Trade Show Coordinator

During a trade show, competing companies gather under the same roof to display their products. Some firms sell their goods and gather great press, while other outfits work as Spies, scouting out innovations that they can use in their own lackluster products. Pulling together all of these competitors, and keeping all of them happy, requires a significant amount of work from Trade Show Coordinators.

Some companies use the Trade Show Coordinator job title to describe staff members who man the booths at a trade show. In most cases, however, Trade Show Coordinators work with a wide variety of different companies during the course of a day, and they’re rarely locked behind a booth during a show.

As a Trade Show Coordinator, you scout out the location long before the show begins, making sure it will meet the needs of the people attending. If you spot major problems, such as leaking roofs, few electrical outlets, or nonfunctional escalators, you look for a suitable replacement.

Next, you contact companies and find out if they need special equipment, such as projector screens, ramps, or smoke machines. You then tally up what each vendor will need to pay to participate in the festivities, and you collect those payments.

When show time arrives, you walk through the floor and make sure all participants have the tools they need. Sometimes, Salespeople ask for additional equipment, and you dash away to find the tools they need. You also help set up exhibits so everyone is ready to go when the show starts.