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 Atlanta, 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:

• Lead cross-functional execution across sales, marketing, operations, and content
• Ensure delivery of a high-quality, on-time, and on-budget event
• Drive attendance growth through targeted, data-driven marketing strategies
• Oversee development of relevant, high-impact content and programming

Team Leadership & Culture:

• Build and lead a high-performance, accountable team with clear expectations and measurable goals
• Coach and develop talent with a focus on raising the bar and continuous improvement
• Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, and results orientation
• Champion Emerald’s ACE values in how the team shows up and delivers
• Lead from the front; visible, engaged, and setting the pace for performance

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in B2B events, exhibitions, or related industries
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth and new business development
• Experience in industrial, manufacturing, or complex B2B sectors strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to build and leverage industry relationships, associations, and key accounts
• Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets and forecasts
• Experience leading teams in a performance-driven, accountable environment
• Data-driven decision maker with strong problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and executive presence

What Success Looks Like:

• Consistent double-digit growth mindset with clear gains in revenue and market share
• Strong pipeline of new business and expanded customer relationships
• Improved NPS, retention, and rebooking performance
• A brand that is commercially thriving and industry-leading
• A team that operates with urgency, accountability, and a relentless focus on results

About Emerald

At Emerald, we strive to foster a diverse and inclusive community. We actively recruit and champion candidates who bring new perspectives from varied professional backgrounds and experiences, and we are intentional about ensuring a positive hiring experience for everyone. Our job postings don’t contain experience inflation, and most don’t require college degrees. Instead, they’re crafted to focus on outcomes and transferable experiences that are assessed in a structured interview process carried out by trained hiring teams. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Target Compensation: $90,000 - $125,000 plus Sales Incentive Plan

Please note that this range reflects a reasonable estimate of the target compensation for this position. This range may ultimately vary based on a candidate’s qualifications and may be higher where required by applicable law. 

We offer a competitive benefits package designed to strengthen our employees’ physical and mental health, including unlimited vacation for exempt employees, flexible working locations, 401(k) plan with a company match, medical/dental/vision coverage with inclusive provisions including transgender services and fertility benefits, parental and caregiver leave, dependent, commuter and FSA benefits, professional development programs like Toastmasters, and mental wellness tools.

If you need accommodation in our application process or have questions about our posted salary range, please email our Talent Acquisition team at Careers@EmeraldX.com.

About Emerald

Emerald’s talented and experienced teams grow our customers’ businesses 365 days a year with products that create connections, deliver content, and drive commerce. We produce over 140 annual events, create and deliver content through print and digital channels, and power commerce through our seamlessly integrated in-person and digital platforms and channels. For more information, please visit http://www.emeraldx.com.