Exhibition Manager – Operations Job in Dubai

Description:

Directs and/or has overall insight into facility, contractor, operational, production, and food and beverage activities for assigned events. Is responsible for related functions from inception to completion, including performing initial site research and proposals, and ensuring all contractual arrangements for vendor services have been implemented. Attends assigned shows/conferences and is responsible for coordinating on-site operations. Manages, trains, monitors and develops staff assigned to the event.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Success will be aligned to the delivery of high quality, cost-effective and sustainable event experiences to agreed KPI’s and achieving ongoing product improvement reflected in customer satisfaction and NPS scores.
2. Delivery (60%)
3. Personally lead & deliver on an agreed number of experiences per year as well as oversight and management of the delivery on your allocated regional portfolio of events.
4. Understand all end-to-end processes for delivery of in person, hybrid, and digital experiences
5. Continually review processes and practice to identify obsolete workflows and tools with little customer value or ROI and feedback to the VP, Delivery
6. Researches and Negotiates potential and existing show locations and venues; prepares site/facility proposals and makes recommendations
7. In Conjunction with the Brand Director, develops the annual budgets, monthly forecasts, actual spend, ROI and cost savings.
8. Oversees Event Floorplan (inclusive of meeting rooms and Exhibit Hall). Works with Expo Lead to ensure efficient use of space, proper traffic flow and compliance with safety and facility requirements.
9. Work with Housing Agency to identify Hotel Blocks, ensure all Informa Connect standards are included in contract and monitor and manage hotel blocks throughout the event process.
10. Will be able to recruit and train temporary staff to help execute events. This will include developing and updating training materials for the exhibition function
11. Collaboration/Best Practice (10%)
12. Become a trusted partner with your Brand(s) with regular engagement and feedback to build an effective working relationship
13. Ensure there is full adoption of agreed processes of new, integrated end-to-end delivery process and SOP for your region
14. Build a customer-first approach that provides efficient, effective and value add service to our vertical and regional brand teams
15. Event Intelligence (Technology, Platforms & Registration) (10%)
16. Play a key role in the adoption and success of our core technology platforms for live and on-demand experiences
17. Work closely with the Event Intelligence Manager to plan resource requirements for all events
18. Health & Safety, Supplier Partnerships, Legal, Sustainability & DEI (10%)
19. Ensure all events follow the H&S Operating Model and Incident Management Frameworks are followed and adopted
20. Champion Connect initiatives, advancing the Faster Forward sustainability agenda (ensuring The Fundamentals are submitted in a timely manner for all events) and embedding our inclusive behaviors into your team culture and practices
21. Mitigate risk of attrition with key categories of spend (venues, bedroom blocks) through continuous monitoring of hotel blocks with key deadlines identified
22. Ensure venues are procured in a timely manner and meet event and budget requirements
23. Maintain strong relationships with temp agency, a/v, main contractor, etc. vendors to be able to maintain and even raise the standards of our event delivery
24. Planning and Budgeting (10%) (This information is included in Delivery)
25. Responsible for timely submission of event costs throughout event cycle
26. Support Delivery Director with setting annual budgets, accurate forecasting against event experience and GP based objectives
27. Code invoices and corporate expenses

Job Requirements:

1. Senior level operational experience in the B2B and / or B2C events industry and an established track record of successfully delivering world class live events and experiences
2. Demonstrable experience of multi-platform delivery of live experiences and working with service providers of both physical and digital event products
3. A strong, influential leader with the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels
4. High level of commercial and financial awareness – and proven ability to deliver against KPI’s
5. Proven ability to effectively manage multiple projects, oversee regional teams and work in a fast-paced environment
6. Have a strong understanding of the workings of not just the delivery / operations function but also other departments like production, marketing, sales, registration, etc.
7. Experience of managing P&L budgets and delivering accurate, timely forecasting and reporting
8. Tech savvy and willing to adopt and embrace new technologies
9. Detail-oriented, excellent written and verbal skills, extremely organized
10. Understanding of how to use data in decision making
11. High level of sustainability knowledge and experience of delivering against sustainability goals
12. Positive can-do attitude. You relish a challenge and are confident finding solutions to problems
13. Negotiation and management of high-level supplier contracts and relationships
14. You are adaptable to change and a fast-paced environment
15. You are ambitious, influential and pay close attention to detail