Sr. Events Operations Specialist - Tradeshows

What You'll Do:

• Trade Show Operations Leadership
• Own the end-to-end operational planning and execution for assigned trade shows, from initial planning through onsite delivery and post-event evaluation.
• Serve as the primary operational lead for assigned trade shows, accountable for logistics strategy, execution quality, and issue resolution.
• Lead the logistics workstream across all phases of trade show delivery, including planning timelines, production schedules, run-of-show development, and onsite execution.
• Exercise independent judgment to prioritize resources, resolve operational risks, and make real-time decisions that impact trade show quality, cost, and attendee experience.
• Act as the onsite operational lead at select trade shows, empowered to make decisions related to staffing, scheduling, vendor coordination, and attendee logistics.
• Ensure consistency, scalability, and adherence to Articulate’s brand and quality standards across all trade show executions.
 
• Vendor, Budget, and Partner Management
• Develop and manage relationships with trade show organizers, vendors and production partners, including booth fabrication, show services, AV, freight, and labor providers.
• Own trade show program budgets, with authority to allocate and approve discretionary spend within assigned limits; escalate and recommend additional investment needs to leadership.
• Handle invoice reconciliation, variance analysis, and proactively surface scope or budget risks to mitigate overspend.
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing Operations, Sales, Customer Success, Creative, and external agencies to align on booth design, collateral, digital assets, and promotional materials.
• Hold vendors and partners accountable to service levels, timelines, and quality expectations, and recommend corrective action or termination if performance is substandard.
 
• Operational Execution & Systems Ownership
• Orchestrate the logistics for assigned trade shows and related programs, including travel, lodging, freight, AV, catering, registration, onsite staff operations, and materials.
• Provide light-touch operational oversight for select virtual events and webinars associated with trade show and partner programs, ensuring platform readiness, speaker coordination, and seamless execution appropriate to program complexity.
• Oversee shipping, storage, and inventory management for trade show assets, establishing scalable systems that ensure accuracy, efficiency, and asset reuse.
• Oversee trade show registration workflows and attendee communications, ensuring a seamless and professional experience while delegating or executing tasks as appropriate.
• Maintain critical trade show documentation, including contracts, manifests, run-of-show, booth inventories, and attendee data, and continuously evaluate opportunities to improve data integrity and accessibility.
• Collaborate on post–trade show reporting and analysis, including lead capture coordination, ROI tracking, survey execution, and documentation of insights to inform future planning.
 
• Continuous Improvement & Strategic Contribution
• Identify and implement process improvements across trade show logistics, vendor management, and operational tools to increase efficiency and scalability.
• Partner with the Senior Manager, Global Events to evaluate opportunities for trade show program enhancements, tooling improvements, and operational standardization.
• Contribute to the development and documentation of trade show playbooks, templates, and best practices that support consistency and long-term program growth.

What You Should Have:

• 5–8 years of experience in trade show operations, corporate events, or event marketing operations within a high-growth or global organization.
• Demonstrated experience owning complex trade show programs, including logistics strategy, vendor management, and onsite leadership.
• Strong project and program management skills with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Proven ability to exercise independent judgment, solve complex operational challenges, and make decisions under time-sensitive conditions.
• Financial acumen with experience managing event budgets, reconciling expenses, and providing spend analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a collaborative, cross-functional approach.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Notion, Slack, Zoom; experience with event management platforms (e.g., Cvent, Bizzabo) preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 25% annually, primarily domestic with limited international travel.

Nice to Haves:

• Prior ownership of trade shows, conferences, or branded experiential programs.
• Experience working with creative agencies, fabrication vendors, and production partners.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience evaluating tools, vendors, or processes to support scale.
• Familiarity with project management or collaboration tools used to manage complex, cross-functional programs. 
• Experience with event registration platforms and virtual or hybrid event technologies.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate risks and independently drive resolutions.