James Donovan, Des Email & Phone Number

Oak Brook, Illinois, United States

Evanston, Illinois

Provide strategic direction for the planning and execution of Rotary’s global event portfolio with programs attracting up to 42,000 delegates.Lead eight Meeting Planners responsible for meeting space allocation, stakeholder support, venue and service sourcing, through delivery of meeting specifications and onsite execution.Develop and manage the $12.5M logistics budget including monthly reforecasting and review of financial statements.Responsible for negotiating and contracting convention services including general contractor, audio visual, simultaneous interpretation, food and beverage, event security, medical services, freight forwarding, and Professional Congress Organizer support.Lead sales team responsible for over $1M in exhibit and sponsorship sales.Direct exhibit hall space planning, exhibit sales, booth assignments, financial management, and exhibitor pre-event support through onsite service.Envisioned and executed an exhibit hall makeover to elevate the exhibit experience for exhibitors and attendees.Develop, execute, and measure sustainability programs in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

-Served as the AMPC Exhibits Task Force Chairman for 2014-15.-Served on the PCMA Global Task Force 2015-16-Member of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC) Exhibits Task Force in 2013 -15.

Skokie, Il

Responsible for global planning, site selection, logistical operation, marketing, and sales for three international meetings per year.Transitioned the society from an association management company to independent management. ISSCR was managed by the Sherwood Group from 2001 - 2010.Profit-minded development and management of a $5.2M annual operating budget.Directed membership operations and sales strategy for the 4,100-member organization.Led sales team responsible for $1.4M in exhibit and sponsorship sales. Increased exhibition and sponsorship sales 56% with projected sales growth of 7% annually.ISSCR’s Annual Meeting attracts upwards of 4,000 attendees from 60 countries and rotates around the world. The Regional Conference Series expanded the global reach of their educational programming and member recruitment with two additional meetings each year in Asia and Europe.

Event management and marketing agency that helped associations and exhibitors deliver dynamic and profitable experiences, environments, and events. Outsourced sales and marketing support for meetings, conventions, and trade shows.Client work included the American Bar Association, Leading Age / AAHSA, and Newsday Communications.

Led a team of 12 professional staff in four departments: logistics, continuing education, exhibits and sponsorship, and marketing for the event attracting up to 48,000 attendees.Profit-minded management of the $7M meeting operating budget.Consistently exceeded profit margin for the show by $500,000 or 20%.Managed high-profile exhibitor accounts and developed relationships with industry.Managed RFPs and negotiated contracts with all meeting suppliers, convention centers, and destination cities.Developed several dental industry educational firsts including Education in the Round, Live Operatory Center, ADA365 Virtual Community, and the ADA Satellite Symposia.Employed multi-faceted marketing strategies to increase attendance and attract international exhibitors and delegations.

Developed sales relationships with healthcare manufacturers for the ADA Exhibition attracting over 750 exhibitors with 183,000 NSF of exhibit space.Created new sponsorship programs increasing revenue from $425,000 to over $925,000 in three years.Increased exhibit booth revenues from $4.5M to $6.8M in four years.Grew exhibit space 20% from 155,555 NSF in 2001 to over 192,000 NSF in 2004.Developed floor plans, prospectus, exhibitor service kit, and on-site publications.Implemented onsite space selection program which effectively sold 75% of the exhibition floor in three days.Managed exhibit hall operations and booth space, sponsorship and advertising sales for the ADA exhibition. The ADA World Marketplace is a Trade Show Week 200 exhibition attracting over 750 exhibitors with 183,000 net square feet of exhibit space.

Managed and produced tradeshows in all major U.S. and Canadian markets. Managed trade show accounts with annual revenues of $5.4M.Traveled annually with three large association clients Including American Bar Association, NeoCon West, NeoCon North.

Bachelor Of Business Administration - Bba, Marketing

Bachelor of Business Administration Major: Marketing Minor: Communications

Digital Event Specialist Certificate

Certified Digital Event Specialist (DES) program shares digital event strategy, review of the latest platforms and models, and access.