Director, Experiential Marketing

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Director, Experiential Marketing, owns the entire strategy and execution for our company's physical presence in the market. This means everything from major global trade shows to intimate customer roundtables, ensuring each event aligns perfectly with our broader marketing and sales goals. You'll work at the intersection of brand, sales, and product, translating high-level business objectives into compelling, measurable experiences that resonate with our target audience. When this role is done well, we see a significant uplift in qualified pipeline, accelerated sales cycles, and a stronger, more recognisable brand in the market. When it's not, we're pouring money into events that don't deliver, damaging our brand's reputation, and missing crucial opportunities to connect with customers. The challenge is balancing creative vision with rigorous ROI, managing complex budgets, and leading a high-performing team through the often chaotic reality of live events. The reward? Seeing your strategic vision come to life, driving real business impact, and building a world-class experiential marketing function from the ground up.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: VP, Marketing
• Direct reports: Typically 3-8 (Managers and Lead Strategists)
• Matrix relationships: Head of Events & Brand Experiences, VP, Global Events, Senior Director, Field Marketing & Events,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• VP, Marketing
• Head of Sales & Regional Sales Directors
• Product Marketing Leads
• Corporate Communications & PR
• Finance Business Partners
• Legal Counsel

External:

• Key Event Organisers (e.g., CES, MWC, Web Summit)
• Strategic Agency Partners (Booth Build, AV, Creative)
• Industry Associations
• High-Value Sponsors/Partners

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly shapes our market perception, influences customer acquisition and retention, and is accountable for a significant portion of the marketing budget. You're driving multi-year transformation in how we engage with our audience in person, directly impacting pipeline generation and brand equity across the business unit.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Event-Sourced Pipeline & Revenue
2. Desc: The total value of sales pipeline and closed-won revenue directly attributed to experiential marketing activities (trade shows, proprietary events, field marketing).
3. Target: Generate £10M+ in new pipeline and £2M+ in closed-won revenue annually.
4. Freq: Monthly & Quarterly
5. Example: In Q2, our events generated £3.5M in pipeline, leading to £750K in closed-won deals, exceeding the £2.5M pipeline target and £500K revenue target for the quarter.
6. Metric: Program ROI (Return on Investment)
7. Desc: The ratio of event-sourced pipeline/revenue to the total cost of the experiential marketing programme.
8. Target: Maintain a minimum 3:1 pipeline-to-cost ratio and 1:1 revenue-to-cost ratio.
9. Freq: Quarterly & Annually
10. Example: Our annual programme cost £2M and generated £7M in pipeline, resulting in a 3.5:1 ROI, which is above our 3:1 target.
11. Metric: Audience Engagement & Satisfaction
12. Desc: Metrics measuring the quality of attendee experience, including booth traffic, session attendance, survey scores, and social media mentions.
13. Target: Achieve >80% positive feedback in post-event surveys and >20% year-on-year growth in qualified booth engagements.
14. Freq: Per Event & Quarterly Roll-up
15. Example: At our recent flagship event, 85% of attendees rated their experience as 'excellent' or 'very good', and we saw a 25% increase in demo requests compared to the previous year.
16. Metric: Budget Adherence & Optimisation
17. Desc: How closely actual spend aligns with approved budgets, and how effectively costs are managed without compromising quality or impact.
18. Target: Keep overall programme spend within +/- 2% of the approved annual budget, identifying 5-10% cost savings year-on-year.
19. Freq: Monthly & Quarterly
20. Example: Despite a major last-minute change, the Q3 budget was only overspent by 1.5%, and we successfully negotiated a 12% saving on our main AV contract for next year.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Strategic Programme Alignment
2. Desc: How well the experiential marketing programme supports overall company objectives, product launches, and sales initiatives.
3. Evidence: Regular positive feedback from VP of Marketing and Head of Sales on event strategy. Events are consistently integrated into major GTM campaigns. Clear articulation of event contribution in executive reviews.
4. Metric: Team Leadership & Development
5. Desc: The ability to inspire, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
6. Evidence: High team engagement scores (>85%), low regrettable attrition (<10%). Direct reports consistently hitting their targets and taking on increased responsibility. Positive 360-degree feedback on leadership style.
7. Metric: Innovation in Experiential Design
8. Desc: The introduction of new, creative, and effective ways to engage audiences and deliver memorable brand experiences.
9. Evidence: Successful pilot of new event formats or technologies. Industry recognition or awards for event design. Positive feedback from attendees and internal stakeholders on the 'freshness' and impact of experiences.
10. Metric: Vendor & Partner Relationship Management
11. Desc: The ability to build and maintain strong, mutually beneficial relationships with key agencies, suppliers, and event organisers.
12. Evidence: Favourable contract terms and pricing. Proactive problem-solving with vendors. Vendors consistently going the 'extra mile' for us. Positive feedback from partners on collaboration and professionalism.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Strategic Visionary with a Practical Edge
• Manifestation: You're the person who can see the big picture—how a single event fits into a multi-year brand strategy—but you also know exactly how many power drops we need for the main demo station. You can articulate a compelling vision for our physical presence, but you're just as comfortable diving into the exhibitor manual to spot a hidden cost. You don't just dream big; you figure out how to build it, piece by piece.
• Benefit: Without a clear vision, events become isolated, tactical exercises that don't deliver long-term value. Without a practical eye, that vision quickly becomes an unmanageable, over-budget nightmare. This role needs someone who can bridge the gap between grand ideas and the gritty reality of execution, ensuring every event serves a higher purpose while staying on track.
• Trait: Calm Leader in the Storm
• Manifestation: When the main demo screen goes dark an hour before the keynote, or a key speaker misses their flight, you're the one who remains unflappable. You don't panic; you assess, delegate, and troubleshoot with a steady hand. Your team looks to you for guidance, and you project confidence and control, even when you're furiously problem-solving behind the scenes. You're the eye of the storm, keeping everyone focused.
• Benefit: Events are inherently unpredictable. High-stakes moments will inevitably arise, and how you react directly impacts team morale, stakeholder confidence, and ultimately, the success of the event. A calm, decisive leader can turn a potential disaster into a minor hiccup, protecting our brand and investment.
• Trait: ROI Obsessed
• Manifestation: You don't just love the buzz of a successful event; you love the numbers that prove its worth. You're constantly asking, 'What's the pipeline from this? What's our cost-per-lead? How does this compare to digital channels?' You challenge your team and agency partners to justify every pound spent, always looking for ways to optimise spend and demonstrate tangible business impact. You're not afraid to cut an event that isn't delivering, even if it's a 'legacy' show.
• Benefit: Experiential marketing often involves significant investment. Without a relentless focus on ROI, it's easy to fall into the trap of 'doing events for events' sake'. This role is accountable for a multi-million pound budget, and proving that investment translates into measurable business growth is absolutely critical for continued funding and executive buy-in.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Exceptional Negotiator
• Desc: Can secure favourable terms with venues, agencies, and suppliers, protecting the budget without sacrificing quality. You're always looking for value.
• Trait: Empathetic Leader
• Desc: Understands the pressures on their team and provides the necessary support, guidance, and resources to help them succeed and grow.
• Trait: Data-Driven Decision Maker
• Desc: Doesn't rely on gut feelings alone; uses event data, market trends, and business metrics to inform strategic choices and programme adjustments.
• Trait: Cross-functional Collaborator
• Desc: Builds strong relationships with sales, product, and other marketing teams, ensuring events are fully integrated and supported across the business.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Building and Leading a High-Impact Function
2. Daily: You'll be defining the strategy for how we show up in the physical world, building out the team, and putting the processes in place to make it all happen. This means recruiting top talent, mentoring your managers, and setting the vision for what 'world-class experiential marketing' looks like for us.
3. Motivator: Driving Tangible Business Growth Through Creative Experiences
4. Daily: Your work will directly contribute to our sales pipeline and revenue. You'll be constantly looking for innovative ways to engage audiences, generate qualified leads, and accelerate deals, all while proving the financial impact of your efforts.
5. Motivator: Strategic Problem Solving at Scale
6. Daily: You won't just be fixing individual event issues; you'll be solving systemic problems across the entire programme. This involves optimising processes, negotiating enterprise-level contracts, and navigating complex internal and external challenges to ensure smooth, efficient operations.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this role isn't for you if you prefer a predictable 9-to-5. You'll be dealing with last-minute crises, managing demanding stakeholders, and often working long hours during peak event season. If you're someone who struggles with ambiguity or needs every detail to be perfectly buttoned down before you can act, you'll find this role frustrating. The reality is messier than the job description suggests, and you'll often be making decisions with incomplete information. If you're not comfortable with high-stakes situations where millions of pounds are on the line, this won't be a good fit.

Common Frustrations

1. The constant battle to prove ROI for experiential marketing, especially when sales follow-up is inconsistent.
2. Dealing with internal stakeholders who don't understand the complexities or costs of events and make unrealistic demands.
3. The physical and mental toll of extensive travel and being 'on' for days at a time during major shows.
4. Navigating the ever-changing landscape of event regulations, health & safety protocols, and supply chain issues.
5. The challenge of finding and retaining top talent in a highly competitive events market.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A purely creative role with no financial accountability.
2. A predictable, low-pressure work environment.
3. The ability to completely avoid travel.
4. A role where you can delegate all difficult conversations.
5. The luxury of having unlimited budget for every idea.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced, dynamic nature of event management, with constant new challenges and problem-solving, can be highly engaging for those with ADHD, providing a stimulating environment that prevents boredom.
2. The need for rapid decision-making and quick pivots on-site often plays to strengths in quick thinking and adaptability.
3. The variety of tasks—from strategic planning to on-site execution to post-event analysis—can keep interest high and prevent hyperfocus on a single, repetitive task.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Managing multiple, complex projects and deadlines simultaneously can be overwhelming. We can support with robust project management tools (Asana, Monday.com) and dedicated project coordinators.
2. Maintaining focus during long strategic planning meetings or detailed budget reviews might be challenging. We encourage breaks, active participation, and providing pre-reads for focused input.
3. The need for meticulous attention to detail in contracts and exhibitor manuals can be difficult. We'll ensure you have support from your team and robust checklist systems to catch critical items.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Strong visual-spatial reasoning, excellent at seeing the 'big picture' of an event layout, flow, and brand experience.
2. Often highly creative and innovative in designing unique experiential concepts and problem-solving on the fly.
3. Exceptional oral communication and storytelling skills, which are vital for presenting strategies to leadership and engaging with partners.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. Reading and processing large volumes of text, like detailed contracts or exhibitor manuals, can be time-consuming. We use tools with text-to-speech features and encourage verbal briefings or summaries from your team.
2. Writing formal reports or detailed communications might require extra time. We can provide access to proofreading tools, AI writing assistants, and support from a communications specialist.
3. Organising complex written information or data sets. We rely heavily on visual project management boards, templates, and clear, concise documentation standards.

Autism Positives

1. A strong ability to identify patterns and logical inconsistencies, which is invaluable for optimising event processes and identifying inefficiencies.
2. Exceptional focus and deep dives into specific areas of interest, such as data analysis for ROI or mastering event technology platforms.
3. Often highly reliable and committed to delivering on promises, ensuring meticulous execution of planned strategies.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Navigating complex social dynamics and unspoken expectations in high-pressure, multi-stakeholder environments. We encourage direct, clear communication and provide pre-briefs for key meetings.
2. Unexpected changes or sensory overload during busy on-site event periods. We'll work to provide quiet spaces for focused work or breaks, and clear schedules of expected interactions.
3. The need for frequent networking and 'schmoozing' with external partners. While important, we can balance this with opportunities for focused, task-oriented collaboration and leverage your team for broader social engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Director, Experiential Marketing (16-20 years)
2. Responsibilities: Define and own the multi-year experiential marketing strategy, aligning it directly with company-wide revenue goals, brand objectives, and product launch roadmaps.
3. Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of event managers and strategists (typically 3-8 direct reports), fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
4. Manage the entire experiential marketing P&L (£2M-£10M+), overseeing budget allocation, forecasting, and rigorous ROI analysis across all events and programmes. You'll present this to the board.
5. Architect and optimise the end-to-end lead management process for all events, working closely with Sales and Marketing Operations to ensure seamless lead flow, attribution, and follow-up.
6. Drive transformation in our approach to physical events, identifying and implementing new technologies, formats, and engagement strategies that differentiate our brand and deliver measurable impact.
7. Build and maintain strategic relationships with key event organisers, industry associations, and top-tier agency partners, negotiating enterprise-level contracts and ensuring favourable terms.
8. Present programme performance, strategic recommendations, and budget proposals to the C-Suite and Board, defending investments and showcasing the value of experiential marketing.
9. Supervision: Fully autonomous on strategic direction and execution within the business unit. Reports to the VP of Marketing for high-level strategic alignment and objective setting. Expected to operate independently, driving significant initiatives without daily oversight.
10. Decision: Full P&L authority for £2M-£10M+ experiential marketing budget. Authority over organisational design within the events team, including hiring, promotions, and performance management. Owns selection and negotiation of major agency and vendor contracts (up to £1M+). Strategic decisions impacting the entire business unit’s market presence.
11. Success: Achieving ambitious pipeline and revenue targets from events. Delivering a strong ROI on all experiential marketing spend. Building a highly engaged and effective team. Consistently innovating our event approach, leading to increased brand recognition and market share. Successfully presenting programme results and strategic plans to C-suite and Board members.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Annual Programme Strategy & Budget
• Entry: No input, executes assigned tasks.
• Mid: Proposes specific event inclusions or exclusions for smaller shows.
• Senior: Recommends portfolio of events for a specific region or product line, with budget implications up to £500K.
• Type: Vendor & Agency Selection
• Entry: Provides quotes from pre-approved vendors for basic items.
• Mid: Selects vendors for individual event needs (e.g., catering, small AV) within a defined budget.
• Senior: Leads RFP process for major event components (e.g., booth build for Tier 2 show) up to £100K.
• Type: Team Hiring & Structure
• Entry: No involvement.
• Mid: Provides informal feedback on junior candidates.
• Senior: Interviews and provides hiring recommendations for junior and mid-level roles.
• Type: Crisis Management (On-site)
• Entry: Escalates issues to Senior Coordinator.
• Mid: Resolves routine on-site issues (e.g., missing shipment, minor AV failure) independently.
• Senior: Manages significant on-site issues (e.g., major booth damage, critical demo failure), coordinating with all relevant parties.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

As a Director, your foundation skills are about leading, influencing, and making high-stakes decisions. It's less about individual task execution and more about shaping the environment for your team to succeed, navigating complex organisational dynamics, and maintaining a strategic perspective.

• Category: Strategic Leadership & Vision
• Skills: Ability to define and articulate a compelling multi-year vision for experiential marketing that aligns with corporate objectives.
• Strong capability in translating high-level business goals into actionable event strategies and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience in making tough strategic trade-offs (e.g., which events to cut, where to invest more) based on data and business impact.
• Category: Executive Communication & Influence
• Skills: Exceptional ability to communicate complex strategies and performance metrics clearly and concisely to C-suite and Board members.
• Proven track record of influencing senior stakeholders (Sales, Product, Finance) to gain buy-in and secure resources for experiential initiatives.
• Skilled in managing difficult conversations and mediating conflicts between cross-functional teams, always driving towards a positive outcome.
• Category: Financial Acumen & P&L Management
• Skills: Deep understanding of P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, and cost control for multi-million pound programmes.
• Ability to conduct rigorous ROI analysis and present clear financial justifications for experiential marketing investments.
• Expertise in negotiating complex, high-value contracts with agencies and vendors, securing favourable terms and mitigating financial risk.
• Category: Organisational Development & Talent Management
• Skills: Proven ability to recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing team, including managers and senior individual contributors.
• Experience in designing effective team structures, defining roles and responsibilities, and fostering a culture of accountability and growth.
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills, empowering team members to take ownership and advance their careers.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

Your functional skills at this level move beyond execution to strategic oversight, programme design, and leveraging technology for enterprise-wide impact. You'll be defining the standards and selecting the tools that your team uses.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Experiential Journey Mapping & Design
• Desc: Expertise in designing end-to-end attendee journeys that integrate pre-show, in-show, and post-show experiences, ensuring consistency and impact across all touchpoints. This isn't just about the booth; it's the entire narrative.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategy
• Desc: Deep understanding of international shipping, customs, and global event logistics, with the ability to design efficient and resilient supply chain strategies for multi-region programmes. You'll be thinking about risk mitigation at scale.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Lead Management & Attribution Architecture
• Desc: Ability to design and optimise the entire lead flow process from event capture to CRM integration, sales handoff, and revenue attribution. This involves working with Marketing Ops to build robust tracking and reporting.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Vendor & Agency Ecosystem Management
• Desc: Expertise in building and managing a portfolio of strategic agency and vendor relationships, including contract negotiation, performance management, and fostering long-term partnerships. You're their main point of contact.
• Level: Expert

Digital Tools

• Tool: Event Management Platform (e.g., Cvent, Bizzabo)
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Leads platform evaluation and selection, manages enterprise licenses, oversees API integrations with CRM/Marketing Automation, defines global best practices for usage.
• Tool: Project Management (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Jira Align)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Manages portfolio-level views across multiple programmes, sets up team-wide templates and workflows, reports on overall programme status to leadership, ensures cross-functional alignment.
• Tool: CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Designs the lead flow process from capture to sales handoff, defines attribution models, presents ROI analysis to executives, works with Sales Ops on CRM optimisation for events.
• Tool: Budgeting & Financial Planning (e.g., Anaplan, Pigment, advanced Excel)
• Level: Expert
• Usage: Owns the entire experiential marketing budget, conducts quarterly forecasting, presents budget to finance and C-suite, performs scenario planning for major investments.
• Tool: Data Visualisation (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
• Level: Intermediate
• Usage: Reviews and interprets complex dashboards on event performance, pipeline generation, and ROI, using insights to inform strategic decisions and executive presentations.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Global Event Market Trends & Innovation
• Desc: Deep understanding of emerging trends in experiential marketing, new event technologies, and shifts in audience engagement behaviours globally. You're always looking for what's next.
• Area: Brand Strategy & Positioning
• Desc: Expert knowledge of brand guidelines and strategic positioning, ensuring all experiential activations consistently reinforce and elevate the company's brand identity.
• Area: Sales & Marketing Funnel Dynamics
• Desc: Comprehensive understanding of the entire sales and marketing funnel, and how experiential activities contribute at each stage, from awareness to closed-won revenue.
• Area: Legal & Regulatory Compliance (Global Events)
• Desc: Strong awareness of global legal, health & safety, data privacy (e.g., GDPR), and ethical considerations for events, ensuring all programmes are fully compliant.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• Usage: Ensuring all lead capture, data processing, and marketing activities at events globally comply with GDPR and other regional data privacy laws. This includes consent management and data security protocols.
• Reg: Health & Safety at Work Act (UK) / OSHA (US) & Local Equivalents
• Usage: Overseeing the implementation of robust health and safety protocols for all event activations, ensuring a safe environment for staff, attendees, and contractors. This means risk assessments and emergency planning.
• Reg: International Trade & Customs Regulations
• Usage: Navigating complex international shipping and customs requirements for event materials, ensuring timely delivery and avoiding costly delays or penalties for global events.
• Reg: Anti-Bribery & Corruption Regulations (e.g., UK Bribery Act)
• Usage: Ensuring all vendor relationships, sponsorship agreements, and hospitality activities comply with anti-bribery and corruption laws, particularly in international markets.

Essential Prerequisites

• Extensive experience (12+ years) managing complex, multi-million pound event programmes, including both trade shows and proprietary events, at a global or enterprise level.
• Proven leadership experience (5+ years) managing and mentoring a team of event professionals, including managers.
• A strong track record of defining and executing event strategies that demonstrably drive pipeline, revenue, and brand equity.
• Expertise in P&L management, budget forecasting, and rigorous ROI analysis for large-scale marketing programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and present to C-suite executives and Board members.
• Deep understanding of the sales and marketing funnel and how events integrate into broader go-to-market strategies.
• Experience in negotiating high-value contracts with major venues, agencies, and event service providers.

Career Pathway Context

Typically, individuals entering this role would have progressed from a Manager, Trade Shows & Events position or a similar senior leadership role within a large-scale events or field marketing function. You'll have already proven your ability to manage teams and significant budgets, and now you're ready to shape the entire experiential strategy.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: AI-Driven Strategic Foresight
• Why: AI is rapidly changing how we analyse market data, predict event success, and personalise attendee experiences. Directors who can harness AI for strategic planning will gain a significant competitive advantage, optimising spend and impact.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Predictive Analytics for Event ROI', 'description': 'Using AI models to forecast the potential pipeline and revenue generation from specific events based on historical data, market conditions, and audience demographics.'}, {'concept_name': 'Generative AI for Experiential Concepting', 'description': 'Leveraging LLMs to rapidly brainstorm and refine innovative event themes, booth designs, and interactive experiences, moving beyond traditional creative processes.'}, {'concept_name': 'AI for Audience Segmentation & Personalisation', 'description': 'Applying AI to segment attendee data for hyper-personalised pre-show communications, in-booth experiences, and post-event follow-up strategies.'}, {'concept_name': 'Automated Market & Competitor Analysis', 'description': 'Using AI tools to continuously monitor the event landscape, identify emerging competitors, and track industry trends, informing strategic programme adjustments.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Engage with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude) for brainstorming event concepts and drafting strategic documents. Get comfortable with prompt engineering.
• Next 3-6 months: Work with your Marketing Ops team to explore integrating AI-powered predictive analytics into your event planning and ROI forecasting models.
• Next 6-12 months: Pilot an AI-driven personalisation strategy for a smaller event, testing its impact on engagement and lead quality.
• Ongoing: Attend webinars and industry conferences focused on AI in marketing and events. Encourage your team to experiment and share learnings.
• QuickWin: Start using AI to summarise lengthy industry reports or exhibitor manuals, saving you and your team hours of reading time immediately. Also, use it for initial drafts of internal communications or budget justifications.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Integrated Event Tech Ecosystem Management
• Why: The proliferation of event tech means you'll need to architect a cohesive ecosystem, ensuring seamless data flow between platforms (CRM, Marketing Automation, Event Management, Lead Capture) to enable a unified view of attendee journeys and ROI.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'API Integrations & Data Synch', 'description': 'Understanding how different event tech platforms connect and share data, identifying potential bottlenecks or opportunities for automation.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Governance & Security', 'description': 'Establishing policies and procedures for managing event data across multiple platforms, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and data integrity.'}, {'concept_name': 'Vendor Consolidation & Rationalisation', 'description': 'Evaluating the existing tech stack to identify redundancies or gaps, leading efforts to consolidate vendors or invest in new solutions that offer greater efficiency.'}, {'concept_name': 'Scalability & Future-Proofing', 'description': "Making technology decisions that can scale with the company's growth and adapt to future industry changes, avoiding costly re-platforming down the line."}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Conduct an audit of our current event tech stack. Map out all integrations and data flows with your Marketing Ops team.
• Next 3-6 months: Research emerging event tech platforms and their integration capabilities. Identify potential gaps or opportunities for improvement.
• Next 6-12 months: Develop a roadmap for our future event tech ecosystem, outlining key investments and integration projects.
• Ongoing: Regularly meet with Marketing Ops and IT teams to stay informed on broader tech strategy and ensure alignment.
• QuickWin: Identify one manual data transfer process between two event tech tools and work with your team to automate it, even if it's a simple Zapier integration. This demonstrates immediate value and builds momentum.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• Alts: Extensive (16+ years) proven industry experience in a leadership capacity, demonstrating equivalent strategic and P&L management capabilities, will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: Master's degree (e.g., MBA) or relevant postgraduate qualification in Marketing or Business Administration.
• Alts: N/A

Experience Requirements

You'll need at least 16-20 years of progressive experience in experiential marketing, event management, or field marketing, with a significant portion of that time (minimum 5-7 years) in a leadership role managing teams and multi-million pound budgets. We're looking for someone who has designed, executed, and measured large-scale global event programmes and can demonstrate clear ROI. Experience presenting to C-suite and Board members is essential.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• Prod: Events Industry Council
• Usage: Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of meeting and event management best practices, which is valuable for strategic oversight.
• Cert: Certified Event Designer (CED)
• Prod: Event Design Collective
• Usage: Indicates a structured approach to event design and experience creation, aligning with our focus on impactful experiential marketing.
• Cert: Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Prod: Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Usage: Shows mastery of project management methodologies, crucial for overseeing complex, multi-faceted event programmes and ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attend and speak at industry conferences (e.g., Event Tech Live, Experiential Marketing Summit) to stay abreast of trends and build your professional network.
• Participate in executive leadership programmes or an MBA to further develop strategic business acumen and P&L management skills.
• Mentor emerging talent within the events industry or through internal company programmes.
• Engage with industry associations (e.g., EVCOM, MPI) to contribute to best practices and thought leadership.
• Continuously research and experiment with new event technologies and AI applications in marketing.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Manager, Trade Shows & Events (L5)
• Time: 3-5 years
• Path: Head of Field Marketing (from another company)
• Time: Direct entry (if previous role was similar scope)
• Path: Senior Director, Global Marketing Operations
• Time: 4-6 years (with a strong event focus)

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: VP, Global Events & Brand Experiences (L7)
• Time: 3-5 years
• Pathway: VP, Marketing (Broader Scope)
• Time: 4-6 years

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
• Time: 5-10 years
• Title: Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
• Time: 8-12 years
• Title: Chief Brand Officer (CBO)
• Time: 7-10 years

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.