Senior Manager of Hospitality Sourcing, Contracting and Exhibits - National Office (Remote)

The Senior Manager of Hospitality Sourcing, Contracting and Exhibits will be responsible for supporting achieving revenue sales exhibit hall management of all YUSA national events including General Assembly and SMY Executive Conference.

The Meeting Service Sourcing, Contracting and Exhibition Sr Manager works with the department head on managing third-party vendors and speakers as well as serves cross-functional teams offering guidance as hospitality sourcing/contracting expert. Provide consultation and information on sourcing and contracting for YMCA conferences and events. The Meeting Sourcing, Contracting and Exhibition Senior Manager supports procurement efforts and the processing of hospitality contracts with speakers and third-party partners.

The position will perform management duties related to exhibit hall operations and assist department head in monitoring exhibit sales for YUSA exhibit programs, including the General Assembly and other YUSA events. The Senior Manager will support team leadership in efforts to source, secure and manage third party exhibition service vendors and will serve as primary contact for most exhibit operation needs for YUSA exhibit programs. They will serve as a fellow hospitality lead professional with the department head to provide guidance and expertise in speaker management, exhibits, hospitality sourcing/contracting and general hospitality related purchasing/vender relationship management.

YMCA of the USA is a work from anywhere in the U.S. workplace.

Exhibit Operations

• Support organization’s effort to establish revenue goals for exhibition hall engagement strategy that ensures event owner, attendee, and exhibitor satisfaction.
• Manage the development/updating of the YUSA database of exhibitor leads.
• Collaborate with team leadership to implement strategic planning efforts for YUSA exhibit programs.
• Contribute to creation and handle the management of effective strategies to increase sales and ensure exhibitor booth revenue targets are achieved by overseeing the implementation process.
• Work with the Director to implement scheduling of the development of operation milestones and manage vendors to reach timely completion.
• Maintains and establishes relationships with exhibitor prospects by researching industry best practices and identifying new prospect pools.
• Manage and guide any entities (contractors or fellow colleagues within other YUSA departments) in relation to assigned exhibit operation duties.
• Manage the creation of the exhibitor prospectus package that reflects the opportunities offered for exhibitors for exhibition events.
• Manage the exhibit hall software functions including configuring the exhibit hall layout, booth pricing plans, billing, and payment processing.
• Support efforts to ensure exhibitors are approved by OGC and meet brand compliance requirements. Conduct onsite floor review of exhibitor to ensure that all compliance policies are upheld. Support exhibits team in identifying violations and implementing policies onsite during shows.
• Collaborate with team and General Contractor to identify software that will support the exhibit booth and exhibit hall activation contracting process.
• Support YUSA exhibits team in the development of YUSA processes to ensure YUSA exhibits adheres to state and federal guidelines with respect to operations, safety, etc.

Hotel/Venue/Speaker/Hospitality Services Sourcing

• Conducts research, sourcing/contracting of third-party hospitality service vendors (hotels, restaurants, exhibitions services, audio visual, production, housing bureaus, etc.) for assigned events. Follow processes as established by YUSA Strategic Sourcing Purchasing and Financial Services.
• Conducts research, sourcing of speakers for YUSA events (i.e., YPN, YUSA conferences, virtual meetings, competitive sports events) for assigned events in alignment with strategic priorities as established by OGC.
• Support efforts to identify maintain hotel inventory for assigned YUSA sporting event city wide events requiring multiple hotel contracts.
• Support team efforts to maintain positive working relationships with state and local authorities (convention bureaus, city officials, etc.). Work with Event Owners of YUSA to identify opportunities to secure the support of these entities to assist or benefit YUSA events.
• Support Event Owner work with local Ys in implementing sourcing for YUSA events related to hotels and speakers for assigned programs. Ensure compliance with YUSA contracting processes, policies and procedures.
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with Y-USA event stakeholders.
• Provided guidance and support to YUSA Finance Strategic Sourcing team in securing transient housing needs. for YUSA Travel Service company, as needed.
• Work with team management to maintain YUSA’s status as a centralized national hospitality account with major hotels chain and leading hospitality events.
• Represent YUSA and help director in the management of vendor relationships to work in the best interest of YUSA and when needed local Ys.

Contracts

• Manage assigned contract projects for hospitality services including negotiating concessions and term ensuring all efforts are compliant to YUSA policies.
• Serve as a hospitality advisor to assigned YUSA business stakeholders by providing guidance in industry best practices and contracting terms and conditions that will provide the appropriate hospitality services to meet their needs. Identify areas of savings and reduction of liability for YUSA.
• Track contracted event performances including room pick-up and revenue value and assisting Director in documenting annual findings.
• Alert Director of all contract cancellations and situations that may result in financial loss or damages for YUSA.
• Manages the intake, routing, review and negotiation of speaker and venue/hotel contracts and other hospitality service contracts as needed.
• Asist with team efforts to support Finance and business stakeholders in efforts to complete local hotel credit applications and establish lines of credit for contracted events.
• Follow all YUSA processes for venue/hotel, speaker and hospitality service contracts and agreements.
• Work with Director to track all damages from hotel/venue attrition and cancellations.
• Monitor attrition and contractual issues and work with Director to negotiate solutions in the best interest of YUSA.
• Support YUSA commission revenue program for contracted events.
• Lead commission reports tracking data for reporting essential information such as compliance and utilization reports, as needed.

YMCA Meeting Services Centralization Project

• Support team effort to offer a buying power model that expands the same centralized buying protections and benefits of YUSA to include local YMCAs.
• Assist when needed with the technical platform to support local YMCAs using the Cvent Meeting Request Form.
• Follow processes to enable tracking of all commission opportunities for local YMCAs.

• Bachelor’s degree is required. A Certification in Exhibition Management (CEM) is a plus but is not required
• Minimum 3 years of experience serving as lead of high-volume hospitality procurement and vendor management
• Minimum 5 years of experience as lead managing convention/trade show/exhibition hall operations with at least $900,000 in revenue goals is required
• Experience in managing projects for sourcing/contract and negotiation for hotels, speakers and/or other hospitality services. Experience with exhibition contracting is preferred but not required
• Experience in managing exhibit sales efforts for booth and activations and tracking/reporting sales efforts strongly preferred
• Experience serving as lead managing exhibit floor with various sized exhibits: tabletops, 10x10s, 10x20s and 20x20s required
• Experience in senior management role over trade shows/exhibition halls operations within a highly regulated environment (union labor)
• Experience working with industry software tools associated with exhibition hall management including lead retrieval, show floor management, attendee tracking, customer relationship management and attendee registration systems is strongly preferred
• Experience managing consultants/vendors to achieve program operation goals
• Knowledge of trade show/exhibition hall trends and cost drivers is required
• Intermediate knowledge of Excel, Word and Outlook is required
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communications skills are required
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and negotiation skills are required
• The ability to independently make sound decisions is required
• Ability to work independently and lead assigned projects
• The ability to work with diverse groups of individuals is required
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines is required
• Commitment to the YMCA character development values of respect, responsibility, honesty, and caring is required

We offer a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, defined benefit plan (retirement savings), defined contribution plan (403(b) plan, life and disability insurances, technology stipend, and generous paid time off, all in a work from anywhere in the U.S. workplace.