Director, International Sales - Black Hat

Informa Festivals marks an exciting new chapter in B2B events, bringing some of the world’s most influential creative, technology and business festivals together. We’re combining prestigious events like Cannes Lions, Black Hat, Money20/20, GDC, and London Tech Week with cutting‑edge marketing intelligence platforms and advisory services to deliver unmissable experiences and insights. Our festival‑led approach reimagines traditional B2B events, creating powerful, immersive experiences that drive innovation and industry advancement.

Are you a strategic sales leader with a proven track record of building international event revenue and developing market‑specific growth strategies? Informa Festivals is seeking a Director of International Sales to spearhead growth for our world‑renowned cybersecurity event portfolio, with primary focus on Black Hat Europe, Black Hat Asia, and expansion into new regional markets. In this critical player‑coach leadership role, you’ll balance strategic leadership with hands‑on sales execution. You’ll own the international sales strategy for our regional Black Hat events while personally managing a territory.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the international sales strategy for Black Hat Europe (London) and Black Hat Asia (Singapore), with responsibility for exhibition, sponsorship, and partnership revenue.
• Develop and execute territory‑specific plans that maximize sponsor sales revenue for assigned regional events.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of international exhibitors, sponsors, and strategic partners across all regional events.
• Drive consistent year‑over‑year growth across the international event portfolio.
• Conduct competitive analysis of regional cybersecurity events, identifying market gaps, positioning opportunities, and differentiation strategies.
• Develop market‑specific growth initiatives tailored to regional dynamics, customer needs, and competitive landscape.
• Analyze market trends, customer behavior, and competitor activities to inform pricing strategies and value propositions.
• Monitor competitor moves and adjust strategies to maintain Black Hat’s market leadership position.

Market Development

• Identify and develop new revenue channels including sales agency partnerships, country pavilions, and channel partner programs.
• Design innovative partnership models including hosted buyer programs, to drive sales growth.
• Develop and manage partner programs with clear value propositions, performance metrics, and ROI tracking.
• Manage a strategic sales territory covering key accounts and high‑priority markets.
• Own revenue targets for assigned territory, including exhibition sales, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships.
• Conduct prospecting, relationship building, negotiations, and deal closures for major accounts.
• Model best practices in consultative selling, customer engagement, and deal structuring.
• Lead and mentor sales team members and external partners, fostering a high‑performance, customer‑centric culture.
• Create a customer‑centric culture that prioritizes long‑term relationships and sustainable growth.
• Develop comprehensive strategies that maximize customer lifetime value and reduce churn.
• Provide hands‑on guidance on complex negotiations, competitive positioning, and account strategy.
• Balance individual sales responsibilities with team development and strategic oversight.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with marketing teams to develop regional campaigns, competitive positioning, and sales enablement materials.
• Collaborate with event operations and content teams to ensure programming reflects regional market needs and competitive advantages.
• Provide market intelligence and competitive insights to inform event strategy, product development, and expansion decisions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of B2B event sales experience with at least 3+ years in a leadership role driving international revenue growth.
• Proven track record in trade shows, exhibitions, or conference sales with responsibility for multiple markets.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills with experience developing market‑specific growth strategies.
• Experience working across EMEA, APAC, or other international markets.

Preferred Experience

• Technology events or B2B technology sales background highly desirable.
• Experience with sales agency management, channel partnerships, or the like.
• Knowledge of the cybersecurity industry landscape and competitive event environment.
• Customer‑centric mindset with deep understanding of customer success principles.

Personal Attributes

• Relationship‑focused approach with genuine passion for customer success.
• Analytical mindset with ability to identify patterns and optimize retention strategies.
• Collaborative leadership style that builds trust and drives team performance.
• Integrity and professionalism that builds long‑term customer and team loyalty.

Benefits

• Great community: a welcoming culture with in‑person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks.
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too.
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on‑demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning.
• Time out: 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after two years, plus a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year.
• A flexible range of personal benefits to choose from, plus company funded private medical cover.
• A ShareMatch scheme that allows you to become an Informa shareholder with free matching shares.
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, a healthy living subsidy, access to health apps and more.
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programmes.
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world.

If you would like to request reasonable adjustments or accommodation to assist your participation in the hiring process and, or in the advertised position, please inform the appropriate Talent Acquisition Partner for the role once they have been in touch. Your request will be reviewed and considered in confidence. At Informa, you’ll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer.