Commercial & Government Events Specialist, Trade Shows

Ford Ford · Auto · MI · Marketing & Sales

This role is for a Commercial & Government Events Specialist at Ford, responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing events like trade shows and conferences to drive business growth, client engagement, and brand visibility. The role involves managing budgets, timelines, logistics, and collaborating with sales and marketing teams to achieve commercial outcomes. Key responsibilities include identifying venues and vendors, negotiating contracts, overseeing on-site execution, and reporting on event performance.

What you'd actually do

  1. Plan and execute a range of commercial events, including trade shows, conferences, client activations, sponsorships/integrations, and corporate events
  2. Manage event budgets, timelines, and logistics to ensure delivery on time and within scope
  3. Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to align events with revenue goals and campaign strategies
  4. Identify and secure venues, vehicles, vendors, and sponsorship opportunities
  5. Negotiate contracts with event managers and partners to maximize ROI

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Communications
  • 3–6 years of experience in event management, preferably in a commercial or B2B environment
  • Proven track record of delivering successful events tied to business outcomes
  • Strong project management and organizational skills
  • Experience managing budgets and vendor negotiations
  • Experience utilizing Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Ability to work cross-functionally with internal teams and external partners
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
  • Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills
  • Being proactive and showing initiative
  • Willingness to travel and support on-site event execution as needed

Nice to have

  • Automotive experience
  • Marketing Plans and Workback calendars
  • Project Management skills

What the JD emphasized

  • Proven track record of delivering successful events tied to business outcomes