The Project Director has end-to-end ownership of the assigned trade fair(s), with accountability for their
strategy, growth, commercial performance, market relevance and successful delivery.
As the business leader for the trade fair, the Project Director translates market opportunities into a clear
business strategy, drives revenue and profitability, strengthens the exhibitor and visitor proposition, and brings
together cross-functional teams and stakeholders towards shared outcomes.
The role requires a strong combination of commercial acumen, market and customer orientation, people
leadership and execution discipline, with the ability to move seamlessly between strategic priorities and
hands-on business delivery.
Roles and Responsibilities (including but not limited to):
Trade Fair Strategy & Growth
- Define the strategic direction, annual business plan and growth roadmap for the trade fair.
- Build a deep understanding of the sector, customer needs, competitive landscape and emerging
market opportunities.
- Strengthen the positioning and value proposition of the trade fair for exhibitors, visitors and the wider
industry ecosystem.
- Identify opportunities across new customer segments, markets, partnerships, formats and revenue
streams.
P&L & Commercial Leadership
- Own the trade fair P&L, including revenue, costs, profitability, budgets and forecasts.
- Drive year-on-year growth through exhibitor acquisition, retention, upselling, pricing and new revenue
opportunities.
- Lead sales strategy, pipeline and forecasting, while personally supporting strategic accounts and
critical closures.· Apply strong commercial judgement to pricing, discounting, space utilization and investment decisions. Customer, Market & Stakeholder Development · Build strong relationships with key exhibitors, customers, industry leaders, associations, government bodies and strategic partners. · Continuously gather market intelligence and customer insights to strengthen the trade fair proposition. · Partner with Marketing to drive the right quality and quantity of visitors and strengthen exhibitor outcomes. · Represent and grow the trade fair's relevance and influence within its industry ecosystem. Project Leadership & Execution · Own the end-to-end trade fair roadmap from planning through on-ground execution and post-show review. · Align Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance and other functions around clear priorities, milestones and business outcomes. · Maintain strong execution discipline by tracking commitments, managing dependencies, resolving bottlenecks and closing critical action loops. · Anticipate commercial and operational risks and take timely action to ensure successful delivery. · Convert post-show insights and learnings into priorities for the next edition. Team Leadership & Performance · Lead and develop a high-performing project team with clear goals, accountability and ownership. · Translate business priorities into aligned individual and team objectives. · Coach performance, build capability and create a high-trust environment that encourages collaboration and initiative. · Foster strong cross-functional collaboration while retaining accountability for overall trade fair outcomes.
Candidate Requirements:
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's/ Master’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Marketing, or a related field
- 10+ years of relevant experience in trade fairs, exhibitions, B2B events or a related industry.
- Strong experience across P&L management, sales/business development, project leadership and
stakeholder management.
- Proven track record of delivering revenue growth, profitability and successful large-scale trade fairs.
Key Capabilities
- Business Ownership: Takes end-to-end accountability for the trade fair as a business and its overall
performance.
- Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of revenue, pricing, margins, customer economics and
growth levers.
- Sales Leadership: Hands-on ability to drive pipelines, strategic accounts, negotiations and business
closure.
- Market Orientation: Strong understanding of customers, sectors, competition and emerging
opportunities.
- Strategic Thinking: Converts market opportunities into clear choices, priorities and executable plans.
- Execution Discipline: Creates structure, follows through consistently and ensures commitments reach
closure.
- People Leadership: Builds capable, accountable and high-performing teams.
- Stakeholder Influence: Effectively navigates customers, industry bodies, partners and cross-functional
stakeholders.
- Communication: Communicates with clarity, structure and confidence across stakeholder levels
