Conference Manager, Creative Journey and Branding

Overview As a key member of the Global Creative Journey and Branding team, this role is responsible for leading the planning, development, and execution of onsite branding and attendee experiences across a portfolio of client-facing global conferences and business unit events. The position combines strategic thinking, creative leadership, project management, and operational excellence to deliver impactful experiences that enhance the overall conference journey for attendees, clients, and prospects. This individual will collaborate closely with Conference Center of Excellence teams and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment across conference planning, branding, and experience delivery. What you will do * Lead the end-to-end creative journey for external conferences, overseeing branding, environmental design, attendee experiences, and digital touchpoints across Gartner’s global conference portfolio. * Manage conference projects from concept through execution, ensuring seamless planning, coordination, and onsite or virtual delivery of branding and experience initiatives. * Partner with internal stakeholders to understand business objectives and provide strategic guidance on event experience, branding, and engagement opportunities. * Project manage the planning, production, and implementation of conference signage, structures, branding elements, furniture, and experiential components in partnership with cross-functional teams and vendors. * Support the development and implementation of operational processes, project management frameworks, and best practices to drive consistency, scalability, and efficiency across the team. * Mentor and support junior team members, fostering professional growth, strengthening project management capabilities, and promoting effective stakeholder engagement. * Cultivate strong relationships with external vendor partners, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, innovative, and brand-aligned solutions that meet Gartner standards. * Drive a culture of creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance attendee experiences and optimize planning processes. * Manage conference budgets with a high degree of accuracy, including forecasting, cost management, contract negotiations, risk identification, and resource allocation recommendations. * Collaborate effectively across Conference Center of Excellence teams to ensure integrated planning and execution of business unit experiences that support the broader conference strategy. Expected Results * Consistent delivery of exceptional attendee, client, and prospect experiences across Gartner conferences and events. * Successful execution of conference branding and experiential initiatives that align with Gartner standards and business objectives. * High levels of stakeholder satisfaction through proactive partnership, strategic consultation, and effective communication. * Strong financial stewardship demonstrated through accurate forecasting, budget management, and cost optimization. * Effective utilization of project management methodologies, standardized processes, and operational best practices to drive efficiency and consistency. * Meaningful contributions to team development through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and support of junior team members. * Innovative solutions and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance conference experiences and operational effectiveness. * Strong vendor partnerships that deliver quality, creativity, reliability, and value. * Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and initiative in managing projects from inception through successful completion. * Professional presence and credibility as a representative of Gartner Conferences across the broader Gartner organization. What you will need * Bachelor’s Degree preferred * 5+ Years Event Management, Branding and/or Experiential & Event Marketing Experience * Proven creative and operational management responsibility & management of teams * Proven event operational and project management skills * Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize workload * Management of multiple agency and vendor partners * Effective people management skills and leadership * Experience in creation of event spaces/environments/floor plans * Proven and exceptional project management skills, effective management of time and prioritization * Creative, innovative, strategic * Strong financial management skills * Client focused, solution oriented, and collaborative * High sense of urgency, decisiveness, attention to detail and confidentiality * Fully competent in Microsoft office and Google Suite, especially PowerPoint, Excel and similar in G-Suite * Strong Oral & Written Communication Skills * Willingness to travel approximately 30% of time across EMEA locations Equal Employment Opportunity: Gartner provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status and to seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity. 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