US Conventions & Meetings Specialist

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people’s health. We’re always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology.

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.

• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.

• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution

• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

The Opportunity

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices,

nutritional's and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. For years, Abbott's medical device businesses have offered technologies that are faster, more effective, and less invasive.Whether it's glucose monitoring systems, innovative therapies for treating heart disease, or products that help people with chronic pain or movement disorders, our medical device technologies are designed to help people live their lives better and healthier. Every day, our technologies help more than 10,000 people have healthier hearts, improve quality of life for thousands of people living with chronic pain and movement disorders, and liberate more than 500,000 people with diabetes from routine fingersticks.

Our team in Austin, TX is looking for a US Conventions & Meetings Specialist.

This is a fully onsite role. 

The US Conventions & Meetings Specialist role will strategically plan and execute healthcare conventions/tradeshows and meetings of various scale for Abbott. Collaborate with Product Marketing, Clinical Marketing, Creative and Marcom teams to ensure business objectives and priorities are met. Works closely with vendors to design exhibit booths, procure housing, acquire appropriate meetings space and manage attendee registration. Develop communications to the field, management, and attendees to ensure companywide awareness of the event. Manage the planning and supervision of all outside contractors to include installation and dismantle labor, trucking, arranging of services needed on-site, cooperation and communication with the association sponsoring the event.

Serve as liaison with healthcare societies, hotels and event partners to ensure strategic alliances and corporate relationships are generated and sustained in a professional manner. Post event, provide proper and timely payment of invoices, charge backs, lead generation and complete event report.

What You’ll Work On

• Executes on convention and meeting objectives that ensures Global Marketing, Clinical Marketing, Global Communications and Sales are fully represented throughout entire convention and meetings.  

• Selects exhibit and symposia sites and coordinates all necessary logistical details to provide appropriate corporate branding and product messaging.

• Source and recommend hotels and venues to host internal and external meetings to key stakeholder

• Leads core team planning meetings and ensures all action items and deadlines are completed on time.

• Coordinates all logistics in association with a convention including booth needs, housing blocks, badges, ancillary requirements, staff schedules, and show communications.

• Works closely with exhibit house and other show vendors for exhibit and meeting planning services.

• Provides appropriate post-show evaluations and reports to upper management to assess effectiveness of events.

• Assist with Abbott’s Portable Exhibit Program utilized by sales for regional/local shows.

• Has knowledge of all rules and regulations of association guidelines and serves as a corporate representative to professional exhibitor associations and committees.

• Ensures ADVAMED and Open Payments guidelines are met with all meetings, including spend tracking for customer events.

• Maintains budget tracker for all assigned shows/ meetings, monitoring convention costs in or under budget.

• Travel required, approx. 30%

• Complies with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, other regulatory requirements, Company policies, operating procedures, processes, and task assignments.  Maintains positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.

• Performs other related duties and responsibilities, on occasion, as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE YOU’LL BRING

• Bachelors Degree Preferably in Communications, Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, English OR An equivalent combination of education and work experience

• Minimum 5 years professional experience in marketing communications, advertising or other similar field within the Medical Device Industry or another regulated industry.

• Proven track record of delivering measurable, successful multi-channel, sales- enabling communication campaigns.  Strong knowledge and experience with SEO, SEM and Social Media best practices preferred.  

• Advanced skills in PowerPoint and other design software preferred.

• Demonstrated project management experience. 

• Experience working in a highly matrixed and geographically diverse business environment. 

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as part of interdisciplinary teams that include product managers, designers, agencies, and marketing automation teams. 

• Self-starter who takes initiative, is comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, and able to independently manage multiple projects towards aggressive deadlines. 

• Strong verbal and written communications with ability to effectively communicate at multiple levels in the organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1-3 years of work experience in conventions and event planning; preferably in the healthcare industry but not mandatory.

• 1-3 years of experience preferred managing vendors/contractors.

• Energetic, positive can-do attitude

• Ability to maintain agility and to flex on / off event programs as required

• Team player with a mature and collaborative mindset

• Track record of delivering measurable and engaging exhibit booth experiences.

• Experience managing a budget encompassing multiple vendors, budget centers and payment terms.

• Experience working with a global brand.

• Comprehensive personal computer skills including demonstrated spreadsheet, word processing and database management capabilities.

• Experience working with lead management tools, including web and mobile apps.

• An entrepreneurial, take-charge, change-agent spirit is critical with a passion for working in the healthcare industry.

• Ability to work within a team and as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, changing environment.

• Ability to leverage and/or engage others to accomplish projects.

• Strong organizational and follow-up skills, as well as attention to detail.

• Ability to travel approximately 30%.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: 

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

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The base pay for this position is $78,000.00 – $156,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.