Experiential Director (Events)

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Florida; Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Octagon seeks an Experiential Director to lead production for its Events Team, driving concepts into executed experiences. You will oversee planning, vendor management, fabrication oversight, and onsite delivery while collaborating with clients, creatives, and partners to ensure seamless programs from brief to recap.

The role emphasizes scalable processes, standardised practices, and strong leadership on multiple complex projects with non-traditional hours and domestic travel.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years of work experience in event production or experiential marketing.
• Proficiency in driving business forward and adjusting approach based on timelines and project demands.
• Ability to lead within a team-centric environment.
• Outstanding communication skills in persuasive and concise speech and written documents.

Responsibilities

• Serve as lead producer on events and experiential programs with the Events Team.
• Collaborate with creative, client services, digital, and other groups as the production expert.
• Source, negotiate, and implement AV, staging, signage, and interactive elements.
• Hire, lead, and maintain positive relationships with vendors and partners.
• Host client and inter-agency calls with strategy and staffing plans.

Skills

Event production

Leadership

Vendor management

Communication

Project management

Tools

PowerPoint

Job description

About the Role

The Experiential Director will serve as the day-to-day lead for all production-related activities across Octagon's Events Team, bringing creative concepts to life through exceptional planning, vendor management, fabrication oversight, and onsite execution. This role involves sourcing, negotiating, and implementing critical event elements including audiovisual production, staging, scenic fabrication, signage, furniture, custom builds, and interactive experiences. Working collaboratively with clients, account teams, creatives, and external partners, the Experiential Director will lead projects from initial brief through post-event recap, ensuring a seamless process from concept development to delivery. Beyond individual event leadership, the role will help establish scalable processes, standardise production practices, and cultivate vendor partnerships to elevate production excellence across the team's diverse portfolio of events.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as lead producer on event and experiential marketing programs in collaboration with the Events Team.
• Collaborate with specialty groups within Octagon (creative, client services, digital, etc.) as the experiential or event production expert.
• Source, negotiate, and implement critical event elements including audiovisual production, staging, scenic fabrication, signage, furniture, custom builds, and interactive experiences.
• Hire, lead, and maintain positive relationships with vendors and partners for production and audio visual.
• Host client and inter-agency calls during planning, providing strategy and recommendations while maintaining an organised, efficient staffing plan.
• Lead on-site staff and partners at events and activations.
• Collaborate on program budgets, including tracking expenses, forecasting costs, and identifying efficiencies, while ensuring adherence to client guidelines.
• Lead and support brainstorms and thought leadership projects.
• Establish scalable processes, standardise production and fabrication practices, cultivate vendor partnerships, and drive operational consistency across the portfolio of experiences, including major corporate events, industry conferences, client hospitality programs, and professional golf properties.
• Manage client communication and workflow, prioritise project tasks, and work under pressure to lead successful activation of programming in a deadline-oriented environment.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 6-10 years of work experience in event production or experiential marketing.
• Passion for and expertise in event operations and logistics, including business conferences, tradeshows and conventions, B2B events, sports, entertainment, music, and/or celebrity and lifestyle culture.
• Proficiency in driving business forward and adjusting approach based on timelines and project demands.
• Ability to take on a leadership role while working well within a team-centric environment.
• Outstanding communication skills in persuasive and concise speech and written documents/communication.
• Proactive, solution-oriented thinker and doer.
• Ability to lead and prioritise multiple projects with varying timelines and needs.
• Ability to zoom in to figure out complex logistical problems with team members and zoom out to understand big picture strategy and inform leadership.
• Willingness to work non-traditional event hours and travel for work.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially PowerPoint.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and stand for up to or more than 8 hours at a time.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel domestically and work weekends or holidays as needed; anticipated travel moderate (20-45%).

Workplace

• Hybrid work (3 days a week in office) in Cary, NC or Charlotte, NC; location flexible with priority given to candidates open to hybrid work.
• Omnicom policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager.

Salary

The base range for this position is $70,000 – $90,000.

About the Company

Octagon is the global sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing arm of the Omnicom Group, recognised as one of the 'Best Places to Work in Sports'. Octagon takes pride in being Playmakers, finding insightful, bold ways to create play in work and lives, and believes in the power of play to create big ideas and unlock potential for clients and talent. Octagon's expertise allows it to continually evolve the fan experience across sports and entertainment alongside some of the biggest brands and talent in the world.