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Show Director

Emerald, Alpharetta, GA, United States


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

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

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. 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.

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.

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