The Requirements
To meet the basic qualification for this role you will have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship. In addition, to be a strong fit for the Associate Trade Show Manager role, you will have:- A bachelor’s degree, ideally in Marketing, Business, Communications or other relevant field
- 2 - 3+ years of experience in a position where you played a leading role in trade show coordination
- Experience in planning and setting up a trade show booth on a space larger than 10' x 10'
- At least a basic understanding of the role of marketing communications, sales promotion and advertising in growing a business and gaining market share
- Experience managing resources (time, budget, inventory, agencies) to achieve objectives
- Skill with Microsoft Office Suite, specifically intermediate skill in Excel, and proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook; experience using trade-show and/or CAD software a plus
- Experience with trade show booth set-up and tear-down; the ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
- Familiarity with basic building and construction processes; strong understanding of dimensions and measurement
- Knowledge of relevant job related terms (e.g. drayage, slatwall, pegboard, SEG, LED, etc.)
- Experience in visual merchandising is a plus
- A clean motor vehicle record and valid driver’s license
- The ability and willingness to travel overnight approximately 10% of the time to attend North American trade shows
- Knowledge of and experience using power tools
- The ability to work under deadlines and changing priorities
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in order to work with the cross-functional team, write a report detailing the results of a trade show, etc.
- Attention to detail with exceptional follow-up and follow-through skills
- Professionalism with strong interpersonal skills to work with multiple levels and titles
- Self-motivation; the ability to work independently and as a strong team member
- Strong learning acumen and dedication to knowledge gain (e.g. products, procedures, inventory, reporting processes, etc.)
- Schedule flexibility to work extended hours as needed to meet deadlines, attend shows, etc.
The Role
Reporting to the Communications Manager, you will work with a variety of stakeholders and departments, both internal and external, to help develop and manage a calendar of approximately 30 yearly trade shows. Your duties will range from budget and calendar planning to asset design and sourcing, inventory management, on-site operations, hands-on setup and more.Each yearly cycle begins with calendar planning for the following year. In conjunction with the Sales and Marketing teams, you'll plan each month of the year, considering workflow and deadlines. Of course, there will be adjustments/additions, so you'll remain flexible as new events arise or changes take place. Typically, there will be five or six corporate trade show each year that will require the majority of your time. These are trade shows you may also need to attend. The remainder of the shows will vary in size and be ultimately setup and worked by a combination of vendors/agencies and the sales team. Whether taking on direct management, coordination, or oversight, you will touch every project and ensure they remain on budget and on time.
One other key part of the role will be to physically manage the assets. You’ll go down to the warehouse to examine their condition, make sure the product images and messaging are new and reflective of our current branding, and use your initiative to suggest updates to the messaging or products for each unique event. It would help to have a good eye for design and a strong sense of marketing, though you will learn what you do not know. You will also need a sense of calm and the ability to keep things moving, even when challenges arise -- product launches, messaging updates, signage issues, etc. -- that may cause last-minute changes and time pressure. You’ll need to quickly make or get on board with decisions and roll with the changes to meet your deadlines. Once a trade show ends, you may be called upon to help create a communications piece that showcases the positive results of the show.
Some of your specific tasks will be to:
- Work with the Communications Manager on the full range of trade show management activities
- Build the annual U.S. trade show calendar and budget
- Collaborate with in-house marketing staff to build booth assets (structures, signage, demonstrations, lighting, etc.) that capture the Makita brand
- Coordinate show orders and shipping for select events
- Coordinate on-site details for select events, including shipping, set-up, staff, and receiving
- Work with warehouse staff to manage and track trade show assets
- Track and implement execution timeline and expenses per event
- Co-manage and/or work on-site at select trade shows /events (estimated travel: 3 to 6 events per year)
- Work with the marketing team on related communications and activity
- Manage and build booths that are 10 x 20 and larger, which may require that you lift up to 50 lbs
- Update trade show booths to follow changing brand guidelines or seasonal objectives
- Creating criteria and helping select trade show services companies to manage shows if needed
- Building marketing plans to follow up on trade show leads
Pictured: Makita's product line is quite diverse; this 64 cc gas-powered chainsaw, for example, features a rugged cast cylinder and low-noise operation.
Why Makita USA
Newly focused team -- Our marketing department and company are smaller than many of our competition, which is a great thing. It means we get to be hands on and heavily involved in making decisions, rather than having them handed to us. Each member of the department brings good ideas and inspiration, and we all help each other. It’s a great environment for learning, and a place for someone who wants to be a true contributor.Professional & career growth -- This role offers an excellent opportunity to leverage your experience and showcase your abilities. But more than that, you’ll have many opportunities to learn and further develop your talent as well as continue to grow your career. Apart from the cachet of working for one of the largest tool companies in the world, you’ll come away from this job with a resume full of projects you've completed with a number of big brand names who partner with Makita.
Chance to make an impact -- You'll make a day-to-day impact on trade show planning and logistics, but there could be other opportunities as well. For example, we are working on an exciting project to create a self-service web portal to catalog the assets for easy selection by Sales and others who need them for specific shows. You could have a hand in helping to determine the direction of the portal, and will be responsible for curating the list once it’s complete.
Pride and brand recognition -- Visit any construction site and you’re sure to encounter a variety of Makita tools. Our quality and performance has earned us a respected reputation, which has consistently grown over the past 100 years. That reputation is certain to endure as we continue to lead the industry with the introduction of high quality industrial power tools. We take personal satisfaction knowing that Makita tools and accessories are engineered to help make professional users more productive and meet high efficiency standards. At the same time, Makita Tools are engineered for increased user comfort and superior ergonomics, with leading solutions for vibration and noise reduction, improved dust extraction, and more.
Excellent compensation -- In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a variety of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; a 401(k); expense reimbursement plans; PTO; cell phone reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and more.
Pictured: Makita has the world’s largest cordless tool line-up powered by an 18V slide-style battery. Makita batteries have the fastest charge times in their categories, so they spend more time working and less time sitting on the charger.
Keys to Success
To excel in this role you’ll need to be a positive, enthusiastic contributor. We all participate in the creative process, so you’ll need to be willing to work with the team both to provide input and to take suggestions. The ideal candidate is versatile and willing to learn, whether from a senior level marketer about message layering or from a warehouse employee about the proper way to re-pack display materials for shipment.Because we’re all involved and hands-on, we may decide to make changes even right up to the day before the trade show, so you’ll also need to be able to work well under stress. And while your work schedule will generally be business hours M-F, when a deadline is looming you’ll need to be flexible enough to work early or late as needed to get the job done. This job also requires a high degree of professionalism to work with people at all levels of the organization, and to take things in stride, looking for the positive in every situation.
Pictured: To reduce vibration in rotary hammers, Makita created Anti-Vibration Technology (AVT®), an internal counterbalance system that significantly reduces vibration for more efficient operation and increased user comfort.
About Makita
Makita is the innovation leader in power tools. 2015 marks the 100th Anniversary of its founding, and Makita continues to lead the industry and meet the demands of the construction world with tools and accessories engineered to help make professional users more productive and meet high efficiency standards. Makita manufactures over 350 industrial power tools and over 2,000 accessories, including an expanding line of Lithium-Ion cordless tools. With over 100 tools, Makita has the world’s largest cordless tool line-up powered by 18V Lithium-Ion slide-style batteries. Makita also offers saws, planers, drills, rotary and breaker hammers, grinders, and sanders, as well as pneumatic tools, 4-stroke engine outdoor power equipment, and much more. Makita Tools are engineered for increased user comfort and superior ergonomics, with leading solutions for vibration and noise reduction, improved dust extraction, and more.It all started with the motor 100 years ago. Makita Corporation was founded in 1915 as an electric motor sales and repair company. Today, as a global brand in over 40 countries, Makita is an innovation leader, manufacturing best-in-class products at 10 plants operating in 8 countries. The unmatched quality and durability of Makita products is driven by the company’s strong R&D capabilities, and have earned the trust of professional users worldwide.
Our success comes not only from producing top quality tools, but also from our unparalleled customer service. From our customer service representatives to our extensive sales team to our R&D group, we are dedicated to delivering complete customer satisfaction. Makita USA is headquartered in La Mirada, California.
Pictured: Makita has an extensive line-up of cordless tools including battery powered outdoor power equipment (OPE). Used by landscapers, cordless outdoor power equipment is preferred by many professional landscapers for its lower noise, zero emissions, and reduced maintenance.