Event Director

Job Purpose:

The Event Director is responsible for the strategic planning, execution, and management of a leading, high-profile, government backed, international utilities sector event.
This role involves overseeing all aspects of event management, from conception to post-event analysis, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for exhibitors, delegates and attendees.
The Event Director will collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive revenues, manage budgets, deliver outstanding content, craft engaging messaging, and lead a talented and dedicated team to deliver an inspiring and memorable event experience that exceeds stakeholder expectations.
Through strong leadership and effective communication, the Event Director will act as an ambassador for dmg education, driving new business, new events, and growth.

Job Context:

As calls to improve global education systems increase in both urgency and scale, the education sector has both the opportunity and responsibility to lead meaningful transformation, ensuring that learners around the world have equitable access to quality, inclusive, and future-ready education. While the need for an equitable and sustainable education landscape has never been more pressing, progress in the sector depends not only on fostering dialogue among stakeholders but also on driving tangible actions and solutions to address challenges such as access, quality, digital inclusion, and skills development.

With the growing global imperative to reimagine education in response to rapid technological change, shifting workforce demands, and social inequalities, our events are more relevant than ever. We aim to bring together the global education community to address critical issues and opportunities shaping the future of learning.

At this pivotal moment for the sector, our global education portfolio provides a platform for educators, policymakers, institutions, and solution providers to engage with transformation, explore partnerships, and collaborate to advance education systems worldwide. Through a calendar of large-scale and specialist events across the globe, we deliver high-quality, relevant content aligned with sector priorities, while offering opportunities for stakeholders to connect, share knowledge, and expand their impact.

I an increasingly digital world, the value of meaningful human interaction continues to grow. Networking remains at the heart of what we do, and to support this, we offer enhanced opportunities for year-round engagement through our digital platforms. Our extensive global database of education professionals ensures ongoing access to highly targeted audiences and enables strategic communication and engagement for our partners.

Responsibilities:

Strategy
•    Develop and implement a comprehensive long-term event strategy that aligns with management and stakeholder expectations for growth, positioning and profitability.
•    With department heads, create an event delivery plan, that supports the long-term event strategy.
•    Provide weekly and monthly management reporting, tracking progress against the event delivery plan and highlighting risk.
•    Work with government supporters and host partner to ensure event strategy continues to align with their priorities and implementing changes where required. 
•    Engage with and analyse significant developments and trends in the industry, interpreting their likely impact on the event and initiating change when necessary.
Management
•    Mentor, manage, motivate, and when required recruit, a high-performance cross-functional team to drive event growth. 
•    Ensure KPIs, compensation and resources are aligned with business and stakeholder expectations.
•    Facilitate clear and consistent communication and information flow between departments and senior management. 
•    Work closely with HR teams to identify training requirements and opportunities for career progression, document succession plans and minimise staff turnover.
Stakeholder
•    Build outstanding relationships with existing and potential government supporters and host partners ensuring an exceptional event experience that exceeds expectations. 
•    Leverage key stakeholder relationships to grow the event revenues, exhibitor base, visitor attendance and speaker seniority. 
•    Recruit and manage a high level Executive Steering Committee, developing strong relationships with members, and enlisting their networks to drive progress against the event delivery plan.
•    Cultivate and maintain a substantial and senior level personal network within the industry.
Commercial
•    Own the overall event revenue target, maximising commercial opportunities, building and managing a substantial pipeline to deliver on exhibition, sponsorship and delegate revenue streams.
•    Develop a comprehensive sales plan to support the achievement of the long-term event strategy.
•    Support the commercial team to maintain the high quality of proposals and volume of activity required to achieve revenue targets.
•    Work with the commercial team to manage key accounts and drive additional revenue through increased exhibition, sponsorship and delegate spend. 
•    Ensure KPIs, compensation and resources are aligned with business and stakeholder expectations.
•    Manage and grow the international agent network to increase the number of exhibitor pavilions at the event.

Marketing

•    Work closely with the marketing team to develop engaging and relevant event collateral, positioning the event at the forefront of the market. 
•    Support the marketing team to produce a topical and compelling message house and that messaging across marketing channels is consistent.
•    Work with the marketing team to ensure relevant cross sector data is available, identifying gaps and facilitating solution.
•    Review marketing reports and analysis to ensure successful campaigns are maximised and spend is correctly allocated.
•    Support the marketing team to deliver EXPROM, VISPROM and DELPROM campaigns, delivering on revenue, attendee and delegate targets.
•    Work closely with the marketing team to generate media coverage through PR, interviews and articles, and substantial media attendance to the event.
Production
•    Work closely with the production team to develop engaging and relevant content streams that support the overall vision and growth of the event. 
•    Support the production team with internal and external validation of content to ensure the event is deeply rooted within the industry.
•    Work with the production team to ensure delivery timelines are met and conference programmes launched in good time prior to the event.
•    Ensure delegate sales briefings are clear and concise, highlighting key benefits and driving revenue.
•    Support the production team to deliver an enriching and engaging onsite experience for speakers and delegates.
Operations
•    Work closely with the operations team to develop market leading features, stage sets and signage. 
•    Support the operations team to ensure procurement is efficient and cost competitive while maintaining required standards.
•    Build strong relationships with venues and suppliers to support the successful execution of the event delivery plan.
•    Support the exhibition administrator to ensure the event floorplan is functional for participants, compliant with regulations and maximises revenue.
•    Work closely with the registrations team to deliver a seamless onsite experience for event participants.
Finance
•    Own the event P&L, ensuring budgeted costs are accurately adhered to and cost savings are made wherever possible. 
•    Work with the finance team to ensure event revenues are collected in a timely manner and cancellation risk is minimised.
•    Work with the commercial finance team to provide accurate and detailed financial reporting, highlighting opportunities and risk where appropriate.

Experience:

•    Significant experience working for an international events organiser in a senior leadership role.
•    A demonstrated track record of launching and growing international events. 
•    A keen understanding of the education sectors and the ability to build events and features around the key issues.
•    A proven ability to position exhibitions and conferences that attract significant high-level stakeholder interest. 
•    Knowledge and experience of Profit & Loss responsibility.
•    Substantial customer facing experience with a demonstrated history of building relationships and developing partnerships at a senior level.

Competencies:

•    Presentation and public speaking abilities.
•    Account management and customer care.
•    Networking and information gathering.
•    Advanced Microsoft Office skills and a familiarity with software such as Salesforce. 
•    Project management.
•    Superior oral and written communication skills.
•    Ability to communication effectively with diverse groups of stakeholders and colleagues.
•    Internal and external relationship building.
•    Management reporting.
•    Problem solving.
•    Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
•    Time and priority management skills.

Attributes:

•    A positive, proactive, and flexible attitude.
•    Willingness to take the initiative.
•    Enthusiastic and ambitious with a strong desire to succeed.
•    A mature and common-sense approach to managing challenges.
•    Organised with strong attention to detail and ability to multitask.
•    Deadline and results oriented. 
•    Comfortable working independently and under pressure. 
•    An engaging, professional and diplomatic demeanour.
•    A creative and collaborative approach teamwork.
•    Willingness to travel.

dmg events is an equal opportunity employer. If you have not had feedback from us within 14 days, please consider your application as unsuccessful for this round.