Event Director (JR101128)
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At Clarion, our people are at the absolute heart of what we do. We're proud that our core values of PASSION, CARE, IMAGINATION, and TRUST define the way we carry out our work across all of our exhibitions and conferences.
If you share our values and want to be a part of a successful, dynamic, and creative global business, then we want to hear from you.
The Opportunity
Clarion's Gaming Division stands as the world's premier information provider for the global gaming, gambling and entertainment technology sectors. We transcend the role of a mere service provider; we are a dedicated partner, committed to connecting, supporting, promoting, and defending the interests of businesses across the international gaming community all year-round.
Market projections suggest that the global interactive gambling market will soar to $140 billion by 2028, while the land-based gaming market is expected to reach €126 billion by 2026. This is your chance to join an established, rapidly growing, and essential supplier in a highly lucrative, ever evolving, and exciting industry.
ICE is the leading tradeshow for the entire global gaming and gambling industry and has recently embarked on a significant expansion project with a move to Barcelona from January 2025. A formal, customer-led bid process established in 2023, determined Barcelona as the new home for gaming and with over 20% growth established from 2024 to 2025 - the event is primed for further significant evolution, expansion and investment as it continues its global dominance. ICE is one of the largest and most successful tradeshows globally and in the top five of Clarion's stable.
Key Responsibilities:
- Overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the ICE brand and it's P&L performance and live events delivery.
- Develops a value proposition and annual business plan for ICE London, through a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis, together with the Content/Marketing/Commercial teams.
- Works within the agreed budget process to establish a 3-year budget/vision/strategy for ICE to achieve agreed growth, KPI's and customer metrics.
- Uses customer insights to improve sponsor, exhibitor and attendee experience and explore new initiatives and product launches.
- Project manages live event delivery, bringing together all functions (marketing, customer success, sales, ops) to ensure a solid path to a successful event with clear and measurable timelines and key success factors.
- Understands key market segments and drivers and reflects them in the direction of ICE.
- Monitors strengths and weaknesses in competition and identifies USPs for ICE.
- Works directly with the head of sales to implement the key account strategy on ICE.
- Maintains relationships with ICE key customers, venue and stakeholders and builds relationships with new potential customers who are strategically important for the brand.
- Deliver regular financial forecasts for the event.
- Team development - work with individuals in the team to develop skill sets and build succession plan.
- Working closely with the digital teams in Clarion Gaming to capitalise on a hybrid customer experience via key accounts and preshow, at show and post-show audience engagement.
Requirements
Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours:
- Proven experience in a similar role managing a mid or large-scale festival/ conference/exhibition.
- Inspiring leader with excellent interpersonal and team management skills.
- Passionate and knowledgeable about live experiences and customer success.
- Experience managing key customer relationships.
- Loves data - and can use it to best advantage to develop product and brand.
- Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modelling inclusive behaviours, and proactively managing bias.Curious, humble, with a relentless will to improve.
- Commercial and strategic with the perfect balance of commercial drive, mixed with product development and CX.
- Customer centric and feedback focused.
Values:
The Gaming team is a group of enthusiastic individuals driven by the following values:
We love the unexpected:
- We're adventurous and willing to try new things
- We embrace and drive change
- We aim to surprise and delight
We're open and happy to share:
- We engage with stakeholders outside the event
- We build sharing communities
- We embrace others' ideas
We're committed to caring:
- We take personal responsibility to get things done
- We always think about every step of the experience
- We strive to understand and meet customers' needs
We continuously learn:
- We actively seek inspiration from all quarters
- We constantly strive to improve what we do and how we do it
- We help learning lead to growth
About Clarion Events
Clarion Events is one of the world's leading event organisers, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947. (https://clarionevents.com/welcome)
Clarion Events embrace diversity and equal opportunities in all that we do. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.
Clarion is private equity backed and owned by Blackstone. Blackstone is one of the world's leading global investment funds, investing capital for the long term in order to build successful, resilient businesses. (https://www.blackstone.com/)
Our purpose is to deliver exceptional customer outcomes and experiences, by making every connection count.
Our vision is we want every one of our products to be a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight.
Benefits
- 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays
- End of year wellbeing shutdown (closed for the last week of the year)
- Celebration day off (e.g. birthday, Diwali, Eid, etc)
- Summer Hours in August (3pm finish on Fridays)
- Helping Our World (HOW) Days - one paid day per quarter to carry out charity work
- Pension Scheme
- Private Medical Insurance
- Health Cash Plan
- Wellbeing Library (MYNDUP)
- Mentoring Programme
- Subsidised Café
- Season Ticket Loan
- Cycle to Work Schemes
- Free on-site gym and shower facilities
- Free eyesight tests
- Free flu vaccination - offered on site once a year for all employees