Director, Event Marketing

The Director, Event Marketing leads Merkle’s enterprise event strategy and elevates how the organization shows up across the industry and within its internal community. This role oversees the full events portfolio, manages the events team, and partners closely with executive andsenior‑levelstakeholders. The ideal candidate brings a creative, strategic approach to event marketing, strongagency‑caliberexperience, and the confidence tooperateautonomously while influencing senior leaders with a clear,data‑drivenpoint of view.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and execute Merkle’s enterprise event strategy aligned with marketing priorities, brand positioning, and revenue goals

• Lead and mentor the events team, ensuring alignment across marketing, sales, andclient‑facinggroups

• Own the enterprise event calendar, ensuring prioritization and resource alignment

• Bring a creative, strategic mindset that elevates event experiences beyondlogisticsand execution, to deliver exceptional guest and participant experiences while elevating the profile andperceptionof the Merkle brand

• Operate independently and decisively during periods of organizational change, driving continuity, performance, and resilience within the events function and the broader marketing team

• Provide a strong, informed point of view to senior leaders, including the ability to challenge assumptions and guide decisions

• Stay current on industry trends, competitive activity, and emerging technologies to evolve event strategy

Internal Events Leadership

• Lead planning and execution forlarge‑scale,high‑priorityinternal events, including the annual Merkle AMER Sales Kickoff (200–300 attendees)

• Oversee the annual Merkle Awards, deliveredin‑personor virtually, ensuring ahigh‑quality, engaging experience that reflects Merkle’s culture and values

• Partner with executive leadership, HR, and internal communications to ensure internal events reinforce organizational priorities and employee engagement

Owned and Flagship Events

• Lead strategy, planning, and execution forMerkle‑ownedevents, including potential relaunches such as the Merkle Client Summit orvertical‑specificexchanges

• Ensure owned events strengthen Merkle’s market presence, deepen client relationships, and supportgo‑to‑marketpriorities

• Develop event concepts, content strategy, and audience engagement plans that differentiate Merkle in the market

Budget and Vendor Management

• Oversee the events budget, including forecasting, vendor negotiations, and cost management

• Manage vendor and partner relationships, including contracts and performance expectations

• Ensure all programs are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget

Event Execution and Collaboration

• Partner with marketing, demand generation, and content teams to deliver integrated,end‑to‑endevent experiences

• Collaborate with sales and client leadership to support engagement, pipeline development, and client relationship goals

• Oversee pre‑, during‑, andpost‑eventcommunication plans across channels

• Ensure event programming aligns withgo‑to‑marketstrategy and measurable business outcomes

Performance and Reporting

• Establish event KPIs and performance measurement frameworks

• Provide reporting, insights, and recommendations to senior leadership

• Ensure events support lead generation, pipeline goals, and ROI targets

• Use data to inform strategic decisions andoptimizefuture event investments

Technology and Operations

• Utilize platforms such as Cvent, Splash, and ON24 to supportin‑person, virtual, and hybrid events

• Achieve fluency with our internal program and workflow management platform (Hive)

• Champion operational excellence through process improvements andbest‑practiceadoption

Qualifications

• 10+ years of event marketing experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role

• Agency experience strongly preferred to ensure immediate credibility with senior stakeholders

• Demonstrated ability to influence and guide senior leaders with a strong, strategic point of view

• Experience managing event programs acrossin‑person, virtual, hybrid, and internal formats

• Proven leadership skills with experience managing teams

• Executive‑levelcommunication skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders

• Ability tooperateindependently and effectively during organizational change

• Proficiencywith event technology platforms (Cvent, Splash, ON24)

Dentsu is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. We do this without regard to race, color, national origin, sex , sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religious practices and observances, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

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