Sr Registration & Housing Manager

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.

About the role

The Senior Registration & Housing Manager 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 main point of contact for registration, event technology, and housing, the Senior Manager leads client, team, and vendor meetings, coordinates resources, and ensures projects are on time and within budget. This position supports our Registration team and 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; or Milwaukee, WI.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of registration for various scale events from kick-off through reconciliation, focusing on registration solution & management, budgeting, invoice processing, and oversight of housing, contact center, SAC/LR, mobile app, and reporting.
• Develop and track project schedules, agendas, and workbooks; drive timelines with team and clients.
• Effectively communicate with clients, internal teams, and third-party vendors with a clear understanding of client goals and objectives.
• Ensure flawless execution, quality of service, and timely delivery of all necessary components for each event.
• Additional responsibilities may include: material pickup, BA training docs and execution, ERC/SRC/CFP, group travel, VISA letters, housing management, payment processing, and VIP management.
• Create and manage budgets (Procim/GS), vendor invoice/expense tracking, and final reconciliation, ensuring programs are within budget and meeting profit margin goals.
• Negotiate contracts/agreements with third-party vendors and team contractors.
• Lead venue/hotel sourcing utilizing departmental templates and procedures.
• Participate in RFP process for new business and existing clients.
• Build and manage attendee registration websites using platforms such as Cvent or Swoogo, including form design, agenda/session setup, pricing and discount logic, and branded attendee communications.
• Ensure attendee registration processes comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations, including consent management and data handling.
• Provide various event reports, analytics, and audits.
• Effectively train managers, specialists, and coordinators.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; High School Diploma or equivalent with relevant work experience required.
• 6-10+ years of registration and housing experience.
• Strong client service skills with continuous follow-up and follow-through on project deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Leadership skills to manage a team and client relationships.
• Ability to execute with minimal supervision and mentor junior team members.
• Ability to manage and reconcile budgets of $350K+, driving profit margin goals.
• Current certifications in at least 2 registration management 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.
• Strong working knowledge of Cvent, Swoogo, RainFocus, Bizzabo, and onsite execution.

Schedule

Hybrid schedule, generally requiring work in-office and/or show site 2-3 days per week.

Travel Requirements

Travel up to 25%.

Pay

Salary range of $95,000-$119,000 based upon experience. Eligible for an annual bonus of up to 7.5% of the base salary.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life, Accident, and Disability Insurance
• Retirement with Company Match
• Paid Time Off