Event Development Manager, Destination Activation

**About Us**:
We are Edmonton’s Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO). We also manage two of Edmonton’s award-winning venues, the Edmonton Convention Centre and the Edmonton EXPO Centre. We help tell Edmonton’s story, elevate the Edmonton experience, and drive inbound visitation and economic impact in the visitor economy.

Working together in a one-team approach aligned by our core values, Explore Edmonton’s business units’ market and sell Edmonton as a year-round destination to visit, work, and play in while also developing products and experiences that have a uniquely Edmonton flavour. And by incorporating the management of the city’s two award-winning venues into Explore Edmonton, we are uniquely positioned to attract major events, meetings, and conventions to our city, generating greater economic impact. While Explore Edmonton’s mandate is focused on generating inbound visitation, what we do and how we do it also enhances and amplifies the quality of life for Edmontonians. The people who live here are our greatest ambassadors, so making it easier for them to love our city makes it easier for us to sell it.

About our Destination Development & Marketing Group

The Destination Development & Marketing Group is focused on driving sustainable year-round visitation through program and initiatives that positively impact Edmonton’s image and awareness in regional and international markets. More specifically on the destination development side, we help develop and showcase the amazing tourism experiences Edmonton has to offer visitors. We work closely with local businesses, ground operators, attractions, experience providers and festivals to help develop products and experiences that are authentic to Edmonton.

**About the Position**:
The Event and Business Development team is looking for an **Event Development Manager, Destination Activation.**

The **Event Development Manager, Destination Activation** plays a critical role for major attracted events. This position will oversee and lead the vision, planning and implementation of destination activation which is comprised of guerilla marketing efforts in the Edmonton region, eye-catching and interactive activations focused in high traffic areas in the city, and outreach to local businesses to support the event with a promotional toolkit.

The purpose of this role is to provide planners, rights holders, and organizers with the best possible experience in our city by creating buzz, excitement, and awareness for major attracted events within the city and build excitement for citizen and visitors. This role also works collaboratively with the Destination Development and Marketing branch to leverage sport, culture, and business events to promote our city as a four-season destination.

The Event Development Manager, Destination Activation reports directly to the Director of Event Development to ensure the team is aligned and cross-collaboration between units is thriving. This role is the lead on destination activation for all major attracted events. Creativity and thinking outside the box is crucial in this role as it pertains to the creation of surprising and delighting both citizens and visitors.

The Event Development Manager, Destination Activation position is an integral part of the major attracted events process and is our city’s differentiator within the sport, culture, business, and professional event tourism industry. The success of this role is paramount to the success of the sales function due to its value for rights holders and organizers and the ability to secure additional business as a result.

The Event Development Manager, Destination Activation is vital in recovering Edmonton’s visitor economy and marketing our city as a premier event host destination.
- Working collaboratively with the Event Development Managers to provide a flawless execution for clients/planners/organizers/rights holders/partners/stakeholders.
- Creating, developing, and ensuring fulfillment of enhanced sponsorship benefits for major sport, cultural and business attracted events.
- Overseeing the development and execution of a comprehensive guerilla marketing and in partnership with Strategic Communications, develop a clear communications plan for major attracted events.
- For major sport, cultural and business events, ensure guerilla marketing opportunities are regenerative and mutually beneficial for both Explore Edmonton and event partners.
- Collaborating with sales team to develop post event reporting processes.
- Assisting with post-event reporting for major sport, cultural and business events.
- Optimizing the destination activation strategy and playbook with the internal teams regarding how to best highlight and leverage major sport, cultural and business events on Explore Edmonton social channels, website and propose appropriate content.
- Supporting Event Development Managers and sales teams on event development strategies for bids,