The Show Director is responsible for the overall strategy, commercial performance, and execution of a leading B2B event brand. This role owns the full lifecycle of the event, including revenue growth, customer experience, operational delivery, and team leadership.
This leader is the commercial owner and growth engine of the brand, not a caretaker. They are expected to actively drive new business, expand market share, and elevate the brand’s position in the industry. The Show Director will operate with a strong operator mindset, balancing strategic vision with hands-on execution to deliver measurable results.
Success in this role requires a customer-obsessed, data-driven, and commercially aggressive leader who thrives in a performance culture and leads with Emerald’s ACE values; Agility, Commitment, and Excellence. Experience in industrial, manufacturing, or technical B2B markets is strongly preferred, particularly in relationship-driven ecosystems.
This position will be performed preferably from our Alpharetta, GA office or for the right candidate, may consider one of our other US-based offices.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Growth:
- Own and deliver aggressive growth targets across revenue, attendance, and market share
- Proactively identify and pursue new business opportunities, sectors, associations and partnerships this role is expected to hunt, not wait
- Act as a visible industry leader, building deep relationships with associations, advisory boards, and top customers
- Continuously assess competitive landscape and position the brand to win
- Drive expansion through new products, co-locations, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships
Commercial & Financial Ownership:
- Fully accountable for the event P&L, including revenue, margin, and forecasting accuracy
- Implement and refine pricing, packaging, and participation models to maximize yield
- Drive performance against core KPIs: new business, retention, rebooking, and NPS
- Maintain disciplined pipeline management in partnership with sales; no surprises, no gaps
- Use data to make decisions quickly and course-correct in real time
- Customer Experience & Market Leadership
- Own the end-to-end customer experience from first touch to onsite and beyond
- Stay close to customers through regular face-to-face engagement, industry events, and direct outreach
- Translate customer needs into commercially viable products and experiences
- Drive improvements in NPS, retention, and customer lifetime value
- Ensure the event is viewed as a must-attend, must-exhibit industry platform
Sales Leadership & Revenue Engine:
- Partner with and push the sales team to operate with a true hunter mentality
- Actively engage in key deals, top accounts, and strategic negotiations
- Lead floorplan strategy, rebooking execution, and onsite sales performance
- Reinforce a culture of selling outcomes and ROI, not just booth space
- Identify and launch new revenue streams that align with customer goals
Execution & Operational Excellence: