Convention & Meetings Manager

About This Role

NCA is seeking an experienced, self-directed event professional to serve as our Convention & Meetings Manager. This is a high-visibility, high-ownership role at the center of NCA’s largest and most complex program — the Annual Convention, which draws over 4,000 attendees and features over 950 sessions, an exhibit hall, a career center, and a graduate school open house.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Convention & Strategic Operations, the Manager serves as the primary operational lead for the Annual Convention and a portfolio of governance meetings, owning the full planning lifecycle from abstract submission management and program scheduling through registration, logistics, on-site execution, and post-event reporting. The Manager is also the primary point of contact for 120+ convention program planners across NCA’s academic units.

This role requires exceptional judgment, genuine independence, and the ability to manage competing priorities across a long, complex planning cycle — all without close day-to-day supervision. It offers meaningful advancement opportunities within a growing, mission-driven team.

• Serve as primary operational lead for the NCA Annual Convention and a portfolio of governance meetings, including the Leadership Retreat, Executive Committee Meetings, and Chairs’ Summer Institute — owning each event from planning through on-site execution and post-event reconciliation.
• Build and manage the master convention project plan in Asana; create and maintain run-of-show documents, BEOs, signage plans, and staffing schedules across a multi-month planning cycle.
• Coordinate with hotels, AV vendors, catering, transportation, security, and an external convention planning contractor to deliver a seamless convention experience.
• Lead accessibility accommodations planning and inclusive space coordination; own operational risk assessment, including crowd flow, emergency preparedness, and safety briefings.

• Own and manage the full abstract submission and review process in X-CD Technologies — including system configuration, reviewer assignment, scheduling 950+ sessions across 40+ concurrent rooms, and conflict resolution.
• Serve as the primary contact and accountability driver for 120+ convention program planners, tracking progress through every milestone of the submission lifecycle and proactively resolving issues.
• Lead planner training, including monthly webinars and co-presenting the annual kickoff orientation alongside the Senior Director and First Vice President.

• Own the full convention registration build and lifecycle in Fonteva, including all ticket types, pricing, policies, and special registration categories.
• Manage ongoing financial tracking: code invoices to correct GL accounts, track actuals vs. budget across all convention cost work streams, and contribute to the post-convention financial report.
• Manage independent purchasing authority up to $2,500 per transaction within approved budgets.

• Track convention data throughout the planning cycle — submissions, registration trends, housing pickup, session attendance — and produce a post-convention report draft within 60 days of the convention.
• Draft and distribute convention-wide email communications; manage the convention app and program book build; coordinate website updates, attendee resources, and CVB information.
• Manage the convention inbox and voicemail, maintaining a same-day response standard.

• 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in event or meeting management, preferably in an association environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, event planning, business administration, or a related field;
  Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency with abstract management software (X-CD Technologies preferred), Fonteva or similar AMS, Constant Contact, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience managing the full meeting planning function: developing BEOs, managing hotel staff relationships, and delivering multi-day conferences within budget.
• Strong project management skills; track record of accuracy and independent execution in high-volume, deadline-driven environments.
• Experience with GL coding, invoice processing, and financial reconciliation.
• Willingness to travel several times per year and to be available outside standard business hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, for on-site event support.
• Commitment to NCA’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) principles.