06/30/2026
Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) Conference Consultant Opportunity - 2027 Conference
Are you highly organized?
Do you love to plan events and see them come together?
Are you a creative person who loves to work with other like-minded people?
The Pennsylvania Art Education Association is seeking interested candidates for a contracted Conference Consultant role to support the planning, coordination, and implementation of the annual PAEA Conference starting with the 2027 conference.
The PAEA Conference is the organization’s primary professional development event for art educators across Pennsylvania and represents a significant portion of the association’s yearly activity. This is a year-round consulting role that requires strong organization, communication skills, project management, budgeting awareness, and the ability to collaborate with volunteer leaders, local conference committees, presenters, vendors, exhibitors, venue staff, and attendees.
The Conference Consultant works closely with the PAEA Leadership, including the Leadership Council (LC), the Executive Leadership Council (ExLC) and local conference committee to help guide the annual conference from early planning through post-conference follow-up. Responsibilities include:
Developing and supporting timelines
Issuing contracts
Implementing registration systems
Collaborating on the proposal processes
Presenter communication
Assisting with vendor and exhibitor coordination
Collaborating on the conference scheduling
Developing the printed and digital program
On-site troubleshooting, and post-conference communication
Key Responsibilities
The Conference Consultant will:
Manage year-round conference planning timelines and help coordinate multiple stages of conference preparation.
Serve as a liaison between the local conference committee, PAEA Executive Leadership Council, presenters, attendees, vendors, exhibitors, and venue staff.
Support conference budget planning, registration structures, vendor and advertising fees, and related financial tracking.
Responsible for (in consultation with the conference chair(s), securing the venue, keynote contracts, catering, lodging, room arrangements, and conference logistics.
Manage or support the online registration system, including setup, updates, troubleshooting, data tracking, and attendee communication.
Coordinate the call for proposals, proposal review process, acceptance/rejection communication, and conference schedule development.
Prepare presenter communications, registration reminders, ticketed workshop materials, name tags, registration materials, and printed/digital program content.
Oversee conference registration desk logistics and support on-site problem-solving during the conference.
Support post-conference communication, including Act 48 reminders and related follow-up.
Maintain confidential information and represent PAEA professionally in all communications.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, collaborative, and comfortable managing complex projects over an extended timeline. Experience with conference/event planning, nonprofit leadership, art education organizations, budgeting, vendor communication, Google Workspace, Cvent or similar registration platforms, and Canva or digital program design is preferred.
This person should be able to balance big-picture planning with detailed follow-through, communicate clearly with a team of multiple stakeholders, and remain calm and solutions-focused during high-volume planning periods and on-site conference needs.
Contract Structure
This is a paid contracted consultant role with a possible apprenticeship/transition year built into the structure. The conference consultant role is compensated quarterly, with 1099 tax documentation and W-9 submission required. The conference consultant will be compensated for travel to host sites, board leadership responsibilities, and the annual conference.
Stipend for conference consultant role is based on annual budgetary approval not to exceed $5000 annually and will be paid in quarterly installments.
Apprenticeship stipend amount is determined by the PAEA Board of directors based upon applicant’s experience.
To Express Interest
PAEA is especially interested in candidates who are committed to supporting art educators, strengthening professional learning communities, and helping create a welcoming, organized, and meaningful conference experience for members across Pennsylvania.
Work as an art educator and/or PAEA Membership is not required. Individuals need not be an art educator to express interest in this role.
We welcome applicants who are passionate about event planning, and are open to anyone who possesses the necessary skills and qualifications.
Interested candidates should submit the following as one PDF document (if possible):
A current resume or CV
A brief statement of interest in this position
Include relevant experience with conference/event planning, event coordination, nonprofit work, or work with professional organizations
Share examples of project management, event planning, communication, or digital organization experience
Share availability for apprenticeship/transition period and annual conference timeline.
Provide the names and contact information for two references who can speak to the above skills and interests
Interested candidates should send the above materials in the form of a single PDF with the subject heading:
CONFERENCE CONSULTANT INTEREST to [email protected]
Application Materials may be addressed to:
CJ Matz, PAEA President
