Position Overview:

The key responsibilities for the Sponsorship Sales and Engagement Director include leading, managing, selling and engaging with large corporate global sponsor accounts, ensuring sponsorship benefits are sold and created according to contract, and developing sales targets, pricing, and prospectus development. This role also requires leading program management, such as serving as the primary point of contact for our clients and sponsorship sales and engagement for large tech events, as well as engaging with event operations leads and vendors across our sponsorship lifecycle. The role involves leading account management tasks and overseeing cost analysis for each level of sponsorship sold, managing budgets and leading the creation of new sponsorship ideas.

Responsibilities:

Program Management

• Serve as a primary point of contact for large tech events and sell and manage the sponsorship sales and engagement for clients’ partners and customers

• Engage with event operations leads and vendors for each work stream to ensure all sponsorship benefits viable and are implemented pre/during/post event

• Create and manage sponsorship sales and engagement timelines, working with program leads to ensure deadlines are met

• Develop sales dashboard and weekly reports for sales to the account owners and their alliance teams, partner marketing teams and strategic operations organization

• Work with sponsors on collections of funds in a timely manner prior to the event

• Manage sales and engagement tasks for sponsors within the sponsor portal tool(s). Tools will vary based on client. Ensure systems are set up to support your program

• Organizes regular cadence calls (if needed) with event and account leads to facilitate clear lines of communication through the sales and engagement process

• Coordinate approvals, where needed, on sponsor materials and get these in writing

• Ensures timely delivery of all necessary components, properties, and materials for each event

• Provides set-up assistance and on-site support as required

• Create readiness deck so that you can outline specific scope of work and deliverables before you set off for the event

• Post-event reporting: provides sponsor and client reports for each event to include final sales and engagement results, numbers, survey results and key feedback.

• Manage multiple team projects around RPFs, budgets and event programs

Account Management

• Gain 100% clarity on assignment for each project and ensure there is a clear scope of work and deliverables outlined

• Operate as the main point of contact for client and assigned sponsor accounts, which may change by show and clients

• Maintain regular communication with accounts via email and client preferred tools (MS Teams, Slack, Google, etc) and recurring cadence calls to manage any and all matters specific to fulfillment of sponsorship contracts

• Ensure 24-hour response time to all email communications

• Escalate any problems with fulfillment and/or account to manager within 24 hours

• Provide onsite support at events to ensure all aspects of sponsorship are implemented and delivered

• Ensure proper approvals are secured for sponsor communications, signage and messaging

Miscellaneous

• Act as advisor to Sponsorship team, leveraging expert knowledge to review and recommend solutions

• Maintain consistent and thorough communication with internal team, client, and accounts

• Update internal team weekly of any challenges and collaborate closely with team

• Manage all materials on designated tools (Box, MS Teams, Google, etc) –real time for access to documents 24/7

• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

• A minimum of 7-10 years of hands-on experience in the event space

• Agency experience working with corporate and tech clients is ideal

• Proven experience in event program management or sponsorship sales

• Excellent communication (proven written and verbal), and organizational skills are required

• Ability to quickly recognize or anticipate problem areas and quickly develop solutions

• Flexible, self-motivated, energetic, and uses time productively and efficiently

• Ability to establish priorities, work independently, and proceed with objectives without supervision

• Exhibits an outgoing, upbeat personality, enjoys working as part of a team, and is efficient, considerate, and organized, with a keen eye for details and accuracy

• A proven attention to excellent customer support and growth

• Strong organizational and project management skills, paying meticulous attention to both logistical and administrative details

• Demonstrated and proficient skills with Microsoft Office Suite, Google, and other software programs and event tools like Rainfocus, WEG, CVENT

• Experience managing vendors, people and timelines

• Must be able to travel up to 50% domestic and international

Company Overview:

Sparks is a live + digital brand experience agency. We specialize in creating connection–-real human connection–-onsite, online or anywhere. Through a mix of sound strategy, breakthrough creative and flawless execution, we create memorable trade show exhibits, live and virtual events, brand activations, retail stores, corporate environments and other immersive experiences that deepen relationships, inspire action, and build trust--and we do it all over the world.

We operate an open and inclusive culture where all recognize, respect, appreciate and encourage individuality regardless of race, gender, age, religion, culture, ideology, economic status, disability or sexual orientation. We believe that everyone at all levels of our organization is accountable for building this culture and we are challenging ourselves daily to seek and build diversity and equality in any way that we can–and we welcome your ideas to do so.

Think you’ve got what it takes to hang with us?

We’ve built our reputation on creating awesome experiences for our clients, but equally important is the experience we create for our people. Yes, we work hard. But we also make it a point to have fun. And we find our people work that much harder when work doesn’t feel so much like, well, work. If you share our mindset, we should chat.

We’ve always got our eyes peeled for smart, hungry people who think that what we do isn’t so much a job as it is a way of life. And while any company can supply stuff like benefits (and, of course we do too!) our greatest benefit comes from the amazing people you’ll interact with daily, who will challenge and push you to think harder, be more creative and love what you do.

Sparks, a Freeman company, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.