direct-to-consumer, event, and applicable wholesale or retail channels, maintaining appropriate stock levels.
Analyze SKU sales, margins, event sell-through, and consumer feedback; present seasonal recaps and recommendations to the 360 Brand Marketing Director.
Manage the merchandise section of animalpak.com with the e-commerce team, including product listing accuracy, photography standards, copy, and promotional cadence.
Develop and maintain Animal visual merchandising standards for trade shows, events, and retail touchpoints.
Ensure booth layouts, apparel displays, signage, point-of-sale materials, and product arrangements follow brand guidelines and deliver a consistent brand experience.
Oversee design and production of event display assets, including booth graphics, hanging signage, product fixtures, branded tables and risers, and promotional materials.
Collaborate with the 360 Brand Marketing Director and creative resources on event-specific visual identities that connect to broader brand campaigns.
Manage trade show, events, and merchandise budgets; track spending, flag variances, and reforecast as needed.
Provide cost estimates, vendor quotes, and resource analyses to support annual budget planning and event-level P&L decisions.
Track and report event and merchandise metrics, including attendance, booth engagement, sell-through, margins, and brand health indicators.
Travel 25–40% of the time for events and activations, including weekend travel for major industry shows.
Support on-site event setup and teardown, including moving and assembling booth displays and merchandise fixtures.

Benefits

Medical insurance, with costs shared between employer and employee.
Dental insurance, with costs shared between employer and employee.
Vision insurance, with costs shared between employer and employee.
401(k) plan with employer match of up to 5%.
Employer-sponsored life insurance.
Basic AD&D insurance.
Short-term disability insurance.
Long-term disability insurance.
Additional buy-up insurance coverages available.
Paid time off at competitive market rates.
Paid sick leave.
Employee Resource Center and telehealth medical offerings.
Employee product discount on Animal and Universal Nutrition products.
Annual performance bonus opportunity of 10% of base salary, tied to event performance KPIs, merchandise sell-through, budget management, and brand activation quality metrics.