Trade Fair Coordinator Short-Term Technical Assistant

Scope of Work

Africa Trade and Investment Activity

Trade Fair Coordinator Short-Term Technical Assistant (STTA)

Field Activity Request :

Trade Fair Support and Event Coordination

Period of Performance

Date of Approval – September 30, 2025,

Trade Event Dates:

Sourcing at Magic Feb 10-12 , 2025, in Las Vegas , United States .

Summer Fancy Food Show, June 29 to July 1, 2025, | Javits Center, New York, United States,

Period of Activity

2 00 days ( over approximately 12 months)

Destination/Venue:

Remote, preferably b a sed in Washington DC or elsewhere in th e ( USA

Funding Stream:

Prosper Africa T rade F airs (Obj 1)

Work Plan Objective

Objective 1: Increased Trade

Overview

Prosper Africa (Prosper) is a U.S. Presidential-level national security initiative to scale two-way trade and investment between the United States and Africa to transformative and strategic levels. Prosper takes a whole U.S. government (USG) approach to reaching scale in order to strengthen our economic and strategic partnerships. Coordinating across 17 USG departments and agencies, Prosper Africa aims to integrate USG resources that have been traditionally siloed and utilize them all together to dramatically affect the success of a single trade or investment transaction.

Prosper Africa focuses on three main trade objectives : 1) advancing deals, 2) unlocking market opportunities, and 3) strengthening business and investment climates. Prosper Africa works to scale trade at transformative levels between the US and African countries in order to promote global supply chain security, better integrate African producers and suppliers into global markets including the US, create jobs and support inclusive economic growth. Scaling trade requires up-leveling the trade ecosystem through enterprise-led solutions, technology innovation, greater coordination across trading platforms and market players.

To implement these priorities, Prosper Africa is utilizing the USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) mechanism. ATI is a five-year mechanism managed by USAID’s Bureau for Africa and implemented by DAI, which runs through 2026 and allows the U.S. Government to work closely with the private sector to shape activities that unlock business opportunities, particularly those that drive trade and investment into and out of African markets. ATI representatives, working closely with Prosper Africa, will serve as an interface on sub-contracted objectives and obligations.

Prosper Africa and USAID aim to generate higher levels of export sales between Africa and the U.S., which aligns with Prosper Africa's objectives . One mechanism involves trade promotion activities through fully integrated support services provided before, during, and after events such as Sourcing at Magic in February and the Summer Fancy Food Show in June.

BACKGROUND OF THE TRADE FAIRS

Sourcing at MAGIC is a premier fashion tradeshow held twice a year in Las Vegas, in February and August. The event features a wide range of worldwide men's, women's, and children's apparel, footwear, accessories, and manufacturing resources. With over 32,000 retail buyers and 860 brands from 60 countries in attendance and influencers, media, and industry leaders, Sourcing at MAGIC offers a global platform for networking and business opportunities. The show is particularly popular with major competitors from Asian countries like China, making it a valuable opportunity for African suppliers to identify their competitive advantages for entering or expanding into the U.S. market.

The Summer Fancy Food Show has been an annual event in New York for over 60 years. In 2023, the show featured 2,200 food makers from six continents and attracted over 30,000 professionals. This event provides an excellent platform for African exhibitors to meet buyers and gain exposure. The specialty food market comprised 63 categories and had $87.3 billion in sales in 2023, accounting for 67% of all specialty retail sales.

PURPOSE OF THE ACTIVITY

USAID ATI is looking for a qualified and experienced Trade Fair Coordinator based in the U.S. or Africa. The coordinator will provide short-term technical assistance (STTA) to plan, organize, and manage all aspects of two trade fair events, namely Sourcing at Magic , which will be held in Las Vegas in February 2025 , and the Summer Fancy Food Show, which will be held in New York in June 2025 . This role includes coordinating with USAID ATI teams, key partners and vendors, sponsors , and African suppliers . The Coordinator will also work closely with the USAID ATI internal teams, such as the Activity team, the Trade team and the Communications teams to develop an event strategy and plan the event layout, such as the booth placement and pavilion location, as well as develop promotional materials and manage budgets. A key role includes running the event floors by ensuring everything runs smoothly.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project management , coordination, and administration :

• Collaborate with the USAID ATI team , primarily the Senior Activity Manager and Activity Specialist, to organize and arrange event specifics, which include floor space, booth construction, and setup, such as positioning, lighting, electricity, and branding. Facilitate communication and interaction between the USAID ATI team, important partners, sponsors, and vendors.
• Work with the USAID ATI team (s) and the US Buyer linkages & Events Management partners to ensure firms are sufficiently prepared for the exhibition shows , such as by coordinating the collection of information from firms with ATI Regional teams, collecting contracts, etc. This task can include planning pre-trade webinars, sending out webinar invitations, and managing the attendance list. Also, ensure that exhibitors' details, such as their marketing collateral, required insurance, and exhibitor contracts, are saved on the ATI SharePoint in a navigable folder structure .
• Coordinat e the logistical requirements such as security, equipment rentals, and catering services.
• In collaboration with the ATI Activity team, ensure the pavilions and main and side events operate smoothly.
• Follow up with firms to ensure they've completed feedback forms , surveys, and partnership agreements .
• Develop a lead retrieval distribution plan and coordinate the data collection process at the main events.
• Organize and chair biweekly check-in meetings with ATI, Prosper Africa and USAID, and send out minutes and action items after each meeting.
  
  
  

Communications and Coordination

• C oordinate with the USAID ATI Communications and USAID Activity teams to collect and finalize inputs to define the trade fair strategy and event requirements and organize the preparation of event write-ups such as run-of-show documents, agenda, briefs, and talking points ,
• Work with the ATI Communications team to p romote the show through marketing channels such as social media, emails, and advertising campaigns.
• Provide s upport in coordinating side trade events such as panel discussions, market intelligence, retail tours, etc.
  
  
  

Financial management and budgeting

• In collaboration with the Senior Activity Manager, track trade fair costs and provide inputs to maintain an updated budget and forecasts.
• Work with the ATI to s ecur e the venue, plan the layout, and liaise with vendors to determine their booth requirements and branding .
• Manage the booking and registration of vendors, sponsors, VIPs, delegations, and exhibitor badges, including coordinating exhibitor badges. Coordinate the logistical requirements, such as security, equipment rentals, and catering services.
• Play a supporting role in arranging travel and accommodation logistics , administration, and booking s where necessary.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in project management, event management, event planning, marketing, communications, trade or equivalent qualification , with a minimum of six years' experience as a trade show coordinator or similar.
• Ability to travel and physically attend Sourcing at Magic in Las Vegas and the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York and keep up with the walking demands required at such shows .
• Team-oriented with leadership qualities and ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Exceptional w ritten and v erbal c ommunication with s trong c lient- f acing s kills, marketing knowledge or previous experience, vendor and entertainment research, initiative, enthusiasm, and flexibility.
• Good computer skills with Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and MS Word programs .
• Excellent financial management abilities.
• Highly charismatic and engaging with e xcellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• A bility to perform under pressure on multiple projects and deadlines and w illingness to work flexible hours .
• Extremely well-organized with strong multi-tasking and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to solving complex problems.
• Experience with and understanding of working on a client-led event brief.
• P ossess an u nderstanding of health and safety regulations concerning event m anagement.
  
  
  

Desirable

• Experience working on large complex organizations and experience in delivering large-scale corporate events.
• Preference will be given to a candidate with experience working at Sourcing at Magic or Summer Fancy Food Show.
• International work experience, particularly in developing countries.
• Experience with working on data collection tools such as a lead retrieval system.
• Fluency in other languages , such as French or Arabic.
  
  
  

IMPLEMENTATION TIMEFRAME :

The activities outlined above are estimated to take place over 12 months, starting around November 2024 and ending around September 30, 2025.

REPORTING :

The position would report to the Senior Activity Manager for the Prosper Africa portfolio, based in Washington, DC.