Manager, Global Tradeshows & Sponsorship Strategy

Okta•Chicago, IL

3d•$136,000 - $187,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a leadership opportunity to own and evolve the strategy for Okta’s global tradeshow portfolio and build a comprehensive sponsorship program from the ground up. As a player-coach, you will lead and mentor a small team of event professionals while also rolling up your sleeves to drive the execution of our most critical Tier 1 industry events. You will be responsible for defining our global tradeshow strategy, identifying new opportunities for expansion, and ensuring every event aligns with our business objectives and drives measurable impact. A key part of this role will be to create and manage a holistic sponsorship strategy across our flagship conference, Oktane, and other key marketing events. This is a highly visible role that requires a blend of strategic thinking, flawless execution, and cross-functional collaboration to build world-class experiences.

Requirements

7+ years in event marketing, with a focus on large-scale tradeshows and conferences within the B2B tech/SaaS industry.
4+ years of experience in people management or a team leadership role with a passion for mentoring and developing talent.
Demonstrated experience creating and executing successful, revenue-generating sponsorship strategies across a portfolio of events.
Proven ability to operate as a player-coach, balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution and a willingness to roll up your sleeves.
Exceptional project management, prioritization, and organizational skills with a proven track record of managing complex events with multiple stakeholders.
Strong executive presence and excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate strategies and results to leaders and cross-functional partners.
Able to travel up to 25% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Experience running large-scale programs and sponsorship presence at major tech conferences (e.g., AWS re:Invent, RSAC Conference, Gartner events) is a significant plus.
Thrives in a rapid-growth, fast-paced environment and adapts well to change.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and manage a team of tradeshow marketing professionals, fostering their growth and ensuring executional excellence.
Global Tradeshow Strategy: Develop and execute the overarching strategy for Okta’s global Tier 1 tradeshows (AMER, EMEA, APAC), ensuring alignment with corporate and marketing goals and looking for opportunities to expand our presence.
Sponsorship Strategy Development: Build and own a comprehensive sponsorship strategy for our core event portfolio, including Oktane and Tier 1 tradeshows (e.g., RSAC, Gartner, AWS). You will also collaborate with other marketing teams to extend this sponsorship framework to programs like Oktane on the Road and our Identity Summits.
Hands-On Execution: Act as a "player-coach" by directly managing key aspects of our most complex tradeshows, from pre-event planning and agency management to on-site execution and post-event reporting.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with key stakeholders across our global partner and alliances team, regional teams, marketing, and partner marketing to define event goals, messaging, and audience generation strategies.
Opportunity Sourcing: Proactively identify and evaluate new, year-round sponsorship opportunities that align to our business objectives and provide unique platforms to engage our key audiences.
Vendor & Budget Management: Manage agency partners, vendors, and service providers to ensure flawless execution. Maintain accuracy and accountability of event budgets, deliver wrap-up reports with data-driven analysis, and generate learnings for continuous improvement.