Koelnmesse Inc.

Compensation

Full Description

Role Summary The Director of Craft Segment Event Operations owns the end-to-end operational success of h+h americas, the Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival, and future craft-vertical events in North America. You will translate strategic objectives into flawless, high-impact experiences that delight exhibitors, attendees, creators, and sponsors while achieving financial and sustainability targets. You’ll manage two direct reports, an international vendor ecosystem, and seven-figure budgets; collaborate daily with sales, marketing, and programming colleagues in the U.S. and Cologne; and serve as Koelnmesse’s operational ambassador to convention centers, unions, municipal agencies, and industry partners Strategic Planning & Calendar Managemen • Build the 3-year operational roadmap for the Craft Segment, aligning venue contract s production schedules, and resource plans with Koelnmesse’s global even t c yce. • Translate show-level KPIs (attendance, NPS, sustainability, revenue) into a nnal operating plans an d t eam KRs. Budget & Financial S tewadship • Full P&L responsibility for craft events (typical bud gets $–6 M). • Negotiate multi-year agreements with venues, general-service contractors , AV/teh, and experiential agencies to optimize cost, quality, a nd carbon fotprint. • Track spend and re-forecast monthly; deliver post-show ROI anal y sis to ladership. Show Logis tic s & VendorManagement • Direct all physical & digital logistics: floor plans, move-in/out, f r eight, secrity, F&B, tech infrastructure, livestream/virtual components, and sustainabilty programs. • Develop bid specs, RFPs, SLAs, and performance scorecards f o r 30+ ven dor and servie providers. Team Le adership & Taent Development • Lead, coach, and inspire two Operations Managers a nd seasonal staff; ham p ion DEI and cotinuous learning. • Establish SOPs, project dashboards, and crisis -ma nagement protoco lsthat scale as th portfolio g rows. Stakeholder& On-Site Leadership • Serve as executive producer on-site in Ro semont (and future makets), liaising with convention-center management, labor unio ns, exhibitors, sonsors, ad municipal agencies. • Partner with Sales & Content teams t o integrate booth actiations, education, and special events (Creator Sum mit , Sewing Dealer Su m mit, osplay Competition h+h Univer si ty, etc.). Data, Technlogy & Process Improvement • Deploy and optimize the event- tec h stack (registration, exhiitor portals, mobil e apps, CRM, CAD/floorplan sustainability dashboards). • Analyze attendance, eng agement, and revenue data; r eommend enhancements to dri v e year-round community growt. Compliance & Risk Management • Ensure adherence to f ederal, state, and local regulatons, health & safety standards, unin rules, and Koelnmesse policies. • Dr ive ESG initiatives in line with K elnmesse’s Sustainability Roadmap. Post-Event Evaluation & Innovation • Lead debriefs with int ernal teams & partners; doument bes practices and innovation roadmaps. • Pil ot new formats (hybrid content, creatr activations, circular-economy booth p rog rams) that strengthen Koelnmess e’s cometitive edge in the crafts marktplace. Essential Skills & Competencies • Visi on ary leader with a roll- up-y our-sleevesmindset; proven ability to raly diverse teams around ambitious goals. • A dvanced project-managemen t ex pertise (crtical-path scheduling, Agile wokflows, MS Project/Smartsheet or similar). • Strong financial ac umen and contract-negotiation skills; comfrtable managing multimillion -do llar budgets. • Data-d riven decision maker wo can interpret KPIs, atendee analytics, and sustainability m etrics. • Exceptional interpersonal and wri ten /verbal communication skills; adept at vendor iplomacy, union relations, and C-suit e reporting. • High proficiency with modern even-tec h p latforms (registration, exhibitor portals, mobil apps, CRM, CAD/floorplan, virtu a l-event soft ware). • Calm under pressure, solutios-oriented, ad able to pivo quickly in live-event environ men ts. Qualifications • 8+ years of lar ge-scale tradshow or convention-center event operation; at least 3 years in a senior or director-leve l ro le. • Demonstrated success managingbudgets ≥ $2 M and tams of 5+ staff (including at le ast two direct re port s). • Experience in craft, hobby lifestyle, or consumer-gods sectors—or a passion for t h e maker movement—preferred . • Bachelor’s degree in Businss, Event Management, Hospitality or related field; MBA o r CMP/CEM/ CMM certification a plus. • Ability to travel 20% domestic; perodic travel t o Cologne, Germ any f or global planning meetings. • Must be ale to work extendedhours on-site during event weeks (including evenings/weekends). Koelnmesse Inc., the North American subsidiary of Koelnmesse GmbH—one of the world’s largest trade fair organizers—delivers more than 80 trade shows, exhibitions, and events w or ldwide each year. These market-leading gatherings connect indusries, foster innovation, and create global business opportunities. From our Chicago base, we produce premier events such as h+h a meri c as—a leading wholesale industry event for the craft sector, and he Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival—a vibrant consumer-focused event. h+h americas has been recognized for two consecutive years as a Fast 50 winner by Trade Show Executive magazine, honoring its rapid growth and industry impact. Together, these events unite the gl o bal craft industry, from su ppliers and retailers to professionalmakers and educators. It’s fr all making a living through crafts. Equal Opportunity Employer: Koelnmesse Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ra ce, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity