Creative Director [AQ-25482]

Aquent; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is seeking a freelance creative leader to shape the strategic and creative vision for major brand campaigns and immersive events in New York. You will collaborate with a world-class team to translate client briefs into breakthrough experiences that captivate attendees and drive business impact.

From concept to pitch, you will guide themes, visual identities, and interactive touchpoints, delivering compelling narratives and elevated attendee journeys while ensuring brand consistency across

Qualifications

• Proven ability to develop original experiential concepts from brief to pitch and execution.
• Strong storytelling and visual narrative skills across campaigns.
• Experience shaping attendee journeys and brand environments within budgets.
• Portfolio showing end-to-end concept development from brief to final execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead ideation and concept development for RFPs and programs translating objectives into experiential concepts.
• Create cohesive event themes, narratives, and attendee journey strategies.
• Collaborate with production to map engagement moments from arrival to departure.
• Identify opportunities for storytelling, tech integration, and immersive environments.
• Establish creative direction and visual identities including mood boards and branding concepts.
• Provide art direction to designers and partners to ensure brand consistency.
• Lead client-facing proposals and pitches with compelling visuals and narratives.
• Partner with sales, production, and content teams to ensure viability and alignment.
• Present concepts confidently to stakeholders and clients with rationale.

Skills

Experiential marketing

Creative direction

Storytelling

Brand experiences

Attendee journey

Presentations

Job description

Are you a visionary storyteller who can turn a blank canvas into an unforgettable, immersive brand experience? Partnering with Aquent, a premier global business travel and event services organization is seeking a dynamic freelance creative force to lead the charge in transforming client briefs into groundbreaking experiential events. In this highly collaborative role, you will have the unique opportunity to shape the strategic and creative vision for major brand campaigns, designing meaningful attendee journeys that captivate audiences and drive real business impact.

The Opportunity

In this freelance engagement, you will partner with a world-class creative and production team to bring fresh, innovative ideas to life. This is not just about executing someone else’s vision—it is about defining it. You will dive deep into client RFPs, developing overarching event themes, visual identities, and interactive touchpoints that elevate the entire attendee experience. From initial concept to final pitch, your strategic thinking and artistic direction will play a pivotal role in winning new business and delivering exceptional live events.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead creative ideation and concept development for high-profile client RFPs, proposals, and confirmed programs, translating business objectives into original experiential concepts.
• Develop cohesive event themes, creative narratives, and strategies that seamlessly connect across the entire attendee journey.
• Collaborate closely with production leads to map out meaningful moments of engagement from arrival to departure.
• Identify innovative opportunities for storytelling, personalization, technology integration, immersive environments, and interactive experiences.
• Establish creative direction and event visual identities, including mood boards, branding concepts, environmental design, and experiential touchpoints.
• Provide art direction and guidance to graphic designers, creative freelancers, and external partners to ensure brand consistency across all deliverables.
• Lead the creative development of client-facing proposals and pitch presentations, translating complex ideas into compelling visual and written narratives.
• Partner with sales, production, and content teams to ensure concepts are strategically relevant, financially viable, and operationally achievable.
• Present and articulate creative concepts confidently to internal stakeholders and clients, explaining the strategic thinking behind your recommendations.

Required Skills & Experience

• 7 to 10+ years of experience in experiential marketing, event creative direction, brand experiences, or a related creative agency environment.
• Proven ability to independently develop original experiential concepts from initial client brief through creative pitch and execution.
• Deep understanding of experiential strategy, attendee journey mapping, branding, environmental design, and live event production.
• Experience developing creative concepts within defined budgets while collaborating with multidisciplinary production and design teams.
• Exceptional storytelling, presentation, and communication skills, with a strong portfolio demonstrating original creative thinking and executed experiences.
• A portfolio that showcases your individual role in developing concepts, illustrating the creative journey from brief to final execution.

Client Description

This is a W2 full-time, contract role with benefits.