Senior Events Director (LA Times Studios)

The Senior Events Director is a strategic leader responsible for the end-to-end development and execution of a comprehensive events strategy that aligns with business goals, enhances brand visibility, engages audiences, and drives revenue growth. This role oversees all event initiatives-including proprietary programs, experiential activations, trade shows, sponsored events, and executive engagements-ensuring consistent, high-impact experiences across all channels and touchpoints.

The Senior Director manages an internal events team and external vendors, working cross-functionally with departments such as marketing, editorial, sales, finance, and production to ensure that every event supports broader organizational objectives. In addition to creative and logistical leadership, the role owns event financial modeling, forecasting, and performance analysis to enable data-informed planning and decision-making.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic planning, budgeting, and execution of all company events-including trade shows, proprietary conferences, executive engagements, customer experiences, and brand activations-to support brand awareness, customer engagement, and lead generation.
• Develop high-impact event strategies aligned with business objectives, marketing goals, and audience engagement targets.
• Identify and evaluate key industry events and sponsorship opportunities, negotiating packages to optimize ROI and brand alignment
• Plan and execute custom experiences such as VIP programs, off-site activations, and customer dinners to support relationship-building and brand visibility.
• Own the full event lifecycle, from goal setting, messaging, and logistics to marketing integration, on-site execution, and post-event follow-up.
• Oversee end-to-end event logistics including venue sourcing, staffing, A/V, production, permits, hospitality, and compliance with safety regulations.
• Ensure operational excellence and flawless execution through cross-functional alignment and vendor coordination.
• Standardize planning processes and continuously improve operations by developing SOPs, optimizing workflows, and implementing scalable solutions.
• Lead financial forecasting and annual budget planning for the events portfolio, working closely with finance to model revenue, track expenses, and ensure fiscal responsibility.
• Own P&L accountability for all events and lead reconciliation efforts post-event, ensuring accurate reporting and budget optimization.
• Analyze historical performance, industry benchmarks, and KPI data to forecast costs, revenue, and ROI with precision.
• Provide regular performance reports and actionable insights to senior leadership to inform business decisions and identify growth opportunities.
• Partner with sales, marketing, communications, product, editorial, and leadership teams to integrate events into broader campaigns and go-to-market strategies.
• Drive sales enablement at events by coordinating demos, client meetings, and outreach initiatives, managing lead capture and follow-up processes.
• Collaborate with creative and digital teams to develop compelling event experiences, signage, and branded materials tailored to target audiences.
• Identify, onboard, and manage event vendors, freelancers, agencies, and support staff to ensure quality, efficiency, and alignment with brand standards.
• Negotiate contracts and secure favorable terms with venues, suppliers, and partners, ensuring optimal use of resources.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, vendors, media partners, and internal stakeholders to support event success.
• Hire, lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing internal events team, setting clear priorities and fostering a collaborative, accountable, and innovative culture.
• Provide guidance on execution, professional development, and best practices to elevate team performance and event outcomes.
• Continuously measure and evaluate event effectiveness and ROI, using data and feedback to refine strategy and improve future activations.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and introduce innovative, experiential elements to maximize audience impact and engagement.
• Evaluate and implement event management platforms and tools to streamline operations, enhance data tracking, and improve stakeholder communication.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Event Management and 10+ years of event marketing and management experience, including at least 5+years in a leadership role OR 12+ years of event marketing and management experience, including at least 5+years in a leadership role.
• Extensive experience planning and executing large-scale events, including trade shows, brand activations, executive programs, and customer-facing experiences.
• Deep understanding of event marketing, logistics, production workflows, booth strategy, lead flow, and post-event engagement.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with internal departments such as sales, marketing, and finance to ensure successful outcomes.
• Demonstrated success managing $1M+ event budgets, vendor relationships, and forecasting ROI.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and event metrics to drive strategic decisions; experienced in using spreadsheets, financial models, and business intelligence tools.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, stakeholder engagement, and leadership skills.
• Adept at balancing strategic vision with hands-on execution in fast-paced, high-performance environments.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, ensuring timely delivery and budget adherence.
• Advanced proficiency in project management and collaboration tools such as Asana, Monday.com, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Excel/Google Sheets, Cvent, and other event technology platforms.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or equivalent experience
• Experience in media, tech, nonprofit, or agency environments.
• Strong network of industry contacts and vendors.
• Familiarity with experiential marketing, sponsorship fulfillment, and audience engagement tactics.