Conference Operations Manager

Summary The Structured Finance Association (SFA) is seeking an experienced event management professional to support the planning and execution of SFVegas 2027, our flagship annual conference, taking place February 21–24, 2027, in Las Vegas. SFVegas is one of the largest and most respected conferences in the structured finance industry, bringing together more than 11,000 attendees, 225+ sponsoring organizations, 300+ speakers, and facilitating thousands of business meetings among industry leaders. The event is developed by industry leaders representing the full spectrum of the structured finance market, including investors, issuers, financial intermediaries, regulators, law firms, accounting firms, technology providers, rating agencies, servicers, and trustees. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of corporate and/or association event management experience, exceptional organizational and project management skills, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities while delivering outstanding service to sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, attendees, and internal stakeholders. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys bringing order to complex projects, takes ownership of their work, communicates proactively, and thrives in a collaborative team environment. This is a hands-on, execution-focused role that is best suited for someone who enjoys event operations and takes pride in creating a seamless experience for attendees, sponsors, and speakers. Role & Responsibilities - Support sponsor registration, pass allocations, substitutions, and registration-related inquiries. - Monitor and respond to attendee inquiries through the shared SFVegas event inbox. - Manage sponsor, government, and press hotel room blocks. - Coordinate sponsor meeting room assignments within the ARIA Sky Suites and communicate confirmations. - Coordinate with exhibitors to collect, track, and maintain Certificates of Insurance (COIs). - Support exhibitor logistics and sponsorship fulfillment. - Assist with additional event operations projects as needed. - Professional Experience, Skills & Qualifications - Minimum of five years of corporate and/or association event management experience. - Experience supporting large-scale conferences or trade shows preferred. - Experience with Cvent strongly preferred; experience with comparable event management platforms will also be considered. - Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong customer service mindset. Experience managing high volumes of email inquiries while providing exceptional customer service in a fast-paced environment. - Experience working with senior executives, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, vendors, and internal stakeholders. - Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook. - Experience managing hotel room blocks, sponsorship fulfillment, exhibitor logistics, or registration operations strongly preferred. - Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a team. Availability - Contract engagement anticipated from approximately August 2026 through February 2027, with workload increasing as the conference approaches. - Ability to participate in regular virtual planning meetings during normal business hours. - Must be available to travel to Las Vegas and work onsite for the full duration of SFVegas 2027 (February 21–24, 2027). - Some evening or extended hours may be required during the final weeks leading up to the conference and while onsite.