Job description

Marketing Manager - Brand-New Design & Creative Trade Show
Essex - Office Based
£35,000-£45,000 Basic + Performance Bonus

Ready to step out of someone else's shadow and own the marketing for your own show? This is a rare chance to launch a brand-new trade event from scratch and shape it in your own way from day one.

Our client is an independent, award-winning events and media business that's on a mission to shake up a stale industry. Their events feel more like festivals than traditional trade shows, with unusual venues, bold branding and bespoke digital experiences. They're creative and collaborative, staff turnover is low, and there's a proven track record of promoting from within, with people moving from intern to leading their own event.

They're now launching a new trade show for the Design & Creative sector in 2027 and are looking for a Marketing Manager to lead it.

The role
You'll own the marketing strategy for the first edition and beyond, with strong support from the Head of Marketing, the leadership team and a large in-house team of content creators, designers and social specialists. You'll be:

Building and delivering the launch marketing strategy, informed by market trends and competitor activity
Owning the show's brand messaging and positioning across every channel
Running digital campaigns across social, email, paid and online, using SEO and SEM to drive traffic
Building and nurturing a targeted B2B database of industry professionals and decision-makers
Leading content for blogs, email, social and PR, and working with design on collateral
Driving attendance through targeted promotion, direct mail and telemarketing support
Working with sales on exhibitor and sponsor promotions and incentives
Building partnerships with key opinion leaders, media partners and industry bodies
Managing ticketing, tracking registrations and reporting on audience insights
Setting and managing the marketing budget and delivering against registration targets

What you'll get

Up to £45,000 basic salary plus a bonus linked to visitor numbers
Full ownership of a brand-new show from launch
Support from a large in-house creative, content and design team
A clear path to progress in a business that genuinely promotes from within
The chance to work on bold, award-winning events that do things differently
A modern office just two minutes from the station, with fast links to London on the Elizabeth line

About you

Proven marketing experience, ideally in events or exhibitions
Currently an Executive, Senior Executive or Assistant Manager who has supported a show and is ready to own one
Strong hands-on digital skills across social, email, paid, SEO and SEM, with confidence using analytics
Experience growing social audiences and building and segmenting B2B databases
Excellent writing and communication skills
Confident building relationships with media partners, sponsors and industry voices
Creative and strategic, with a real passion for live events
Comfortable with CRM systems and social tools
Exposure to design, interiors, architecture or the creative industries, or experience launching an event, is a big plus

Interested? Apply now or message me directly for a confidential chat.

freddie@disrupttalent.co.uk
01926 954154