CDA-State Fair Program & Vendor Coordinator (Administrator III)

Full Job Description

Agriculture is a part of all our lives. When you eat, put on clothes, or care for an animal--your life is touched by agriculture.

Colorado's food and agriculture industry generated $47 billion of economic activity in 2019 and supports nearly 5% of the state's workforce. CDA is proud to be a part of such an important industry.

Mission:

The CDA's mission is to strengthen and advance Colorado's agriculture; promote a safe and high-quality food supply; protect consumers; and foster responsible stewardship of the environment.

CDA Wildly Important Goals:

To accomplish our mission, CDA focuses on four “wildly important goals:”

• Goal 1: Advancing Local Food Access

• Goal 2: Expanding Water-Resilient Agriculture

• Goal 3: Supporting the Next Generation in Agriculture

• Goal 4: Advancing Animal Health and Welfare

We use these goals to focus and align the daily work of our staff in support of Colorado farmers and ranchers. Learn more about our Department and our wildly important goals in our performance plan on our website.

• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including aPERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus optional 401(k) and 457 plans (www.copera.org)
• Medical and dental health plans (https://stateofcoloradobenefits.com/)
• Employer supplemented Health Savings Account ($60 per month)
• Paid life insurance, plus additional optional life insurance options
• Paid Short Term Disability and optional Long Term Disability coverage
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave accruals
• BenefitHub state employee discount program
• Employee Wellness program State of Health
• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, remote work opportunities, free parking, professional development and more!

To learn about the total compensation package for State government employment visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/totalcompensation

Equal Opportunity

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

We believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Requirements

Organizational Purpose:

This work unit exists to manage marketing, sponsorship, entertainment, and vendors for the annual Colorado State Fair as well as year round events at the fairgrounds.

Major Objectives of the Position

The purpose of this position is to help coordinate and assist the Programming & Partnerships Department.

This includes year round and Fair time marketing and social media, in conjunction with the Programming & Partnerships Director and the contracted marketing agency.

Position will assist in fulfillment of attraction setup, food and commercial vendors, sponsorship, and special events for the annual Fair.

The position will assist with year round event coordination and will collect payments from renters, sponsors, and vendors. Communication and year round planning skills are necessary for this position.

Primary Duties

Vendor Coordination:

• Position will assist with vendor management, which may include reviewing applications and creating contracts.
• Position will assist with fulfillment of vendor contracts by ensuring contracts are signed, payments are received, and proper insurance documents are received.
• Processes ticket requests and creates packets for vendors
• Assist with vendor load in by marking spaces, coordinating packet pick up, and communicating with vendors regarding any space issues or questions.
• Assist with grounds layout by placing vendors on the map and working with Sponsorship, Programming & Partnerships, and other departments to coordinate spaces.
• Manage the CSF Holiday Bazaar, in conjunction with Sales & Rental Manager. This includes vendor outreach, contract management, vendor check in, and on site show management.

Programming Fulfillment:

• Assist with various duties for the Programming & Partnerships Department.
• This position will serve as the main point of contact for on grounds attractions during the Fair, which may include ticket and credential distribution, load in assistance, and coordination with operations and other departments.
• Position will assist the Sponsorship & Rodeo Manager with sponsor fulfillment. This may include contract management, creating ticket packages, execution of deliverables, promotions, and VIP events and spaces.
• Works with other departments and organizations to plan and execute special events at the annual State Fair. Examples of these events include the Governor’s Plate, Centennial Farms and Ranches, and the Junior Livestock Sale.
• Creates rental contracts for various public and private events. This may include coordination with Sales & Rental Manager, Finance, and General Manager.
• Collects rental payments and submits payments to the accounting department. Position assists in monthly balancing and reconciliation of all accounts.
• Manages all Pueblo County 4H events. This includes the yearly contract, event booking, and coordination of event setups with event services staff.

Year Round Events Coordination:

• Serves as the main point of contact for events and renters when the Sales & Rentals Manager is not available. This may include evening and weekend events as needed.
• Conducts facility tours with potential renters, explaining the rental process to them and showing them details of the facilities
• Checks out keys to renters and performs building walk through for events.

Marketing:

• Management of fairgrounds newsletters. This includes maintaining an up to date email database, creating graphics and content for each newsletter at regularly scheduled intervals, and soliciting new contacts.
• Assist other departments with email outreach as needed. This may include livestock, horse show, competitive exhibits, and box office. Colorado Department of Agriculture Revised October 2024 Page 7
• This position will manage CSF social media throughout the year, and during the annual State Fair in conjunction with the contracted marketing agency and Director of Programming & Partnerships.
• Position will create social media graphics and content to be posted on all CSF channels, in conjunction with Director of Programming & Partnerships.
• Position will assist in creating social media strategy and plan for year round events.
• Assistance with media management, including trade fulfillment and on site assistance for media trailer and agency.
• Assistance with various marketing tasks including photographer coordination, special event management, printed materials, and promotional days during the Fair.
• This position regularly updates and maintains the CSF website. This may include event updates, Fair related items, and providing assistance to other departments as needed.

Qualifications

• Six (6) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to event management.

• Part-time experience will be prorated.

• A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in event management equal to six (6) years

• Use years of state service as a preferred qualification.
• Previous experience working with large events

• Must have an active Colorado driver's license.
• Must be a resident of the state of Colorado.
• Must be willing to work outside of normal business hours including weekends and holidays
• Will need to work outdoors in adverse conditions such as rain, heat, and snow.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and public speaking skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple priorities, and able to react and adjust quickly to changing conditions.
• Detail oriented.
• Excellent communication skills; able to communicate effectively and articulately in writing and orally with diverse communities in all corners of the state.
• Work well under pressure.
• Strong relationship management skills and excellent representation of the department in community interactions.
• A proven track record for developing and maintaining trusted relationships with stakeholders and industry experts.
• Excellent negotiation and consensus building skills.
• Proactive approaches to problem-solving and with strong decision-making capability.
• Highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently.

• Experience working with large events

• Experience working with contracts

• Online application (completed fully) describing how you meet the minimum qualifications

OR If you are not able to submit an online application, a paper application is available at this link: PDF State Paper Application.

Paper applications must be received (either by US mail or email to mary.hunt@state.co.us by the closing date and time of the application period listed on this announcement.

• DD214 (if applicable)
• Unofficial copy of transcripts (if applicable)

• Technical Competence – Technical experience as it relates to the duties outlined in this job announcement.
• Depth and Breadth of Experience – Experience that covers multiple areas outlined in this job announcement. Experience should be varied and not one dimensional and demonstrate a wide range of community involvement.
• Job Fit – Experience will be evaluated to determine how well your past experience aligns with and meets the business needs of this position. Current experience is preferred.

Additional Information