Group Event Director in Croydon

Candidate Profile

• Ideally has worked in a media brand business, with multiple events, although we would be interested in candidates from pure-play events businesses.
• Your journey to Group Event Director could have come from any of the content, marketing, sales, or operations disciplines.
• Has launched events themselves and can demonstrate good experience of what it takes to make exceptional events happen.
• Excellent communicator with exceptional negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to lead a high performing team in a fast-paced environment, while working closely with others in a matrix environment.
• A proven track record of successfully developing individuals through first-rate coaching and leadership.
• A problem-solver who moves with pace and purpose.

Core Competencies

• Planning & organization
• Setting content strategy, the vision, content direction, including new formats and features
• Idea generation
• Relationship building
• Cost management
• Ability to work at pace
• Experience of coaching
• Building a high performing team

Personal Attributes

• Professional and well presented
• 12+ years of experience in events
• Polite and articulate
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong drive and determination to succeed
• Competitive and results oriented
• Takes proactive approach to self-development, must demonstrate an interest in technological development
• Initiative-taking and competitive nature
• Appreciation of wider business strategies within EMAP and across the group
• Problem solver

Purpose of the Role

One of the most exciting roles in media and events is now available. Reporting to the Managing Director of Emap's Emerald Division, your role is to increase profits by producing, managing, and driving the growth of our events portfolio. You will be concerned with event creation, but will also have the events logistics, events marketing (Emerald), and delegate sales teams reporting to you. The brand commercial teams operate sponsorship sales, but you should be comfortable contributing to this and working in a matrix environment. The role involves content and project management of a growing portfolio of events. Currently these are predominantly conferences and awards, and in keeping with the pace of innovation in the events space, the Group Event Director will be a driving force behind diversifying into new events formats for an exceptional event experience.

Responsibilities

• Produce and manage a portfolio of events, including conferences, awards, and new formats
• Lead a high-performing team across event creation, logistics, marketing, and sales
• Collaborate with brand commercial teams for sponsorship and delegate sales strategies
• Ensure alignment between the quality of events and commercial imperatives
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in event experience

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in events, preferably in media brand or pure-play events businesses
• Demonstrated ability to launch and deliver exceptional events
• Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills
• Proven track record of developing high-performing teams through coaching
• Experience in a matrix environment and working with cross-functional teams

Benefits

• 25 days of annual leave, with the option to buy or sell additional days
• One additional day of annual leave per year – Celebration Day
• Health plan and life assurance
• Private virtual GP access
• Seasonal flu jabs available at the office
• Continuous learning & development opportunities
• In-house Excellence Awards and other innovation projects
• Cycle-to-work scheme and discounted gym memberships
• Retail discount vouchers and rail season ticket loans
• Pension scheme
• One paid volunteer day per year
• Annual Summer & Winter Celebrations
• Work from home during August
• Income protection and more