Director, Events + Tradeshow

Altis Technology; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Altis Technology in Toronto, ON is partnering with a national nonprofit to recruit a Director, Events & Tradeshow on a 3-month contract. You will lead conferences and a major national tradeshow with roughly 600 delegates and 130 exhibitors, with travel to Winnipeg mid November 2026.

You’ll work with senior leadership, exhibitors, sponsors and partners to optimize revenue, processes and event technology, delivering the finish line and creating practical tools and playbooks for future events.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years leading large conferences and tradeshows.
• Proven revenue generation from exhibitor and sponsorship programs.
• Strong knowledge of tradeshow lifecycle: sales, registration, logistics.
• Experience with event platforms, payments, vendor management.
• Ability to create processes, playbooks and SOPs.

Responsibilities

• Lead conference and tradeshow planning including timelines and budgets.
• Assess current state, set priorities, mitigate risks.
• Drive exhibitor and sponsorship revenue via structured pipelines.
• Oversee event technology platform and vendor coordination.
• Coordinate across departments and external partners.
• Lead onsite execution and post-event review.

Skills

Conference planning

Budgeting

Sponsorship sales

Vendor management

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Travel willingness

Tools

Event platforms

Registration platforms

Payments processing

Exhibitor management software

Job description

• Location: Toronto, ON, hybrid, three days onsite per week (Tuesday + Thursday MUST + 1 additional day)
• Travel: to Winnipeg, MB mid November
• Language: Strong written and spoken English required
• Duration: 3 month contract, with the possibility of extension
• Background Check: Criminal record check required

About the Opportunity

A national, membership-based non-profit organization is seeking an experienced Director, Events & Tradeshow to provide hands-on leadership for its conferences, annual Transit Show and related revenue activities.

This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned events professional to step into a high-profile national event, quickly assess what has been completed and take ownership of the remaining planning and execution.

Working closely with senior leadership, internal teams, exhibitors, sponsors and external partners, youll help deliver an event welcoming approximately 600 delegates and up to 130 exhibitors. Your focus will span tradeshow execution, exhibitor and sponsorship revenue, event technology and the development of stronger processes that set the organization up for continued success.

Whats In It for You

Youll have significant autonomy and direct exposure to senior leadership while making an immediate operational and financial impact.

Youll take the lead on a major national tradeshow, bring structure and direction to an established team and help drive the event successfully across the finish line. Youll also have the opportunity to improve how future events are delivered by creating practical tools, playbooks and processes that continue to add value beyond your contract.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead conference and tradeshow planning, including timelines, budgets, logistics, floor plans, exhibitor communications and onsite execution
• Quickly assess the current state of the event, identify risks and establish clear priorities for the remaining delivery period
• Drive exhibitor and sponsorship revenue through structured pipelines, proactive sales activity, forecasting and relationship management
• Review exhibitor and sponsorship packages, pricing and value propositions to identify opportunities for revenue growth
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective exhibitors, sponsors and industry partners
• Oversee the event technology platform, including registration, payments, exhibitor setup and sponsorship workflows
• Work closely with platform providers and other vendors to resolve existing issues and improve the user experience
• Introduce stronger testing, quality-control and approval processes to improve platform accuracy and reliability
• Coordinate across internal departments, venues, tradeshow suppliers and external partners, establishing clear roles, timelines and accountabilities
• Provide hands-on leadership and direction to internal event resources throughout the planning and delivery process
• Oversee onsite setup and execution in Winnipeg from approximately November 1218, 2026
• Lead the post-event review and document recommendations, lessons learned and opportunities for improvement
• Create practical playbooks, checklists, templates and controls to support future conferences and events

Skills and Qualifications

• At least seven years of progressive, hands-on experience leading large conferences and tradeshows
• Proven success generating exhibitor, sponsorship and event revenue while managing a disciplined sales pipeline
• Strong knowledge of the full tradeshow lifecycle, including exhibitor sales, sponsorships, registration, logistics, vendor coordination and onsite execution
• Experience working with event and tradeshow platforms, including configuration, testing, payments, vendor management and issue resolution
• Demonstrated experience developing event processes, playbooks, controls and standard operating procedures
• Strong project management, budgeting, forecasting, negotiation and vendor-management skills
• A confident, hands-on leadership style with the ability to assess priorities quickly and independently drive execution
• Strong communication and relationship-management skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple departments and stakeholder groups
• The ability to bring structure, clarity and accountability to a fast-moving environment
• Experience within an association, non-profit or membership-based organization is an asset
• Experience delivering conferences or tradeshows in Canada or North America is strongly preferred
• French-English bilingualism is an asset but is not required
• Availability to travel to Winnipeg from approximately November 1218, 2026

Why Partner with Altis?

All qualified applicants will receive fair consideration for employment. We welcome individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities including those who identify as women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

If you require an accommodation, please review our accessibility policy and reach out to our accessibility officer with any questions.