The Four Core Roles on a Trade Show Team
Most trade show teams cover the same four jobs, whether four people do them or one person does all four. Write the job description for the work the person will actually own, and say which of the other jobs they will share.
| Role | Owns | Reports to | Works most with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade show manager | The whole show: budget, timeline, venue, results | Director of events or executive director | Every team, venue and contractor |
| Exhibit sales manager | Booth and sponsorship revenue | Show manager or sales director | Prospects, returning exhibitors, marketing |
| Exhibitor services coordinator | Exhibitor experience after the sale | Show manager | Exhibitors, general service contractor |
| Event operations manager | Logistics, contractors, move-in and move-out | Show manager | Venue, contractor, AV, security, fire marshal |
Copy-Ready Job Descriptions
Skills and KPIs for Each Role
Give each role three to five measures it actually controls, and agree how each is counted before the year starts. The trade show KPIs guide defines the common ones.
| Role | Example KPIs | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Trade show manager | Show profit against budget, total net square footage sold, attendance against target, exhibitor satisfaction | Monthly and post-show |
| Exhibit sales manager | Revenue booked against target, booths or square footage sold, exhibitor rebooking rate, collections on time | Weekly |
| Exhibitor services coordinator | Forms and profiles complete by deadline, response time to exhibitor questions, exhibitor satisfaction with services | Weekly before show, post-show |
| Event operations manager | Move-in and move-out on schedule, contractor costs against budget, incidents logged and resolved | Per show |
Interview Questions
Ask for specific past examples and listen for numbers, decisions and what the candidate would do differently. A booth sales candidate can be asked to run a short mock call; the booth sales script gives you a structure to judge it against.
| Role | Question | What a strong answer includes |
|---|---|---|
| Trade show manager | Tell me about a show where the budget went over. What did you do? | How they found it early, what they cut or renegotiated, and the outcome |
| Trade show manager | How do you build a show timeline from the venue contract? | Working back from move-in, contractor and print deadlines, owners for each task |
| Exhibit sales manager | Walk me through how you would sell a booth to a company that has never exhibited. | Discovery questions, a booth recommendation and a dated next step |
| Exhibit sales manager | How do you handle an exhibitor who says the show didn't deliver ROI? | Asking what they measured, sharing data, and a plan for next year |
| Exhibitor services coordinator | An exhibitor missed the advance rate deadline and is angry about the price. What do you say? | Empathy, clear facts about the policy and routing to the contractor |
| Exhibitor services coordinator | How do you keep track of 200 exhibitors' forms? | A system, filters for what is incomplete and scheduled reminders |
| Event operations manager | A freight carrier is three hours late on move-in day. Walk me through your next hour. | Contact the carrier and contractor, adjust the dock schedule, inform the exhibitor |
| Event operations manager | What do you check on a floor plan before the fire marshal sees it? | Aisle widths, exits, fire equipment access and booth heights |
How to Structure a Small Show Team
- Hire the trade show manager first; they define how the other roles split the work
- On a small show, combine exhibitor services and operations in one coordinator role
- Add a dedicated exhibit sales manager when booth revenue is the main income and the show is growing
- Use temporary event staff for registration, info desks and room monitors rather than full-time hires
- Write down who owns each deadline so nothing falls between two roles
For onsite roles you fill per show, see the event staffing guide. A shared system lets a small team cover more: trade show management software puts booth sales, exhibitor onboarding and the floor plan in one place, so the sales manager and the services coordinator work from the same exhibitor record.