Exhibitions & Market Research Director

Location: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Position: Exhibitions & Market Research Director

Reports To: CEO

Overview

The Exhibitions & Mark Director will oversee the development of all the company exhibitions; including the strategy implementation, elements/ecosystem dynamics, portfolio, profile, profitability, stakeholder management, budgets of the company. Further will work on developing 2 new exhibition profiles for Oman and cloning our exhibition brands in the region, especially Saudi and Qatar. This role will ensure each event aligns with the companys overall objectives while maintaining individual event goals of sustainability and growth. The director will focus on achieving Key Performance Indicators KPI, optimizing processes, ensuring consistency across events development, and driving growth both in terms of event quality (all stake holders), revenue, profit and market reach. These efforts align with the event department goals and strategy.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Oversight of Exhibitions Portfolio: a. Oversee a group of exhibitions, ensuring strategic alignment across all events and identifying synergies to drive efficiency and growth. b. Work closely with the CEO to develop and implement strategies that support the long-term growth of the companys exhibition portfolio.

2. Overall Events, Ecosystems and Elements Development & Coordination:

a. Supervise the research, planning, development, and execution of multiple events simultaneously, including Conferences, Awards and various elements and complex ecosystems. b. Ensure consistency in branding, attendee experience, and exhibitor satisfaction across all events. c. Collaborate with individual event managers to ensure all events meet high standards.

3. Team Leadership & Development: a. Lead and mentor a team of exhibition managers and other key personnel, fostering a high-performance culture.

b. Ensure the professional development and training of team members to handle complex exhibition needs.

4. Drive Sales & Revenue Streams:

a. Develop and implement strategies to increase revenue across the entire exhibition's portfolio, including sponsorship sales, exhibitor participation, and any other revenue streams.

b. Work closely with the sales and marketing teams to identify new revenue opportunities, expand exhibitor bases, and enhance sponsor engagement across all events.

c. Analyze market trends and competitor offerings to identify opportunities for pricing strategies, new products, and services that contribute to the growth of the exhibitions business.

5. Marketing & Publicity:

a. Develop and oversee the execution of integrated marketing strategies for the entire exhibition's portfolio, ensuring each event receives maximum visibility and attracts the right target audience, exhibitors, and sponsors.

b. Work closely with the marketing team to design and implement engaging campaigns across digital, social media, print, and email platforms to increase brand recognition and drive attendance for each event in the group.

c. Cultivate and manage relationships with key media partners, influencers, and industry publications to secure widespread media coverage and enhance the public profile of the exhibitions within the group.

6. CRM & Database Development of Exhibitors & visitors:

a. Oversee the development and management of a centralized CRM system to maintain detailed, up-to-date databases of exhibitors, visitors, and other key stakeholders across the entire exhibitions portfolio.

b. Ensure effective segmentation of exhibitor and visitor data to enable targeted communication, personalized engagement, and improved event marketing strategies.

c. Collaborate with the sales and marketing teams to leverage CRM data for lead generation, nurturing, and conversion, driving repeat participation and increasing engagement with existing and potential exhibitors and visitors.

7. Applications Development Apps:

a. Oversee the development and implementation of mobile apps and other digital tools for the entire exhibition's portfolio, ensuring they enhance the attendee and exhibitor experience before, during, and after each event.

b. Collaborate with the IT and digital teams to integrate event features such as personalized schedules, interactive maps, live updates, networking opportunities, and exhibitor listings into the apps for increased engagement and user satisfaction.

c. Monitor app performance and user feedback, continuously improving functionality and features to meet the evolving needs of both exhibitors and visitors, ensuring seamless interaction and enhancing overall event success.

8. Operational & Operations Efficiency:

a. Identify and implement best practices for managing multiple exhibitions within the group.

b. Ensure the effective allocation of resources across events, improving processes for smoother execution.

9. Financial Management & Reporting:

a. Develop and oversee budgets for each event within the group, ensuring that costs are controlled while maintaining high standards.

b. Report on the financial performance of the exhibitions group to the CEO, ensuring events meet revenue and profitability targets.

10. Payment Collection:

a. Establish and oversee efficient processes for timely collection of payments from exhibitors, sponsors, and delegate attendees across the exhibitions portfolio, ensuring alignment with company financial policies.

b. Work closely with the finance and sales teams to monitor payment statuses, address delays or disputes promptly, and maintain accurate financial records for each event.

c. Implement and promote the use of secure and user-friendly payment systems to streamline the collection process, improve client satisfaction, and reduce payment delays.

11. Market Growth & Expansion:

a. Identify opportunities for new exhibitions, including potential regions or sectors, and lead efforts to launch and establish new events within the group.

b. Analyze industry trends and competitor events to maintain a competitive edge and drive market expansion.

12. Client & Stakeholder Engagement:

a. Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, sponsors, exhibitors, and other stakeholders across all events in the portfolio.

b. Serve as the main point of contact for major clients or stakeholders involved in multiple exhibitions.

13. Post-Event Analysis & Continuous Improvement:

a. Lead post-event evaluations for each exhibition within the group, gathering feedback from clients and attendees to improve future events.

b. Develop and implement a continuous improvement strategy for the exhibition's portfolio.

14. Market Research Department; Sales, Marketing, Business Development:

a. Develop and Oversee a Marketing Campaign to ensure the offerings of the research department are well marketed to target customer groups.

b. Manage Sales and Ensure new business is secured and old clients continue.

c. Oversee the Quality of Proposals, Research Methods and Reports

d. Participate and lead presentations to clients to win contracts and present reports.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

1. Portfolio Event Success Rate: a. Percentage of successful events (on time, within budget, and exceeding client expectations) across the entire portfolio.

2. Group Revenue Growth:

b. Overall revenue growth from the entire exhibition's portfolio, including both established and new events.

3. Attendee & Exhibitor Satisfaction:

a. Net Promoter Score (NPS) or similar metrics for attendees and exhibitors across the portfolio. c. Positive feedback and retention of key exhibitors and sponsors with loyalty programs.

4. New Event Launch Success:

d. Successful development and execution of new exhibitions within the group, meeting market potential and profitability targets.

5. Stakeholder Engagement:

e. Growth in the number of partnerships, sponsors, exhibitors, and trade visitors across the entire portfolio of exhibitions. Attend advisory board meetings and take and implement feedback.

6. Efficiency & Process Improvement:

f. Reduction in operational costs through improved processes across multiple events.

7. Team Development & Retention:

g. Employee satisfaction and retention within the exhibitions team, as well as the professional growth of team members. Appraisal and reward systems.

Target Expectations

Year on Year Growth Across Multiple Events: The Group Exhibitions Director should focus on driving overall growth for the portfolio, ensuring each event reaches its target objectives while maintaining a cohesive strategy for all exhibitions.

Maximizing Operational Synergies: By overseeing multiple events, the director should identify opportunities to streamline operations, share resources, and leverage partnerships across events.

Expansion and Innovation: Leading the expansion of the exhibitions portfolio, particularly by identifying new market opportunities and innovative formats for events that cater to emerging industry needs.

Leadership in Stakeholder Engagement: Foster relationships with key sponsors, exhibitors, and clients to ensure consistent involvement and long-term partnerships across the group.

Core Skills:

o Exceptional Leadership & Management o Strong Sales & Revenue Generation

o Focus on Visitor Promotions and B2B Meetings Engagement and Return on Investment (ROI)

o Event Stake holder engagement o Budget Management and Profit Maximization.

o Portfolio management ability of multiple sector events, in Oman and across geographic regions. o Proven experience managing multiple complex events simultaneously with complex elements and ecosystems. o Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills at leadership level.

o Knowledge of the latest trends in the exhibition industry and innovative event formats.

o Entrepreneurial, Innovation and success driven

o Asset building mindset with short term and Longterm implementation.

o Excellent Communications o Events as Assets, IP and to build company to be ready in case shareholders decide to float company as public

o Market Research, Analytics and Report Writing with Presentations