Registration & Housing Director

FREEMAN; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Parental Leave

Retirement with Company Match

Paid Time Off

Annual Bonus up to 10%

Job summary

The Freeman Company is seeking a Registration & Housing Director to lead planning and delivery of registration solutions for corporate and consumer events. You will manage cross-functional teams, vendors, budgets, and project schedules to ensure flawless event execution, serving as the primary client contact for registration and housing.

This hybrid role requires in-office/show-site work 2–3 days per week and is based in Chicago, IL or other listed U.S. locations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; 10+ years of registration and housing experience.
• Strong client service and leadership skills.
• Continuous follow-up and follow-through on project deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to execute with minimal supervision; mentor junior team members.
• Current certifications in at least 2 platforms: Cvent, RainFocus, Swoogo, or Bizzabo.
• Mastery of G Suite (Slides, Sheets, Docs), Microsoft Office, Airtable, and all relevant internal and client tools.
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint to build, format, and maintain polished client-facing presentations for project updates, event recaps, and strategic recommendations.
• Experience managing programs for 5,000+ attendees.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end execution of event registration programs from kickoff through reconciliation, including registration technology, budgeting, invoicing, housing, contact center, mobile app, reporting, and SAC/LR
• Serve as the primary client and stakeholder contact, ensuring clear communication and alignment on goals, objectives, and delivery expectations
• Develop and manage project timelines/workbooks and deliverables; drive execution across internal teams, clients, and third-party partners
• Lead client registration discovery calls and present registration technology solutions tailored to client goals, in addition to internal and client kickoffs, weekly status meetings, and post-event debriefs

Skills

Leadership

Client service

Communication

Mentoring

Team management

Project management

Event technology

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Cvent

RainFocus

Swoogo

Bizzabo

Job description

About Us

Sparks is a leading global brand experience agency, specializing in the design and execution of award-winning experiences that forge deep connections between brands and audiences. Recognized by Adweek as Experiential Agency of the Year, we bring a unique blend of strategic insight and execution excellence to every brand activation, corporate event, trade show exhibit, and immersive experience. Our commitment to creativity, innovation, and flawless execution drives us to craft impactful experiential marketing solutions that deepen relationships, inspire action, and build trust—all around the world.

Summary

The Registration & Housing Director is responsible for leading the planning and delivery of registration solutions for a wide range of corporate and consumer events, managing cross-functional teams, vendors, budgets, and project schedules to ensure flawless event execution. Serving as the primary client contact for registration, event technology, and housing, the Director leads end-to-end execution from kickoff through reconciliation while mentoring and managing junior staff.

This position will support our Registration team. It is eligible to work a hybrid schedule, generally requiring work in-office and/or show site 2-3 days per week. The ideal candidate will be based out of any of the following locations:

• Philadelphia, PA
• Los Angeles, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Chicago, IL
• Royal Oak, MI
• St. Paul, MN
• Las Vegas, NV
• New York, NY
• Grand Prairie, TX
• Milwaukee, WI

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Registration & Program Leadership

• Lead end-to-end execution of event registration programs from kickoff through reconciliation, including registration technology, budgeting, invoicing, housing, contact center, mobile app, reporting, and SAC/LR
• Serve as the primary client and stakeholder contact, ensuring clear communication and alignment on goals, objectives, and delivery expectations
• Develop and manage project timelines/workbooks and deliverables; drive execution across internal teams, clients, and third-party partners
• Lead client registration discovery calls and present registration technology solutions tailored to client goals, in addition to internal and client kickoffs, weekly status meetings, and post-event debriefs

Technology, Housing & Financial Oversight

• Provide advanced event technology leadership across Cvent, Swoogo, RainFocus, etc.; maintain current certifications on at least two platforms
• Oversee hotel room block management including availability, waitlists, attrition, rooming lists, and hotel partner coordination
• Create and manage project and client budgets; oversee vendor invoicing, expenses, and reconciliation;partnering closely with finance and project leads throughout each program to ensure budget accuracy.
• Negotiate contracts and agreements with third-party vendors
• Lead Venue/Hotel Sourcing utilizing departmental templates and procedures
• Provide event reporting, analytics,and audits; assess reporting needs and recommend efficient strategies
• Ensure attendee registration processes comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations, including consent management and data handling

Team Management & Development

• Manage and mentor Registration/Housing Managers, Senior Managers, and Specialists
• Oversee workload assignment, performance evaluations, coaching, and development
• Support onboarding and ongoing training of team members while fostering a high-performing team culture
• Partner with the Sparks New Opportunity team on RFPs and manage sold programs through post-event wrap-up

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, High School Diploma or Equivalent with relevant work experience required
• 10+ years of registration and housing experience
• Strong client service and leadership skills
• Continuous follow-up and follow-through on project deliverables
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to execute with minimal supervision; mentor junior team members
• Current certifications in at least 2 platforms: Cvent, RainFocus, Swoogo, or Bizzabo
• Mastery of G Suite (Slides, Sheets, Docs), Microsoft Office, Airtable, and all relevant internal and client tools
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint to build, format, and maintain polished client-facing presentations for project updates, event recaps, and strategic recommendations
• Experience managing programs for 5,000+ attendees

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Travel Requirements

Travel up to 25%

What We Offer

The Freeman Company provides benefits that aim to empower our people and their families to thrive mentally, physically, and financially. These are a handful of the types of programs and benefits our full-time people may be eligible for. There may be some variances in specific benefits across regions.

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life, Accident and Disability
• Retirement with Company Match
• Paid Time Off
• Salary range of $100,000-$135,000 based upon experience
• Eligible for an annual bonus of up to 10% of the base salary

Diversity Commitment

At The Freeman Company, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is helping us to create not only a great place to work, but also an environment where our employees, our customers and our communities around the world can reach their goals and connect with each other. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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#TFCSparks