Sr. Event Marketing Manager - EMEA

📋 Description

• • Ashby Inc. is seeking a highly skilled and creative Senior Event Marketing Manager to spearhead our event marketing initiatives across the EMEA region. This pivotal role is designed for an individual who possesses a unique blend of strategic vision, operational excellence, and a deep understanding of how to craft memorable, human-centered experiences that resonate with our target audience. As a company, Ashby views events not merely as gatherings, but as powerful platforms for connection, inspiration, and community building. Every touchpoint, from the initial invitation to the final farewell, is a direct reflection of our brand's commitment to thoughtful, engaging, and high-quality experiences.
• • In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping and executing Ashby's presence at key industry conferences throughout EMEA. This includes managing our participation in major events such as Unleash and RecFest, as well as curating impactful activations at more niche gatherings within the recruiting technology landscape. Your primary objective will be to bring our brand to life through meticulously planned and executed activations that not only elevate our brand presence but also foster meaningful connections with talent leaders and industry professionals. You will be the driving force behind ensuring our event presence is consistently aligned with Ashby's brand identity and strategic goals.
• • Key responsibilities will involve close collaboration with a diverse range of internal stakeholders, including Marketing, Sales, Partnerships, and Design teams, to guarantee brand consistency, cohesive messaging, and a seamless experience for all attendees. You will also be responsible for managing all operational aspects, from initial planning and vendor negotiations to on-site execution and post-event analysis. This includes overseeing booth builds, managing swag distribution, coordinating travel arrangements, securing room blocks, and ensuring smooth staff management. A critical aspect of this role is the ownership of vendor relationships, encompassing event organizers, production partners, booth fabricators, shipping and logistics providers, and swag suppliers. You will be tasked with negotiating contracts, managing budgets meticulously from forecasting to reconciliation, and ensuring a strong return on investment for all event expenditures.
• • Beyond large-scale conferences, you will also take the lead in planning and executing bespoke, intimate events across EMEA. These unique experiences, such as exclusive summits, targeted roundtables, hospitality activations, and specialized workshops, are designed to cultivate deeper relationships with our existing customers and high-value prospects. The goal is to create environments that foster genuine connection, facilitate learning, and reinforce Ashby's brand values. You will be responsible for understanding our audience intimately, crafting experiences that resonate with their needs and interests, and ensuring that every event contributes directly to tangible business outcomes. This includes developing and documenting scalable playbooks that will enable Ashby to replicate successful activations efficiently across different markets while maintaining brand excellence.
• • This position demands a strong cross-functional partnership with the Sales team. You will need to influence without direct authority, operate with confidence in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, and maintain close alignment with Sales leadership and representatives. This involves defining clear goals, identifying target audiences, establishing success metrics, and ensuring that all pre- and post-event outreach and follow-up activities are executed flawlessly. The ideal candidate will be a dependable operator and a thoughtful host, adept at managing complex logistics, keeping multiple teams aligned, and executing with exceptional judgment, meticulous planning, and a refined eye for detail. Your ability to anticipate challenges, proactively solve problems, and ensure every element of an event feels intentional and polished will be paramount to your success.
• • Furthermore, you will be responsible for tracking and analyzing event performance metrics, such as booth traffic, attendee engagement, lead generation, and overall ROI. This data will be crucial for informing future event sponsorship decisions and optimizing our event strategy. You will partner closely with our RevOps team to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to effectively track and attribute leads generated from events, demonstrating the direct business impact of your work. This role is perfect for someone who thrives at the intersection of organization, efficiency, and elevated design sensibility, someone who is passionate about creating experiences that not only look and feel great but also drive measurable business results and foster strong brand loyalty.
• • **Strategic Event Planning & Execution:** Develop and implement comprehensive event strategies for Ashby's participation in major EMEA industry conferences and for bespoke, high-touch owned events. This includes defining event objectives, target audiences, key messaging, and success metrics aligned with business goals.
• • **Logistics Management:** Oversee all operational aspects of event execution, including but not limited to venue selection, booth design and build, AV and production, catering, travel and accommodation, shipping, staffing, and on-site management for both large-scale conferences and intimate gatherings.
• • **Budget Management:** Develop, manage, and track event budgets meticulously, ensuring cost-effectiveness and maximizing return on investment. This involves vendor negotiation, contract review, invoice reconciliation, and financial forecasting.
• • **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Serve as a key liaison between Marketing, Sales, Partnerships, and Design teams, ensuring seamless integration of event activities with broader company objectives and campaigns. Foster strong working relationships to drive alignment and support.
• • **Vendor & Partner Management:** Identify, vet, and manage relationships with a diverse range of external partners, including event organizers, production companies, booth fabricators, logistics providers, and swag suppliers. Negotiate favorable terms and ensure high-quality service delivery.
• • **Brand Representation:** Ensure all event elements, from visual design and messaging to attendee experience and staff interactions, consistently reflect Ashby's brand identity, values, and commitment to quality.
• • **Performance Tracking & Reporting:** Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for all events, implement tracking mechanisms, and analyze results to measure success, identify areas for improvement, and inform future strategies. Collaborate with RevOps to ensure robust lead tracking and attribution.
• • **Playbook Development:** Create and maintain detailed event playbooks and documentation to standardize processes, ensure brand consistency, and enable efficient scaling of event programs across different regions and event types.
• • **On-Site Leadership:** Act as the primary on-site lead during conferences and events, managing setup, troubleshooting issues, coordinating staff, and ensuring a flawless execution of the event run-of-show.
• • **Audience Engagement:** Develop a deep understanding of Ashby's target audience to craft experiences that resonate, drive engagement, and foster meaningful connections with customers and prospects.