The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) seeks an experienced meetings professional for the Director of an eight-person department that handles about 60 meetings annually. The Director of Meetings is responsible for the management and execution of about 15-20 meetings annually (domestic and international) with attendance ranging from 25 to 1,000 people, in a very fast-paced environment. In addition to this meetings management responsibility, this position supervises two meetings managers.
With regard to the meeting management responsibility, significant areas of focus include logistical planning, budgeting and complex contract negotiations. This position has independent responsibility for multifaceted meetings and projects that often overlap and require attention to multiple meetings simultaneously. The ability to make sound decisions on one’s own accord while supporting the AAAE mission is essential to this role.
Further, this position is accountable for a stringent budget in program spending and responsible for overall success of external meetings both logistically and financially. Responsibilities include post event payment, invoicing and financial reporting, marketing review and registration database tracking and monitoring.
Primary duties and responsibilities:
Assists Meetings leadership in management responsibilities of the department to include budgets, goals, business processes, marketing and promotion, staff supervision and future planning.
Manages the distribution of projects within department and ensure that deadlines are met.
Manages and executes webinars.
Assists with annual conference logistics.
Assists direct reports with the contract negotiation process using a corporate addendum in conjunction with hotel contracts.
Puts together RFPs and negotiate contracts and association’s addendum; coordinates food and beverage, audio visual and room sets for meetings.
Creates and maintains individual meetings’ websites through iMIS (association’s database) for all assigned meetings.
Provides on-site staff support as needed.
Works with program staff on budget preparation and management.
Maintains history of performance for all assigned meetings.
Handles all post conference meeting duties to include bill reconciliations, attendee correspondence, etc.
Liaises with meeting attendees.
Organizes and handles registration for meetings.
Supervises and provides leadership/guidance to meetings managers.
Collaborates with meeting moderators (internal staff who work on the agenda).
Develops initial budget for meetings and continues to work closely with moderators to be sure meetings remain in line with budget.
Oversees master account of meetings to ensure within budget parameters.
Performs other related duties and assignments as required.
The successful candidate will bring a bachelor’s degree; minimum of 8-10 years of meeting management, including demonstrated success managing conference(s) of similar size and scope as well as 2 years of experience supervising others. The candidate must be a capable manager of people and resources, and an organized and detailed planner with strong interpersonal skills. The ideal candidate will exhibitstrong organizational, excellent customer service, contract negotiation, and team-working skills; self-motivated; ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines; comfortable with managing a budget; flexible and adaptable; exemplary people management skills. The ideal candidate will also possess the ability to implement projects independently and work with various departments in a team environment. Proficiency using a PC with Microsoft Suite and iMIS database experience is necessary. Travel is required along with the ability to be flexible with schedule to stay late or work weekends.
The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) has a unique DNA in the association business with a low dues model that requires innovation, industry-leading products and services and world class member service. We attract top talent by being a mission driven organization that can truly affect change in our world by empowering airport executives. How? With a rich heritage of training, professional development, and the creation of programs and products that serve the needs of airports with their mission of advancing safety, security, environmental stewardship, diversity, and beyond. In this way our employees are allowed to do challenging, interesting, and rewarding work and become invested owners. But what also makes AAAE unique and a truly great place to work is the culture.
AAAE makes no secret that it values and is genuinely devoted to its employees and members. AAAE demonstrates this to its employees in the rich and at times, unheard of, benefits it offers employees, in the collaborative open team environment where ideas from all levels of the organization are encouraged and supported from the CEO down, in the recruiting process where no candidate is offered employmen...t without first being interviewed and approved by a team of AAAE employees, in the recognition and praise it gives employees for their good work with numerous awards and performance based bonuses, in the growth and ownership opportunities it gives employees, and in the personal connections it makes with its employees on a day to day basis. However, even with all of this, AAAE would not be as great a place to work, if it were not for the dedicated members that the employees have the good fortune to interact with on a regular basis and serve. Our employees value and appreciate our members and our members value and appreciate our employees. The desire to help them drives us all to constantly improve and innovate. To do more, so we can give more back to our members.
In addition, AAAE is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer that is committed to creating a work environment in which all team members engage and perform at the highest levels and see the value of different perspectives and backgrounds. We strive to attract, invest in, and develop the talents of people of diverse backgrounds who reflect the society and community in which we live and do business because we not only believe it is right to do but also believe that doing so will enhance our business relationships, generate greater innovation, increase productivity, and more.