Organization Overview

The Employer is a long-standing national trade association headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The association supports its mission through a small, dedicated, and collaborative staff. This position may be performed remotely, with occasional travel required.

Position Summary

The Events and Education Director is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing all in-person and virtual meetings, educational sessions, and special events for the association under the guidance of the Executive Director. The position requires initiative, creativity, attention to detail, and strong organizational skills. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter capable of managing multiple projects with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, execute, and evaluate all association-sponsored events and meetings (in-person and virtual).

• Conduct needs assessments for member training, education, and informational programming.

• Identify appropriate delivery methods for educational content (live events, print, digital, online courses, etc.).

• Coordinate educational content and speakers for all training and event programs.

• Develop and manage budgets for each event; monitor financial performance and adjust to meet goals.

• Solicit sponsorships for events and manage sponsor engagement and recognition.

• In collaboration with the Events Committee, select and manage speakers and presenters.

• Coordinate speaker logistics, including travel arrangements and communications.

• Work with the Director, Communications, to develop marketing strategies and promotional campaigns for events.

• Negotiate venue and vendor contracts in collaboration with the Executive Director and external consultants.

• Oversee event logistics, including room setup, audiovisual needs, meals, and staff/volunteer assignments.

• Manage on-site event execution, logistics, and staff involvement.

• Collect and analyze event feedback and evaluations to inform future improvements.

• Facilitate and report on Event Committee meetings.

• Work with volunteer committees to incorporate industry expertise into programming.

• Respond to participant and member inquiries related to events and registration.

• Develop and coordinate an annual sponsorship program.

• Provide event support and assistance to the Executive Director as needed.

• Assist the Membership Director with general member services.

Success Indicators

Performance in this role will be evaluated based on:

• Timely execution of events and adherence to established timelines and milestones.

• Achievement of event attendance targets and participant satisfaction benchmarks.

• Sponsorship revenue aligned with event-specific and annual goals.

• Adherence to event budgets, including cost containment and return on investment.

• Consistent communication and collaboration with internal staff, volunteer committees, and external vendors.

• Demonstrated responsiveness to member needs and feedback.

• Continuous improvement of event content, logistics, and overall experience as reflected in post-event evaluations.

Qualifications & Skills

• Proven experience in event and meeting planning is required.

• Strong project management and organizational skills.

• Experience in budget creation, vendor and partner management, and VIP coordination.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.

• Excellent customer service and communication skills (verbal and written).

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with association management software is a plus.

• Self-motivated and capable of working independently and in a team environment.

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; Associate degree with at least 1 year of experience or high school diploma with 5+ years relevant experience required.

• Must be available for overnight travel (2–3 days per trip, 4–6 times per year, including occasional weekends).

Work Environment

• Remote or hybrid work flexibility.

• Small team environment with opportunity for impact and innovation.

• Occasional travel required for event execution.