Associate Director, Conferences Logistics

As an Associate Director, you will be responsible for leading a team of highly skilled operations professionals to flawlessly deliver a portfolio of complex, fast growing conferences which meet our financial goals. To be successful in this role you must learn and understand our corporate strategy and translate it into an operations strategy which delivers exceptional conference experiences for our customers.

Your role is to guide the team’s decision making, delivering for today whilst planning for the future.

• Lead operations strategy for regional conference portfolio in partnership with COEs.

• Lead communication and collaboration across regional portfolio COE leaders.
• Support conference teams to transition from the design and delivery of individual parts to intentionally crafting an end-to-end audience journey.
• Drive consistency and innovation across the regional portfolio.
• Actively participate in key milestone reviews to ensure the team recommendations align with corporate strategy and meet the needs of the customer.

• Recruit, retain and coach a team of agile, customer focused, operational experts.

• Inspire confidence and provide clear direction.
• Provide subject matter / functional expertise and guidance.
• Ensure that team is leading the development of an end-to-end conference experience.
• Drive initiatives which enhance the portfolio, deliver results against priorities and improve processes in planning and execution in partnership with strategic initiatives leader.
• Build team infrastructure to scale and operate efficiently.

• Develop detailed action plans to achieve growth including optimized space planning, capacity solutions, venue selection and transitions, and growth into new regions.
• Lead strategy for conference growth solutions, direct and guide team to develop detailed plans for achieving growth and optimizing space
• Build strong relationships with venues and vendors, ensure that they are meeting our expectations and equipped to scale as our business grows
• Clearly understand and translate the needs of the audience.
• Champion change and drive creative solutions.

• Overall responsibility for regional portfolio budgets including preparation, negotiations, accurate and timely monthly forecasts.

• Collaborate with COE leaders to identify trends and regional impacts.
• Ensure team is accountable and responsible for the expenses they manage and understand the financial impact of the decisions they make
• Lead the team through investment process ensuring recommendations align with the overall strategy for the conference.
• Lead portfolio forecast reviews and participate in monthly forecast calls
• Understand risk and deviations to plan and make recommendations for corrective actions. Partner with COE’s to mitigate risk.

• Bachelor’s degree, preferred
• 10+ years Event Management experience
• Proven event operational skills including food & beverage, production schedules, budget management and event staffing
• Project management experience on detailed programs with multiple variables and dependencies
• Proven experience in managing agency and vendor partners
• Proven people management experience
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills especially with senior level professionals, cross-functionally and with agency partners
• Creative, innovative and strategic thinker with a strong attention to detail
• Strong financial management skills
• Motivated team player with desire to learn and grow.
• Excellent written/oral communication and presentations skills
• Demonstrated ability to adapt, implement and manage change and strive for continuous improvement.
• Ability to thrive in high pressure situations
• Confident decision maker
• Ability to travel up to 20%, domestically & internationally

Since our founding in 1979, we’ve grown to 20,000 associates globally who support over 13,000 client enterprises in ~90 countries and territories. We do important, interesting and substantive work that matters. That’s why we hire associates with the intellectual curiosity, energy and drive to want to make a difference.

The bar is unapologetically high. So is the impact you can have here.

Our vast, virtually untapped market potential offers limitless opportunities – opportunities that may not even exist right now – for you to grow professionally and flourish personally. How far you go is driven by your passion and performance.

At Gartner, you’ll join a company at the very center of the AI revolution. Gartner has proactive, objective guidance throughout clients’ AI journeys. We set the standard for how organizations leverage artificial intelligence to drive meaningful impact.

You’ll have access to unmatched resources, expertise, and technology, and play a key role in helping Gartner and our clients innovate and grow as we leverage AI to transform business and technology landscapes.

It’s an exciting time to be at Gartner, with limitless opportunities to make a real impact, grow your skills, and build a lasting, meaningful career in a field that’s reshaping the way we operate. If you’re passionate about AI and want to be part of a team that’s guiding the leaders who shape the world, Gartner is the place for you.

In our hybrid work environment, we provide the flexibility and support for you to thrive — working virtually when it's productive to do so and getting together with colleagues in a vibrant community that is purposeful, engaging and inspiring.

Gartner believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is 93,000 USD - 140,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location.

In addition to base salary, employees will participate in either an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance, or a role-based, uncapped sales incentive plan. Our talent acquisition team will provide the specific opportunity on our bonus or incentive programs to eligible candidates. We also offer market leading benefit programs including generous PTO, a 401k match up to $7,200 per year, the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount, and more.

Gartner is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers, including job seekers with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the Company’s career webpage as a result of your disability.

You may request reasonable accommodations by calling Human Resources at +1 (203) 964-0096 or by sending an email to ApplicantAccommodations@gartner.com .