Business Development Specialist: Exhibitor & Sponsorships

Apartment & Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid schedule

Competitive pay

Growth-focused culture

Generous PTO

Health benefits

Holiday pay

Job summary

The National Apartment Association (NAA) is seeking a Specialist, Business Development in Arlington, VA to deliver exceptional exhibitor and sponsor support and drive revenue through sponsorship opportunities. This role emphasizes strong customer service, logistics coordination, and proactive outreach to prospective sponsors.

You will collaborate with a cross-functional team, manage inquiries, and help execute benefit fulfillment while building lasting relationships with exhibitors, sponsors,

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of experience in customer service, sales support, business development, account coordination, or a related field.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships with customers and colleagues.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to provide high-quality customer service and resolve issues with professionalism and resourcefulness.
• Highly self-motivated and able to work independently and take initiative.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Provide customer service support for exhibitors, including monitoring and responding to email and phone inquiries in a timely manner.
• Assist exhibitors in navigating show logistics, deadlines, policies and event resources to ensure a positive event experience.
• Support exhibitor account management activities, including invoice follow-up and payment tracking.
• Assist the Senior Sales Account Manager with exhibit space sales support, exhibitor onboarding and communications, and opportunities to cross-sell advertising, partnership and sponsorship opportunities to exhibitors.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with exhibitors through ongoing communication and support.
• Provide white-glove logistical support for key exhibitors, including management of conference registration lists and hotel room blocks.
• Provide onsite support for exhibitors and sponsors, including staffing the exhibit sales office and assisting with customer service and event operations as needed.
• Support NAA event sponsorship revenue through proactive prospecting, lead generation, and targeted sales outreach.
• Manage sponsorship inquiries and communications, including responding to inbound requests and coordinating follow-up activities.
• Support sponsors throughout the sponsorship lifecycle, including proposal development, contract preparation, and coordination of benefit fulfillment with internal teams
• Research and identify prospective sponsors to support future sales and partnership opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with exhibitors, sponsors and other industry suppliers to support future sponsorship and partnership growth.
• Maintain accurate sales records, pipeline activity, and prospect information.
• Collaborate with the Senior Sales Account Manager and Director, Partnerships on sponsorship sales initiatives and account development strategies.
• Manage sponsorship and partnership marketing plans in coordination with the Marketing team.Utilize relationships developed through exhibitor and sponsorship sales activities to identify prospective advertisers, sponsors, partners and other revenue opportunities for NAA.
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Skills

Customer service

Sales support

Relationship building

Organization

Communication

Independent working

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The National Apartment Association (NAA) is seeking a Specialist, Business Development in Arlington, VA to deliver exceptional exhibitor and sponsor support and drive revenue through sponsorship opportunities. This role emphasizes strong customer service, logistics coordination, and proactive outreach to prospective sponsors.

You will collaborate with a cross-functional team, manage inquiries, and help execute benefit fulfillment while building lasting relationships with exhibitors, sponsors,