Director, Trade Show & Events

Job Description Position Summary

The Director, Trade Show & Events is responsible for the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of NCBA's trade show and event portfolio in support of organizational goals, revenue objectives, member engagement, and exhibitor satisfaction. This role provides overall planning and delivery of the NCBA Trade Show and related event initiatives, ensuring a world-class experience for exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, and stakeholders.

The Director oversees the full event lifecycle, from long-range planning through on-site execution and post-event evaluation. This position helps develop event strategies, drives revenue growth opportunities, manages critical vendor and partner relationships, and leads cross-functional collaboration across the organization.

This role serves as the primary business owner for exhibitor engagement and trade show operations, providing strategic direction for customer service, sales support, communications, and operational excellence. The Director assists in the planning and execution of the one of the Cattle Con evening events, oversees the NCBA Neighborhood Booth strategy and execution and future trade show growth initiatives.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Trade Show & Events, this individual contributor role does not have direct reports. As a member of a small but highly effective team, this position requires a collaborative approach, a positive team spirit, and the ability to take initiative and work independently. The responsibilities outlined below represent key functions of the role; however, they are not intended to encompass all duties that may be assigned.

• Serve as the key point of contact and relationship manager for exhibitors, contractors, and industry partners.
• Oversee all aspects of exhibitor management, including sales support, contract administration, booth assignments, floor plan management, invoicing, collections and payment processing through accounting, customer communications, and fulfillment activities.
• Develop and execute exhibitor engagement strategies designed to improve retention, satisfaction, and year-over-year participation.
• Ensure exceptional exhibitor service through proactive communication, issue resolution, and continuous process improvements.
• Provide strategic oversight of exhibitor-related platforms and databases, including Salesforce, Expocad, and other event management technologies.

• Partner with leadership to establish revenue targets and identify opportunities to increase exhibitor, sponsorship, and ancillary event revenue.
• Lead RFP development, contract negotiations, and supplier management to maximize value and efficiency while mitigating risk.
• Analyze event financial performance and prepare executive-level reports and recommendations.

• Direct relationships with convention centers, general service contractors, production partners, technology providers, and other event suppliers.
• Negotiate contracts and service agreements that support organizational objectives and deliver high-quality attendee and exhibitor experiences.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with internal teams, external stakeholders, and industry partners.

• Provide strategic oversight for exhibitor and trade show communications, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with event objectives.
• Collaborate with marketing, membership, sponsorship, and communications teams to maximize event visibility, participation, and engagement.
• Oversee trade show-related content across the convention website, Exhibitor News, Beef Resource Guide, exhibitor resource materials, and select…