Develop events that project the professionalism of our association, engage participants and deliver high value to our members. The Manager, Meetings will plan and execute meetings and events, such as major industry conferences, board meetings, committee meetings, fly-ins, and smaller internal meetings. This role is also responsible for supervising the Data Administrator, Membership and Meetings.

The below description provides more detail on American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), this important role and how you will impact our organization and the industry.

Working at AF&PA:

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) values diverse backgrounds and capabilities and invites all talented individuals to apply to be part of our team and support our culture and mission. We encourage the exchange of knowledge, innovative ideas and different perspectives to reach our goals and we support work/life balance.

Essential job functions:

Major Conference Planning for two events (annual meeting and co-hosted conference):

• Provide all meeting planning related expertise for the Association’s major conferences to deliver high value, well-attended events that advance member engagement and the AF&PA brand. Responsibilities include:
  • Hotel logistics and room block management
  • Schedule development
  • Provide logistics-related content for and review all marketing materials (print & electronic)
  • Guest speaker logistics planning
  • Staffing schedule development & assignments
  • RFP preparation, management and recommendation for site selection
  • Contract negotiations
  • Assist in content development for conference event websites
  • Post-event surveys/evaluations and analyses
  • Virtual/hybrid event support when part of one of the conferences or board meetings
• Advise internal cross-departmental teams on planning timelines, budget management, and scheduling
• Source, negotiate and manage any additional equipment or service vendors required to execute the event
• Research and develop options for off-site venues, entertainment, and décor
• Develop, sell, track, and fulfill sponsorship packages for the annual meeting
• Work directly with speakers’ bureau to develop paid speaker short lists, execute speaker contracts, and handle speaker logistics
• Oversee the development of invite lists for conference marketing communications
• Work with Communications Department on recommendations and production of backdrop design and related branding for conferences
• Develop and track conference budgets, communicate project performance to teams and senior management, review and prepare all expenses and hotel billing, including internal billing splits
• For co-hosted event oversee:
  • Program logistics planning and on-site management, hotel pickup, meeting room usage, and weekly overall revenue tracking to budget
  • All individual and suite registration programming, tracking and post-event reconciliation for all joint revenues collected
  • Vendor sourcing and fulfillment for all sponsor package deliverables

Small Meeting Event Planning:

• Work with all AF&PA departments to source, contract, and execute board meetings, committee meetings, fly-ins and workshops
  • Review history of meeting or committee and create an RFP that captures sleeping room needs, meeting space, and special concessions
  • Manage sourcing and site selection process
  • Upon request, work with internal department to manage the buildout of event registration in the re:Members (formerly Impexium) association management system (AMS) including oversight of initial programming/event build, and monitoring online registration
  • With Legal Department oversight, negotiate contracts for execution
  • Monitor and manage room block pickup to avoid attrition penalties
  • Work with hotel and internal staff contacts to create and confirm all meeting logistics, a/v orders and food and beverage orders
  • Review any off-site event/restaurant contracts
  • Review final hotel bill prior to payment

Other Duties:

• Supervise the Data Administrator, Membership & Meetings, who serves as the primary manager of the re:Members AMS and provides support for meetings
• Maintain DC Hotel Directory for use by staff and members.
• Key team member for organizing select in-person or virtual/hybrid AF&PA staff events (e.g. holiday parties, summer events, staff recognition/retirement events)
  • Assist with contract negotiation and review (if applicable), menu planning, décor design and creation, run of show planning, event setup and teardown
  • Advise/mentor coordinator staff on department event planning and contracts

Qualifications:

If your knowledge, skills and abilities are transferrable and you think you’re a great candidate for AF&PA - please consider applying even if you do not meet all the criteria listed below.

• BA or BS degree preferred
• 5-7 or more years of meeting planning experience, including contract negotiation experience, required
• CMP certification preferred
• Experience with re:Members AMS (formerly Impexium) or similar association software platform or equivalent CRM platform
• Exceptional attention to detail, and excellent writing, grammar and proofreading skills
• Collaboration and interpersonal skills; capable of working on multiple tasks with others
• Excellent organization skills to work in a fast-paced and changing environment
• Demonstrated ability to exercise judgment and discretion with limited supervision
• Ability to grasp new tasks quickly; and a willingness to learn about the paper and packaging industry
• Excellent computer skills using MS Office Suite, proficiency with data systems and presentation software, and strong internet research skills

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary for this position is expected to be between $65,000-$80,000. This is a good-faith estimate based on market data for comparable positions and the current budgeted amount for this role. Factors to be considered when determining the salary of the selected candidate include relevant skills, experience and knowledge, and the alignment of these qualities with those of existing staff.

We offer a generous benefits package that currently includes:

• Paid Vacation, Personal and Sick leave totaling 27-42 days per year (based on relevant experience), plus holidays and paid Parental Leave
• Two Blue Cross Blue Shield medical plans for employees and their families
• Generous 401(k) retirement plan with up to 9% employer contribution (after waiting period)
• Free fitness center and pickleball courts at the DC office location
• Plus dental, vision, life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account...

Location:

We are located on 13^th Street, NW between F and G, (directly above Metro Station). Our office is hybrid, which includes up to two days of remote work; however, due to the nature of meetings and events, there will be times when more in-office work is needed.

About AF&PA

AF&PA serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day. The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people, largely in rural America, and is?among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers?in 44 states. Our industry accounts for approximately 4.7% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufacturing more than $435 billion in products annually. AF&PA member companies are significant producers and users of renewable biomass energy and are committed to making sustainable products for a sustainable future through the industry’s decades-long initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2030. Visit AF&PA online at afandpa.org or follow us on X @ForestandPaper.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AF&PA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and welcomes all talented individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability, veteran status or other category protected by law.

Your Rights

Applicants have rights under federal employment laws. Information may be found on the Department of Labor’s website (https://www.dol.gov) as well as through these available notices: Know Your Rights; Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).