Job Description:Director, Event MarketingThe 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 and senior-level stakeholders. The ideal candidate brings a creative, strategic approach to event marketing, strong agency-caliber experience, and the confidence to operate autonomously while influencing senior leaders with a clear, data-driven point 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, and client-facing groups
- Own the enterprise event calendar, ensuring prioritization and resource alignment
- Bring a creative, strategic mindset that elevates event experiences beyond logistics and execution, to deliver exceptional guest and participant experiences while elevating the profile and perception of 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 for large-scale, high-priority internal events, including the annual Merkle AMER Sales Kickoff (200-300 attendees)
- Oversee the annual Merkle Awards, delivered in-person or virtually, ensuring a high-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 for Merkle-owned events, including potential relaunches such as the Merkle Client Summit or vertical-specific exchanges
- Ensure owned events strengthen Merkle's market presence, deepen client relationships, and support go-to-market priorities
- 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-end event experiences
- Collaborate with sales and client leadership to support engagement, pipeline development, and client relationship goals
- Oversee pre-, during-, and post-event communication plans across channels
- Ensure event programming aligns with go-to-market strategy 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 and optimize future event investments
Technology and Operations - Utilize platforms such as Cvent, Splash, and ON24 to support in-person, virtual, and hybrid events
- Achieve fluency with our internal program and workflow management platform (Hive)
- Champion operational excellence through process improvements and best-practice adoption
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 across in-person, virtual, hybrid, and internal formats
- Proven leadership skills with experience managing teams
- Executive-level communication skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders
- Ability to operate independently and effectively during organizational change
- Proficiency with event technology platforms (Cvent, Splash, ON24)
The annual salary range for this position is $114,425 - $135,000 annually. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, and other factors permitted by law.
Benefits available with this position include:
- Medical, vision, and dental insurance,
- Life insurance,
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance,
- 401k,
- Flexible paid time off,
- At least 15 paid holidays per year,
- Paid sick and safe leave, and
- Paid parental leave.
Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including providing time off according to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, following its plans and policies. For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.
To begin the application process, please click on the "Apply" button at the top of this job posting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted for next steps.#LI-Hybrid
#LI-BB1
Location:New York - 150 E 42nd
Brand:Dentsu
Time Type:Full time
Contract Type:Permanent
