Position Summary:

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is seeking a Program Manager for its Meetings & Events Team. The Program Manager is responsible for overseeing the education program for the annual REALTORS® Conference & Expo, an event that takes place every November at various locations across the United States and typically attracts 18,000-25,000 total attendees. The Program Manager will also serve as a valuable resource to other NAR Teams, seeking speakers for smaller NAR events.

The selected candidate will help NAR fulfill its vision of offering world-class education during real estate’s largest event. This position manages over 100 speakers and controls a $500,000+ budget. This position reports to the Director of Marketing and Programming, but will work closely with colleagues in the logistics area of the Meetings & Events Team, as well as across NAR’s various other teams.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• The Program Manager will plan, manage, execute and evaluate the REALTORS® Conference & Expo education program as follows:
• Solicit program content and education session ideas as well as lead a team of 40-50 committee members through a comprehensive session review process.
• Recommend a schedule of 100 speakers and education programs, based on committee reviews, and collaborate with trade show sponsors and exhibitors to develop product/service-related programming on the expo floor.
• Lay out the education program within the space parameters of the contracted convention center space, expo floor and hotel locations over a four-day period.
• Manage the program submission and speaker ready room portal technology. Ensure consistency in program data in the database, on the conference website, in the printed program and in mobile app communications.
• Manage speaker contracts, timelines and policies. Execute a robust speaker marketing and communications plan to help speakers produce successful sessions for attendees.
• Manage education program onsite, including directing a team of 4-5 meeting professionals for badge checking and security and serving as the main contact for speaker issues during the conference.
• Manage Inspirational Program, a special event featuring a keynote motivational speaker.
• Conduct analysis and evaluation of the conference program, including individual speaker evaluations and overall ROI of the education program.
• Research, recommend and manage contracts for keynote speakers as needed for NAR’s other two major events: the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo and Leadership Summit.
• Develop a positive rapport with speakers, trainers and speakers bureaus and work with each group to develop content that will drive attendance.
• Research hot topics and issues in real estate and research new ways and formats of delivering education and learning.
• Oversee post-event audio/video recording sales with a third-party vendor, including an annual schedule of promotions.”
• Other duties, as assigned

Qualifications:

• College degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience managing an education or training program and prior experience managing contracts with speakers, celebrities or performers.
• Background in nonprofit and/or associations is a plus. Real estate industry knowledge or background is valuable.
• Results oriented with high attention to detail, ability to multi-task, and meet deadlines in a dynamic, fast-paced team environment.
•  Ability to work well under pressure, make good decisions with limited time and information available and find innovative solutions to problems.
• High proficient in MS Office Suite software, along with experience managing a speaker database or an education content management system.
• Exceptional communication skills—verbal, written, and presentation. Writing portfolio or writing samples will be required.
• Experience managing budgets and managing staff, vendors or consultants.
• Broad-based event planning experience is preferred, including understanding of room sizes, room set up types and attendance projections.
• Strong customer relations and interpersonal skills with a high level of response to all inquiries.
• Ability to travel 10-15% throughout the year.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is a team of professionals dedicated to providing world-class service to over 1 million REALTORS® working in the United States and around the world. The real estate industry is fast-paced and fast-changing--each year, our members participate in the sale, lease, and management of billions of dollars in real estate. As in every industry, our members’ value proposition is constantly being challenged by innovation.

It is our mission to help REALTORS® navigate that change and thrive in their careers. We cannot do that without the ideas, passion, and commitment from our talented employees. As our greatest assets, employees are offered their pick of competitive benefits/perks and flexible work options. Our most successful employees are committed to: