Director of Meetings & Events

Ohio Veterinary Medical Association | Powell, Ohio

For more than 125 years, the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) has served its membership and the public at large by promoting the ideals of veterinary medicine, fostering relationships among veterinarians and their communities and increasing awareness of issues surrounding veterinary medicine. OVMA is dedicated to fostering the core principles of stewardship, compassion, community and lifelong learning in veterinary medicine. OVMA is seeking a Director of Meetings & Events.

Position Summary:

The Director of Meetings & Events will provide visionary and operational leadership for OVMA events and the Midwest Veterinary Conference. They will also be responsible for the planning and execution of educational programs and related event coordination in accordance with the goals of the association by performing the duties outlined below.

Principal Responsibilities:

Oversee, manage and lead OVMA’s Trade Show & Event Manager and Educational Programs Manager.
Work with the Educational Programs Manager, Trade Show and Event Manager and member volunteers in the planning, development and execution of the association’s annual conference and any other education programs. These include but aren’t limited to:
- Midwest Veterinary Conference (OVMA’s premiere event with over 5,000 attendees and 200 exhibitors)
- OVMA Board meetings and the annual board retreat
- OVMA Legislative Day
- Periodic educational programs and activities
Work with, assist and communicate with other association staff in the planning and timely execution of all conference-related programming and activities.
Design, periodically implement and evaluate requests for proposals from vendors for key conference-related services.
Review, modify and negotiate with hotels and other vendors to ensure fair and equitable terms for all conference-related contracts/agreements.
Work with the Director of Communications & Marketing in planning the marketing activities and opportunities of the annual conference.
Review the content of printed and electronic communications to potential conference attendees, speakers, sponsors and/or exhibitors.
Work with the Trade Show & Event Manager and Director of Communications & Marketing in planning the activities, floor plan, communications and promotion of exhibit opportunities for the annual conference.
Work with the Educational Programs Manager in planning the educational programming of the MVC to include:
- Securing conference speakers as directed by the program committee volunteers and/or others involved in educational program planning and all logistics associated with the same.
- Work with conference speakers and any wet lab medical consultants to plan and execute wet labs.
- The recruitment/scheduling of session moderators.
Coordinate, track and implement on-site signage requirements.
Coordinate and manage attendee special assistance requests prior to and at the event.
Coordinate any ad hoc meetings that occur during the annual conference.
Solicit and track conference sponsorships consistent with the Association’s sponsor policy and oversee all communications with and recognition of sponsors.
Data entry of all post-conference/event evaluation information for staff and committee volunteer review.
Establish professional contacts and relationships with hotels, convention bureaus and meeting services vendors.
Maintain the highest professional standards and integrity of Association programs by strictly adhering to OVMA policies, including the OVMA Sponsors and Conflict of Interest policies.
Identify site location, contract, and plan related logistics for off-site conference-related meetings and other event activities as requested.
Establish the format and content of meeting evaluation tools.
Work with the Treasurer and Executive Director in developing accurate budgets for conference activities.
Review all meeting-related vendor invoices for accuracy and designation to the proper chart of accounts category.
Work with the Executive Director to help ensure the highest standards of customer service are adhered to in the execution of the conference.

General Staff Responsibilities:

Work with Association database software, inputting and extracting data where appropriate.
Maintain information reference files for responding to inquiries on time.
Compose/prepare professional business documents/reports/presentations as needed.
Assist in providing member service via general telephone and e-mail inquiries.
Maintain accurate working knowledge of all commonly used office equipment.
Read veterinary-related publications to keep abreast of trends, new information and issues.
Understand veterinary continuing education requirements for Ohio as well as resources for other states.
Periodically attend professional development and continuing education programs of relevance within the association and meeting planning fields, and as budgets allow.

Desired Skill Qualifications:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Experience in planning and executing events of 3,000 or more attendees.
Proficient in conference planning and registration technology.
Ability to prioritize tasks, balance multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
Demonstrate personal initiative and devotion to the organization’s mission.
Strong relationship-building skills with members, vendors and colleagues.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Proficient with common communication and business tools (i.e., Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, etc.).

Minimum Educational Experience Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in education, communications, hospitality management, business/public administration or related field from a four-year college or university.

Preferred Education/Experience Qualifications:

The above-mentioned minimum educational experience qualifications with five to ten years of related work experience. The Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) designation is also a preferred qualification for this position.

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and salary requirements to jobs@ohiovma.org.

Application Deadline:

Please submit the application materials by July 25, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

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