Director of Signature Conference Marketing

Job Description:

DIRECTOR OF SIGNATURE CONFERENCE MARKETING

GENERAL SUMMARY

Etherio is seeking a strategic, results-driven Director of Signature Conference Marketing to lead the marketing strategy and execution for our growing portfolio of signature conferences and events. This role is responsible for driving attendee acquisition, audience engagement, revenue growth, and brand awareness through integrated, data-driven marketing campaigns.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys building strategy and rolling up their sleeves to execute. The Director will own the full conference marketing lifecycle—from audience segmentation and campaign planning to email marketing, paid media, performance reporting, and post-event analysis—while collaborating closely with conference producers, sales, creative, digital, and external partners.

The ideal candidate is an experienced conference or event marketer who understands how to build marketing momentum over a 12-month event cycle, optimize campaign performance, and translate business objectives into measurable marketing results.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Conference Marketing Strategy

• Develop and execute integrated marketing strategies that drive attendee registration, exhibitor participation, sponsorship engagement, and overall event growth.

• Create comprehensive marketing plans and promotional calendars for each event, establishing milestones across the event lifecycle (12-month, 9-month, 6-month, 3-month, and launch phases).

• Optimize the conference website to maximize visibility, engagement, and registration conversion through strong UX, compelling content, SEO, and ongoing performance optimization.

  • Identify target audiences, develop segmentation strategies, and tailor messaging to maximize conversion.

• Partner with conference leadership to establish marketing goals, KPIs, and growth strategies.

• Build and acquire targeted audience databases by identifying, sourcing, and growing high-quality contact lists within specific conference verticals.

• Build mutually beneficial promotional partnerships with media partners, associations, influencers, and industry organizations to expand reach, generate qualified leads, and amplify conference visibility.

Campaign Execution

• Drive inbound lead generation through integrated digital marketing campaigns, content, SEO, email, social media, and other channels that attract, engage, and convert high-quality prospective attendees.

• Lead the execution of multi-channel marketing campaigns including:

  • Email marketing

  • Paid digital advertising (Google, LinkedIn, Meta and other relevant platforms)

  • Organic social media

  • Landing pages

  • Website content

  • Content marketing

  • Promotional partnerships

  • Retargeting campaigns

• Personally execute email campaigns, paid advertising initiatives, audience segmentation, and campaign optimization.

• Oversee campaign calendars to ensure timely delivery of all promotional activities.

Marketing Analytics & Optimization

• Monitor campaign performance and optimize marketing efforts using data and analytics.

• Track registration trends, lead sources, conversion rates, cost per acquisition, email engagement, and return on marketing investment.

• Provide regular reporting and actionable recommendations to conference leadership.

• Continuously test and refine messaging, creative, channels, and audience targeting.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction for the Marketing Manager supporting Signature Conferences.

• Collaborate closely with conference producers, sales teams, creative services, web, operations, and external vendors.

• Ensure marketing initiatives align with conference objectives, timelines, and budget expectations.

• Serve as the marketing subject matter expert for conference planning teams.

Brand & Content Development

• Ensure consistent messaging and brand standards across all conference marketing materials.

• Partner with creative and content teams to develop compelling promotional assets, including:

  • Email campaigns

  • Digital advertisements

  • Website content

  • Sales collateral

  • Social campaigns

  • Video and multimedia assets

• Help develop compelling value propositions that drive registration and audience engagement.

Continuous Improvement

• Stay current on conference marketing trends, attendee acquisition strategies, marketing automation tools, and digital advertising best practices.

• Optimize the conference website to maximize visibility, engagement, and registration conversion through strong UX, compelling content, SEO, and ongoing performance optimization.

• Recommend new technologies, channels, and marketing approaches that improve campaign performance and attendee experience.

• Document and refine marketing processes to improve efficiency and scalability across the conference portfolio.

MINIMUM AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field.

• 8+ years of progressive marketing experience with significant experience in conference, event, tradeshow, association, or B2B marketing.

• Demonstrated success developing marketing strategies that drive event registration and audience growth.

• Hands-on experience managing:

  • Email marketing platforms

  • Marketing automation

  • Paid digital advertising

  • Campaign analytics and reporting

  • Content and messaging development

• Strong understanding of audience segmentation, customer journey mapping, and conversion optimization.

• Excellent project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple campaigns simultaneously.

• Strong analytical mindset with experience using marketing data to inform decisions.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience marketing conferences, association events, or large-scale business events.

• Experience with CRM and marketing automation platforms.

• Familiarity with Google Analytics, paid advertising platforms, and email marketing systems.

• Experience managing direct reports.

• Agency experience is a plus.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Etherio retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

WORKPLACE LOCATION REQUIREMENTS

We operate as a Hybrid work environment, working as a combination of remote and in-office presence, as well as the possibility of being onsite at client and/or event locations.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel 2-4 times per year.

SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS

Requires flexibility in scheduling, such as the ability to work evenings and weekends to meet client, event, or company needs.

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Must be able to remain either in a stationary sitting position for extended periods (such as when working in the office), while also being able to stand and/or move for extended periods (such as when executing events onsite).

• Need to lift, carry, push, or drag boxes or equipment up to 30 lbs.

• Frequently moves inside the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.

• Need to adapt and function in various physical settings (for example, conference centers, indoor and outdoor spaces).

• Occasionally required to position self in a stooping, kneeling, or crouching manner.

• Frequently communicates with others and must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

• Frequently uses computers and other electronic equipment.

ABOUT ETHERIO

At Etherio, we have a purpose that drives all we do: We create meaningful partnerships, experiences, and connections that fuel growth and accelerate success for our clients and those they impact. Every day, we deliver creative, customer-focused solutions for our corporate and association clients - one meeting, event, or membership experience at a time. We recognize that to deliver that experience for our clients, we have to deliver it for our own team members as well. Whether you work in one of our offices or virtually, we're committed to supporting your learning and growth by providing opportunities for partnerships, experiences and connections that will accelerate your own success. Together we live out our core values, celebrate each other’s wins, learn lessons from our failures, and pursue excellence together.
Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, vision, and more.

• 401(k) with matching.

• Generous paid time off.

• Flexible and hybrid work schedules.

Our approach has earned us many industry awards over our 30+ year history, including 18 consecutive years on the CMI 25 – North America’s Top 25 Meeting & Incentive Companies.

Join us at Etherio and become part of a team where your work has purpose, your growth is championed, and your results are rewarded. If you're excited to help shape exceptional experiences and build lasting connections, we’d love to meet you.

Etherio is committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices and in experiences as team members. Etherio is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that the most effective way to invite and retain a diverse workforce is to build an enduring culture of inclusion and belonging. The Firm does not discriminate in employment because of race, creed, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, citizenship status or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact hr@etherio.com.