The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Head of Experiential Marketing (Level 5)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering full P&L ownership for a major event portfolio, building and leading a large functional team, and consistently hitting functional KPIs. You'd be proving your ability to run a significant part of the business.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding event ROI and pipeline targets for a large portfolio.
- Successfully built and retained a high-performing team of 10-25 individuals.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and secure resources for major initiatives.
- Proven track record of innovation in event formats and measurable impact on brand/revenue.
- 2
VP of Marketing (with strong events focus)
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Broadening your scope beyond just events to encompass other marketing disciplines (digital, content, brand), while still having events as a core strength. This means understanding the full marketing mix and how events fit in.
You're ready to move on when
- Demonstrated ability to integrate events strategy seamlessly into a broader marketing strategy.
- Strong understanding of full-funnel marketing metrics and how events contribute to each stage.
- Proven leadership across diverse marketing teams, not just events.
- Successful management of multi-channel marketing campaigns with significant budget responsibility.
- 3
Senior Director, Global Sales Enablement
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Deepening your understanding of the sales process and how events directly enable sales teams. This involves developing training, tools, and content that empower sales reps to convert event-generated leads effectively.
You're ready to move on when
- Exceptional collaboration with sales leadership to drive event-sourced pipeline.
- Proven ability to create sales-ready content and tools from event experiences.
- Strong understanding of sales methodologies and CRM systems.
- Demonstrated impact on sales productivity and conversion rates through event-related initiatives.