Creative Manager

Access

$70K — $95K *
Hospitality & Recreation
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3+ years of experience in DMC, corporate events, hospitality, or experiential design
  • Proven ability to develop and present event concepts to clients
  • Familiarity with decor, entertainment, activations, and transportation logistics
  • Strong understanding of budgeting and pricing strategies in event planning
  • Excellent organizational skills with a collaborative mindset

Responsibilities

  • Develop creative event themes that align with client goals
  • Design engaging guest experiences, including layouts and custom elements
  • Lead storytelling initiatives for proposals and presentations
  • Source and recommend unique interactive activations and entertainment
  • Design transportation strategies for diverse guest groups
  • Manage budgeting and vendor negotiations to ensure value
  • Collaborate with sales and event teams to deliver clear creative direction

Benefits

  • Certified as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years
  • Women-owned and women-led organization
  • Focus on employee recognition through awards
  • Paid day off for community service
  • Opportunities for flexible schedules and generous PTO
  • Extensive range of health insurance plans available
  • Access to professional development programs and mentorship
  • Annual company retreats and incentive trips for top performers
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Creative Manager based in the Austin/San Antonio area.

About the Job

As a Creative Manager at Access, you will partner with Sales and Creative teams to develop strategic, experience-driven proposals and client presentations. You will shape the creative vision for corporate events, translating client goals into environments, moments, and experiences that are both compelling and executable.

This role operates in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment and requires strong organization, prioritization, and adaptability.

You know how to paint a picture clients can step into. You don't just describe what an event will look like. You explain why it works, how it supports the audience, and how it comes together within real-world budgets and logistics.

This is not a graphic design or marketing role. It is an experiential role rooted in live events.

What You'll Be Doing
Event Design & Concept Development
  • Develop event themes aligned to destination, audience, and client objectives
  • Design guest environments including layouts, lounges, table scapes, entry moments, and custom elements
  • Translate client goals into cohesive, end-to-end guest experiences
  • Ensure concepts are both inspiring and operationally feasible


Proposal Strategy & Storytelling
  • Lead creative ideation for proposals and client presentations
  • Build clear narratives supported by mood boards, imagery, and diagrams
  • Partner with Sales to create concepts that are compelling, confident, and easy to sell


Activations, Entertainment & Experience Elements
  • Source and recommend interactive activations and specialty experiences
  • Curate entertainment aligned to audience, energy level, and event objectives
  • Ensure all elements feel intentional and connected to the overall theme


Transportation & Guest Flow
  • Design transportation strategies for programs ranging from 20 to 5,000+ guests
  • Coordinate movement, arrival, and departure as part of the overall guest experience


Budgeting & Vendor Strategy
  • Price decor, entertainment, activations, and transportation with margin awareness
  • Source and evaluate vendors, balancing creativity with budget and profitability
  • Recommend solutions that maximize impact while remaining realistic


Collaboration & Brand Stewardship
  • Partner closely with Sales, Event Managers, and Creative teammates
  • Present concepts with clarity and confidence
  • Uphold the Access brand voice and creative standards across all work


About You

We know that there's no one in the world like you. And we know that you have a lot to offer the next company you work with. Below is a list of "nice-to-haves", but don't let those deter you from applying. Access believes that an inclusive team and culture is important. We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team.

Nice-to-haves:
  • 3+ years in DMC, corporate events, hospitality, or experiential design
  • Experience building event concepts before execution and presenting vision to clients
  • Knowledge of decor, entertainment, activations, and transportation for live events
  • Comfortable discussing budgets, pricing decisions, and creative trade-offs
  • Highly organized, collaborative, and calm under pressure


What Success Looks Like
  • Clients quickly grasp the creative vision and feel confident it supports their brand, audience, and event goals.
  • Proposals convert consistently because the experience is clear, compelling, and easy to champion internally.
  • Creative recommendations land within expected budget ranges while maintaining strong margin health.
  • Event concepts move from proposal to execution with minimal revisions, rework, or last-minute course correction.
  • Sales and Events teams rely on Creative for clear direction, realistic solutions, and thoughtful problem-solving.
  • Creative work strengthens destination storytelling and contributes to repeat business and long-term client trust.
  • Every proposal reflects the Access brand through clarity, confidence, and intentional design choices.


Why Access?

CULTURE & EXTRAS
  • Certified as a Great Place to Work - 3 years in a row and counting!
  • 55+ years in the industry!
  • Women-owned and women-led
  • Fun, creative, and supportive culture
  • Focus on recognition and employee value - including annual and quarterly awards
  • Paid day off to serve your local community
  • Annual all-company retreat to connect, learn, and have fun together
  • Annual qualifier-based incentive trip for top performers (certain departments eligible)
  • Regional team outings
  • Monthly companywide meetings to connect, learn, and celebrate wins


COMPENSATION
  • Highly competitive total compensation, including strong base salary and quarterly bonuses
  • Very strong performance-based quarterly commission plans
  • 401k with company match (eligible after 1 year - up to 4% of salary matched, vested immediately
  • Monthly cell phone stipend


WORK LIFE BALANCE
  • Flexible schedule opportunities
  • Generous PTO
  • Sick days
  • 9 full holidays
  • 5 half days off prior to holidays to unplug early
  • 2 floating holidays off to be used on holidays of your choice
  • ½ day Fridays in July & August (based on achievement of goals)


HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND FAMILY
  • Extensive menu of health plans to choose from
  • Paid parental leave
  • Pet insurance program
  • Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
  • Mentorship program
  • "Masterclasses" in industry/department-specific topics
  • State-of-the-art technology platforms and tools - including training
  • Annual and monthly meeting content that focuses on professional development


What are you waiting for? Scroll back to the top and apply!

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