Director, Event Marketing

Government Executive Media Group LLC•Washington, DC

2d•$105,000 - $122,000•Hybrid

About The Position

GovExec is seeking a Director of Event Marketing to join our team. In this role, you will lead the event marketing function and own strategy, planning, and performance for marketing campaigns across GovExec’s event portfolio. You will manage and develop a team of Associate Directors, set the operating rhythm for event marketing, and partners cross-functionally with event PMs, sales, account strategy, audience marketing, and leadership to drive registrations, attendance, and sponsor success. Although this role is primarily remote, candidates must be based in the Washington, DC–Maryland–Virginia (DMV) area to attend in-person events as needed.

Requirements

Proven experience leading and developing a team (managing performance, coaching, and building clear accountability).
Strong background in event marketing strategy (registration growth, audience targeting, segmentation, lifecycle marketing).
Deep understanding of email marketing best practices (A/B testing, subject line optimization, deliverability, list hygiene, segmentation).
Experience with paid media supporting events (Meta/LinkedIn/Google), including audience targeting and budget management.
Strong analytics skills with ability to track and improve KPIs (registration pacing, conversion rate, CPA/CPL, attendance/show rate).
Ability to develop and manage multi-channel campaign plans (email, social, paid, partner marketing, web).
Experience collaborating cross-functionally with stakeholders (events team, sales, account teams, editorial/content, product).
Strong project management skills, including ability to manage timelines, workflows, and competing priorities across multiple events.
Comfort working in environments with frequent changes, shifting priorities, and tight deadlines.
Strong written communication skills (can write clear, compelling event marketing copy and also give strong feedback/editing to the team).

Responsibilities

Own the event marketing strategy across the events portfolio, ensuring consistent execution, measurable performance, and a best-in-class attendee experience.
Lead planning and prioritization for the top ~2-3 high-impact events per quarter, aligning campaign approach, channel mix, audience targets, and pacing goals.
Set registration and attendance targets for priority events and oversee real-time optimization based on pacing, conversion, and show rate performance.
Establish best practices across email marketing and channel strategy, including segmentation, testing strategy, deliverability improvements, creative formats, and evolving platform tactics.
Ensure marketing plans are aligned with client expectations and sponsorship deliverables, partnering closely with account strategy and sales.
Identify performance trends across events and turn insights into repeatable improvements, playbooks, and scalable campaign frameworks.
Directly manage, coach, and develop Associate Directors on the event marketing team.
Set clear expectations and performance standards for campaign execution, quality, pacing, and communication.
Create structure and accountability across the team: weekly planning, campaign reviews, post-event recaps, and ongoing professional development.
Lead hiring and resourcing plans for event marketing based on forecasted workload and business growth.
Build a strong team culture focused on ownership, speed, and measurable results.
Serve as the primary event marketing leader for GovExec, partnering with event PMs and product leads to shape event strategy and positioning.
Own proactive communication with GovExec leadership on large-scale event marketing performance, risks, and action plans.
Ensure smooth collaboration across stakeholders and resolve roadblocks quickly (timeline shifts, copy approvals, targeting changes, sponsor escalations, etc.).
Partner with the Director of Digital Marketing to align event marketing strategy with broader channel, audience, and growth initiatives.