Senior Manager, Events Strategy

Socket.dev; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Senior Manager, Events Strategy to lead the strategic direction, planning, execution, measurement and optimization of our events portfolio across multiple business lines. You will establish event success metrics, manage budgets in the multi-million range and drive ROI through data-driven decision making.

You will collaborate with Sales, Marketing and Product teams to align events with growth objectives, strengthen broker relationships, and enhance customer engagement

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience in event marketing, event strategy, sponsorship management or integrated marketing.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale event portfolios and managing significant budgets.
• Strong understanding of B2B relationship marketing and channel strategy.
• Experience developing event measurement frameworks and ROI reporting methodologies.
• Proven ability to analyze data, identify trends and develop business recommendations.
• Experience within financial services, banking or mortgage industries is considered an asset.
• Strong presentation and executive communication skills.
• Advanced relationship management and stakeholder influence skills.
• Exceptional negotiation and vendor management capabilities.
• Strong financial acumen and budget management experience.
• Experience leading teams and developing direct reports.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and critical thinking capabilities.
• Strong understanding of risk management and compliance considerations related to event marketing.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an enterprise event strategy that aligns business goals, audience needs and marketing priorities.
• Define the role of events within the broader marketing and sales ecosystem, ensuring integration with relationship management, education, content and lead generation initiatives.
• Create annual event and sponsorship roadmaps aligned to business objectives.
• Evaluate opportunities and investments based on strategic fit, expected business value and measurable outcomes.
• Establish event-specific objectives and KPIs for all major programs and sponsorships.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen broker relationships, improve customer engagement and support business growth through event programming.
• Develop fully integrated event programs by region, business line and audience segment.
• Prioritize investments across conferences, sponsorships, broker events, educational programs and customer initiatives.
• Oversee the national events calendar ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and resource availability.
• Recommend adjustments to event investments based on performance, changing business requirements and emerging opportunities.
• Develop event ROI measurement frameworks and reporting methodologies.
• Establish dashboards and scorecards to evaluate event performance.
• Analyze attendance, engagement, broker sentiment, lead generation, sponsorship value, pipeline influence and other performance indicators.
• Conduct post-event reviews and analyze outcomes to identify trends, opportunities and areas for optimization.
• Leverage data analysis and critical thinking to inform recommendations and future investment decisions.
• Translate findings into actionable insights for senior leadership.
• Accountable for annual event budgets exceeding several million dollars across multiple business units.
• Manage planning, forecasting and budget allocation activities.
• Evaluate investment effectiveness and optimize spending based on business impact.
• Monitor budget performance and implement cost efficiencies while maintaining program quality.
• Ensure vendors and partners deliver maximum value to the organization.
• Lead negotiations with venues, suppliers, agencies, caterers, production partners and other vendors.
• Develop preferred supplier relationships where appropriate.
• Evaluate sponsorship opportunities and recommend investments based on strategic alignment and expected business return.
• Manage sponsor and partner relationships to maximize value.
• Lead and develop event team resources including direct reports and project-based support resources.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement and innovation.
• Establish clear goals and performance expectations.
• Provide coaching, mentorship and professional development opportunities.
• Promote knowledge sharing and development of best practices across the team.
• Partner closely with Sales, Broker Relations, Product, Marketing, Communications, Digital, Finance and Risk teams.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Influence decision-making through insights, recommendations and business cases.
• Present strategic recommendations, performance updates and investment proposals to senior leaders.
• Ensure all events are delivered with a consistently high standard of quality and brand experience.
• Provide strategic oversight on event planning and delivery.
• Support major events onsite where required.
• Manage issue resolution and recovery planning for significant event challenges.

Skills

Event marketing

Event strategy

Sponsorship management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Vendor management

Data analysis

ROI reporting

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Team leadership

Project management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Work

The Senior Manager, Events Strategy is responsible for leading the strategic direction, planning, execution, measurement and optimization of EQ Bank's event and sponsorship portfolio across Single Family Lending, Commercial Lending, Deposit Services, EQ Bank and Corporate programs.

This role is accountable for establishing events as a business growth channel by developing strategies that strengthen broker relationships, support customer engagement, grow brand awareness, deepen education and drive measurable business outcomes.

The Senior Manager, Events Strategy will oversee the national events ecosystem, including conferences, sponsorships, broker education programs, customer-facing events, corporate initiatives and partner engagements. The role will establish event success frameworks, measure return on investment, evaluate channel effectiveness and make recommendations that improve event portfolio performance over time.

This role demands strategic thinking, data-driven decision making, strong stakeholder management and leadership capabilities while ensuring exceptional execution and budget stewardship across all programming.

Core Responsibilities

Event Strategy & Business Impact

• Develop and maintain an enterprise event strategy that aligns business goals, audience needs and marketing priorities.


• Define the role of events within the broader marketing and sales ecosystem, ensuring integration with relationship management, education, content and lead generation initiatives.


• Create annual event and sponsorship roadmaps aligned to business objectives.


• Evaluate opportunities and investments based on strategic fit, expected business value and measurable outcomes.


• Establish event-specific objectives and KPIs for all major programs and sponsorships.


• Identify opportunities to strengthen broker relationships, improve customer engagement and support business growth through event programming.

Event Portfolio Management

• Develop fully integrated event programs by region, business line and audience segment.


• Prioritize investments across conferences, sponsorships, broker events, educational programs and customer initiatives.


• Oversee the national events calendar ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and resource availability.


• Recommend adjustments to event investments based on performance, changing business requirements and emerging opportunities.

Measurement, Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Develop event ROI measurement frameworks and reporting methodologies.


• Establish dashboards and scorecards to evaluate event performance.


• Analyze attendance, engagement, broker sentiment, lead generation, sponsorship value, pipeline influence and other performance indicators.


• Conduct post-event reviews and analyze outcomes to identify trends, opportunities and areas for optimization.


• Leverage data analysis and critical thinking to inform recommendations and future investment decisions.


• Translate findings into actionable insights for senior leadership.

Budget & Financial Management

• Accountable for annual event budgets exceeding several million dollars across multiple business units.


• Manage planning, forecasting and budget allocation activities.


• Evaluate investment effectiveness and optimize spending based on business impact.


• Monitor budget performance and implement cost efficiencies while maintaining program quality.


• Ensure vendors and partners deliver maximum value to the organization.

Vendor & Sponsorship Management

• Lead negotiations with venues, suppliers, agencies, caterers, production partners and other vendors.


• Develop preferred supplier relationships where appropriate.


• Evaluate sponsorship opportunities and recommend investments based on strategic alignment and expected business return.


• Manage sponsor and partner relationships to maximize value.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop event team resources including direct reports and project-based support resources.


• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement and innovation.


• Establish clear goals and performance expectations.


• Provide coaching, mentorship and professional development opportunities.


• Promote knowledge sharing and development of best practices across the team.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner closely with Sales, Broker Relations, Product, Marketing, Communications, Digital, Finance and Risk teams.


• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.


• Influence decision-making through insights, recommendations and business cases.


• Present strategic recommendations, performance updates and investment proposals to senior leaders.

Event Execution Oversight

• Ensure all events are delivered with a consistently high standard of quality and brand experience.


• Provide strategic oversight on event planning and delivery.


• Support major events onsite where required.


• Manage issue resolution and recovery planning for significant event challenges.

Let's Talk About You

• 8–10+ years of experience in event marketing, event strategy, sponsorship management or integrated marketing.


• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale event portfolios and managing significant budgets.


• Strong understanding of B2B relationship marketing and channel strategy.


• Experience developing event measurement frameworks and ROI reporting methodologies.


• Proven ability to analyze data, identify trends and develop business recommendations.


• Experience within financial services, banking or mortgage industries is considered an asset.


• Strong presentation and executive communication skills.


• Advanced relationship management and stakeholder influence skills.


• Exceptional negotiation and vendor management capabilities.


• Strong financial acumen and budget management experience.


• Experience leading teams and developing direct reports.


• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.


• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment.


• Demonstrated problem-solving and critical thinking capabilities.


• Strong understanding of risk management and compliance considerations related to event marketing.