Event Director

Informa Group Plc.; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Informa Group Plc. is seeking an Event Director for LIONS Riyadh to translate a bold regional vision into a concrete business and delivery plan, aligning commercial, content, marketing, audience and experience teams around shared priorities.

The role drives a distinctive festival proposition within the global LIONS ecosystem, building a commercially sustainable platform across creativity, marketing, media and culture while engaging senior government, partners and international players.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience leading large-scale events, exhibitions, festivals, conferences or major commercial platforms.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing senior functional heads.
• Strong business acumen with experience in budgeting and forecasting.
• Excellent communicator with presentation, negotiation and relationship-management skills.
• Strong understanding of the global creative, advertising, marketing, media and communications industries.
• Understanding of the Saudi and GCC market with international outlook is an advantage.
• Experience working with global brands, IP owners or international partners is highly desirable.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills across government, private sector and international partners.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the overall event strategy, business plan, budget and long-term growth roadmap.
• Oversee revenue, expenditure and operating profit, driving sponsorships, partnerships and brand experiences.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver a distinctive world-class festival.
• Build and manage relationships with government bodies, strategic partners and global brands.
• Own the master event plan, milestones, dependencies and onsite delivery.
• Establish governance reporting and decision-making processes, manage risks.
• Maintain understanding of global creative, advertising, marketing, media and cultural landscape.
• Champion Lions Riyadh's positioning within the global creative ecosystem.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Commercial acumen

People development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Events, Communications or related discipline

Job description

The Event Director of LIONS Riyadh is a pivotal leadership role responsible for defining the strategic direction commercial success creative ambition and overall delivery of the Festival Working across Tahaluf LIONS and key stakeholders the Event Director will translate the overall vision into a clear business and delivery plan ensuring commercial content marketing audience partnerships operations and experience teams are aligned behind shared priorities and objectives

The role will lead the development of LIONS Riyadh as a distinctive regional Festival within the global LIONS ecosystem ensuring it carries the authority and creative standards of LIONS while building a proposition that is relevant to Saudi Arabia the GCC and the wider Middle East

The Event Director will be responsible for building a commercially sustainable platform with a strong and differentiated position across creativity marketing media culture and business while ensuring the Festival delivers clear value for audiences partners and stakeholders

The role requires exceptional leadership and stakeholder management with the ability to operate confidently across senior government global brands agencies media organisations creative leaders and international partners

The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking commercial discipline creative judgement and operational leadership with the ability to make decisions manage complexity and maintain momentum across a large cross-functional programme

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and own the overall event strategy business plan budget and long-term growth roadmap establishing clear commercial audience content and experience objective
• Own overall revenue expenditure and operating profit performance driving commercial growth across sponsorship strategic partnerships brand experiences hospitality and other revenue opportunities
• Oversee the development of a compelling event proposition content programme audience strategy and end-to-end customer experience ensuring LIONS Riyadh delivers a distinctive world-class festival
• Lead and align teams across Sales Partnerships Content Marketing Operations Creative Finance and Project Management to deliver against shared objectives
• Build a high-performing collaborative team culture providing direction coaching and performance management to develop talent and drive accountability
• Build and manage senior relationships with government stakeholders strategic partners global brands agencies and industry leaders to strengthen the event s positioning and long-term success
• Own the master event plan overseeing critical milestones dependencies resources and onsite delivery to ensure operational excellence and a seamless festival experience
• Establish effective governance reporting and decision-making processes proactively managing risks resolving challenges and acting as the senior escalation point across the project
• Maintain a deep understanding of the global and regional creative advertising marketing media technology and cultural landscape identifying emerging trends competitive developments and opportunities for growth
• Champion LIONS Riyadh s positioning within the global creative ecosystem working with key stakeholders to build industry credibility international participation and a lasting presence in the region
• Lead post-event performance reviews evaluate commercial and strategic outcomes and translate insights into continuous improvement and long-term growth plans for future editions

Company Description

Significant senior-level experience leading large-scale events exhibitions festivals conferences or major commercial platforms Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing senior functional heads Strong business acumen experience of reporting budgeting and forecasting Excellent communicator with strong presentation negotiation and relationship-management skills Strong understanding of the global creative advertising marketing media and communications industries Strong creative judgement and ability to translate market intelligence into differentiated festival experiences and business opportunities Understanding of the Saudi and GCC market alongside a strong international outlook is an advantage Experience working with global brands intellectual property owners or international strategic partners is highly desirable Strong stakeholder-management skills across government private sector and international partners

Bachelor s degree in Business, Marketing, Events, Communications or a related discipline. Significant senior leadership experience within major events, media, creative industries, entertainment, culture or premium international platforms. Proven experience leading large-scale, complex, multi-functional events or businesses with full commercial and operational accountability. Experience launching, scaling or repositioning a major brand, event or platform is highly desirable. Relevant senior leadership experience may be considered in place of formal qualifications.

Qualities & experience

1. Significant senior-level experience leading large-scale events, exhibitions, festivals, conferences or major commercial platforms.
2. Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing senior functional heads.
3. Strong business acumen, experience of reporting, budgeting and forecasting
4. Excellent communicator with strong presentation, negotiation and relationship-management skills.
5. Strong understanding of the global creative, advertising, marketing, media and communications industries
6. Strong creative judgement and ability to translate market intelligence into differentiated festival experiences and business opportunities.
7. Understanding of the Saudi and GCC market, alongside a strong international outlook is an advantage.
8. Experience working with global brands, intellectual property owners or international strategic partners is highly desirable.
9. Strong stakeholder-management skills across government, private sector and international partners.