Events & Tradeshow Manager

You in This Role As the Events & Tradeshow Manager, you will own the strategy, planning, and execution of all tradeshows and corporate events for Unusual Machines and its portfolio of brands.

Trade shows are the top priority in this role. You will lead everything from booth design and logistics to on-site execution and post-event ROI reporting. You understand that events are not just experiences -they are revenue-driving opportunities. Success means brand exposure, qualified lead generation, sales enablement, and measurable business impact.

In addition to tradeshows, you will oversee corporate and customer events, including our annual October customer event, Rampage, in South Carolina. You’ll partner cross-functionally to ensure each event delivers a best-in-class customer experience aligned with business goals.

This role blends strategic thinking and operational excellence. You are highly organized, detail-oriented, and administratively strong, but also adaptable. Our business moves fast, and priorities can shift quickly. You’ll need to pivot seamlessly, over-communicate, solve problems in real time, and hold teams and vendors accountable to deadlines and deliverables.

You are a natural connector—energized by people, comfortable being at the center of activity, and motivated by driving measurable outcomes.

A Day in the Life

• Manage booth design, shipping, installation/dismantle, and on-site execution for upcoming tradeshows
• Coordinate staffing plans and ensuring the right technical experts attend each event
• Book hotels, manage registrations, and organize travel logistics for all Unusual Machines tradeshow attendees
• Planning client happy hours, partner dinners, and customer meetups around event schedules
• Communicate event timelines and expectations across Sales, Marketing, Product, and Leadership
• Work with exhibit houses and external vendors to ensure flawless execution
• Order and managr marketing giveaways and promotional materials
• Build pre-show momentum through partner marketing and media coordination
• Identify new tradeshow opportunities and building a forward-looking event calendar

What You’ll Do

• Develop the annual tradeshow strategy in partnership with Business Development and program leadership
• Build and manage a comprehensive tradeshow calendar
• Oversee booth design, messaging alignment, demos, and on-site customer engagement
• Manage logistics including shipping, vendor coordination, exhibit house partnerships, and installation/dismantle
• Drive pre-event marketing momentum with internal and partner teams
• Track performance metrics including booth traffic, lead volume, pipeline impact, and revenue attribution
• Lead planning and execution of Rampage and other corporate events (grand openings, leadership forums, customer user groups, internal meetings)
• Manage site selection, contracts, vendor negotiations, and on-site logistics
• Partner with executive leadership on agenda development, speaker coordination, and VIP experiences
• Ensure events align with brand standards, security requirements, and business objectives
• Build and manage a scalable network of trusted vendors
• Establish repeatable processes, templates, and best practices for event planning and execution
• Develop and manage annual event budgets
• Track expenses and measure ROI against revenue goals
• Conduct post-event evaluations and drive continuous improvement

What You’ll Bring

Required:

• Proven experience managing tradeshows from concept through execution
• Strong understanding of how events drive exposure, lead generation, and revenue
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills
• Highly detail-oriented and administratively strong
• Customer-service mindset with the ability to represent the business confidently
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and ensure the right experts attend the right events
• Strong communication skills with a proactive, over-communicator style
• Ability to pivot quickly and problem-solve under pressure
• Willingness to travel
• Ability to work a hybrid schedule (4 days in-office, 1 day remote when not traveling)

Preferred:

• Experience in technical, manufacturing, aerospace, or drone-related industries
• Familiarity with experiential marketing in enthusiast-driven communities
• Experience building media plans around event marketing
• High level of self-awareness and comfort operating in fast-changing environments

First-Year Deliverables

• Successfully execute presence at the Exponential tradeshow in May
• Build and implement a strategic tradeshow calendar for the following year
• Deliver a high-impact Rampage event in October that provides an engaging, memorable experience for customers and the FPV community.
• Strengthen sales enablement through better event coordination and lead tracking
• Establish clear revenue attribution reporting tied to event participation

What You’ll Gain

• Ownership of high-visibility tradeshows and corporate events
• Direct impact on revenue growth and sales performance
• Close collaboration with executive leadership
• The opportunity to shape the live brand experience across a growing Product portfolio[NK1] 
• A dynamic, fast-moving environment where your execution and leadership will be highly visible

You’ll work closely with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Leadership while maintaining clear ownership of all tradeshow and corporate event strategy and execution across Unusual Machines.

Compensation & Benefits

·        Competitive compensation package

·        Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision

·        401(k)

·        Unlimited PTO

·        Catered lunches for all employees every day of the week

·        Employee product discounts

About Us

Unusual Machines is a U.S.-based drone and drone parts company focused on the small and First- Person View (FPV) segments of the drone market. Our brands - Rotor Riot and Fat Shark - are two of the most respected names in FPV and have helped shape the industry through e-commerce, product development, and a deep connection with the pilot community.

We’re expanding into enterprise and defense - bringing our obsessive attention to performance, design, and U.S.-based manufacturing into high-stakes environments like search and rescue, STEM education, and military innovation. With several of our products already approved by the Defense Innovation Unit, we’re solving procurement issues for customers who demand speed, agility, and compliance.

If you love working at the intersection of community, content, and cutting-edge technology, you’ll feel right at home here.

We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

Unusual Machines participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

We unfortunately cannot offer visa sponsorship for this position.