Updated 1/4/23

Job title:
Convention and membership manager

National Scholastic Press Association

Minneapolis, Minnesota

National Scholastic Press Association, based and incorporated in Minnesota as a non-profit educational association, provides journalism education services to students, teachers, media advisers and others throughout the United States and in other countries. It was founded in 1921.

NSPA has three divisions:
National Scholastic Press Association
Associated Collegiate Press
Minnesota High School Press Association

The NSPA division offers memberships for high school, junior high and middle school student media.

The ACP division offers memberships for college, university and professional and technical school student media.

The MHSPA division offers memberships to Minnesota high school, junior high and middle school student media.

For all divisions, memberships are open to all student media at public and private schools at an annual membership fee.

Primary duties

The purpose of the NSPA convention and membership manager is to provide a variety of services and support to the organization and its members. These duties include updating memberships, online convention registration management, bookkeeping, invoicing, vendor recruitment, and acting as the first point of contact for answering customer questions via email or phone.

In this role you will —

• Member relations: Promote member welfare by giving information and direction regarding membership and convention content. Answer members’ questions regarding membership and convention information.

• Convention registration processing: Make sure that convention delegates get signed up for the correct workshops/ media tours/ and special events.
• Vendor relations: Recruit and manage relationships with returning and new vendors who participate in convention sponsorship and exhibit hall. Continued and prompt correspondence with vendors throughout the event planning and execution process by providing exemplary logistics, problem solving, coordination, details, and execution to ensure a successful event from beginning to end. Consults with vendors to coordinate and schedule deliveries for any and all aspects of event deliveries and set-up while ensuring that the event meets the quality expectation of the client.
• Partnership relationships: serve as a liaison between convention partners and work together to manage event logistics.
• Bookkeeping and data entry: Support business manager in entering all checks, credit cards, purchase orders and bills that come into the office (approximately 12,000 entries per year) and organize them into the correct accounts.
• Participate in reconciliation efforts after each convention and fiscal year end.
• Bill collecting and invoicing: Make sure all convention delegates receive invoices and make efforts to collect on delinquent balances. Over $1,000,000 to collect in convention revenue per year.
• Reimbursements, refunds and receipt documentation: Take part in processing and documenting all speaker/board member/volunteer mileage/hotel/meal reimbursements. 
• Coordinate the logistical aspects and serve as lead for registration desk on-site for 10 conventions a year: setup of the registration desk, handle on-site registrations, manage volunteers, equipment setup, and payments. Must be able to lift between 20-50 lbs and have the ability to travel by air to 4-5 conventions a year.
• Electronic membership packet mailing: Send out membership and membership renewal packets to NSPA/ACP members each month via email.
• Place office supply orders: Make sure the office is stocked with general office supplies. Make sure the postage meter has money.

• Mail processing: Open and distribute mail each morning.
• Assist with office projects and general office duties: Organize travel schedules and purchase plane tickets. Move boxes to and from the storage site. Process office maintenance requests.

Traits of a strong candidate —

• 2 or more years of work experience in event planning and membership management
• Demonstrated familiarity with Microsoft Office Suites, online event registration systems (Cvent), mobile application creation, and membership software
• Lead membership recruitment and membership drive
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Contract negotiation
• Problem-Solving
• Organizational knowledge
• Team Effectiveness
• Enthusiastic, self-motivated, and responsible
• Ability to multitask and prioritize to meet critical deadlines