Exhibit & Sponsorship Sales Manager
Optica is looking for a Exhibit & Sponsorship Sales Manager.
As a not-for-profit association, Optica is at the forefront of technologies that continue to make dramatic differences in our community’s daily lives. Covering a wide range of applications like high-speed data and telecommunications, life-saving cancer detection and treatment, surgical procedures, environmental monitoring, and even self-driving vehicles are supported by the science of light. Optica is at the center of that critical research and industrial applications. Optica manages internationally recognized conferences and exhibitions, and is looking for ambitious individuals to play a vital role in helping companies bring their products to market.
The Optica Exhibit & Sponsorship Sales Manager position is a collaborative and integral part of the sales team. The Sales Manager has responsibility for selling print and digital advertising for Optica’s OPN Magazine, as well as responsibility for selling exhibit space and sponsorships for Optica’s Congresses and Topical Meetings, CLEO (the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics), FiO (Optica’s annual conference, Frontiers in Optics), and OFC (Optical Fiber Communication) Conference and Exhibition. The sales manager takes the initiative, ownership, and strong sales management and administrative skills to succeed. As Project Lead on behalf of a segment of the meetings and exhibitions portfolio each year, the Sales Manager will provide weekly sales and financial reports in Excel and Google Sheets for each event. Key attributes include: being an effective communicator and building strong relationships between Optica and optics and photonics companies; communicating regularly with prospects by phone, email, and videoconference, documentation of interactions and maintenance of client records. The main goal of this position is to meet or exceed revenue goals.
Primary Responsibilities
- Sales lead on assigned exhibitions and meetings. Responsible for managing sales budget, sales goals and responsibilities related to maximizing sales pre-show, on-site and post-show.
- Serve as an advocate for clients, to help provide solutions and opportunities for market entry and customer engagement
- Adept at multi-tasking and prioritization to maximize daily responsibilities (including sales calls, administrative duties, and meetings)
- Manage outbound sales calls daily to domestic and global clients.
- Engage sales leads by tracking and following up on sales
- Proactively research and identify new sales prospects
- Maintain an accurate and robust prospect list for all projects to include past participants and use competitive publications, websites and trade shows to identify and communicate with new prospects.
- Collaborate with other members of the Sales team to craft outbound communications
- Maintain regular contact with committee members to leverage personal connections to maximize potential exhibitor and sponsor revenue.
- Actively and collaboratively participate in regularly scheduled individual, departmental, and organizational team meetings.
- Ability to problem solve and provide stewardship of association meetings.
- Willingness and ability to travel to conferences and events in the US and abroad to sell and promote Optica opportunities
Inquire today how you could join this dynamic team of professionals engaging this growing industry and making a difference in lives around the world!
LOCATION: Optica is Headquartered in Washington DC but well-qualified individuals desiring remote work would be considered for candidacy.
Education and Experience
- College degree required
- Minimum of three to five years of sales experience, preferably event/tradeshow experience (advertising sales is helpful)
- Management position; does not supervise staff
- Association and/or optics industry experience preferred
Skills and Abilities
- Experience and proven track record in effective follow-up and negotiation skills, specifically working within established product prices and closing sales to maximize customer decision-making.
- A self-starter with a high level of initiative and attention to detail is required.
- Required proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint; Google Sheets and Docs; and Zoom.
- Proficiency with contact relationship management (CRM) software, preferably Salesforce.
- Prefer experience with Expocad or other exhibit floor plan space-draw programs.
- Positive attitude with a willingness to learn
- Strong interpersonal and customer oral, written and presentation skills.
- Ability to travel required. (Sales Manager travels 3 – 4 times on average/per year)
About Optica
Located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC, Optica offers a competitive salary and benefits. Please send your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to resumes@optica.org.
Optica is an equal employment opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, age, sex, national origin, disability, religion, maritial status, veteran's status, personal appearance, political affiliation, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, or any other basis prohibited by law.
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