Director, Events

Description Director of Events, Crain Communications Location: Open (Detroit, NYC, or Remote U.S. Preferred) Department: Events & Experiences Reports to: VP, Corporate Events Position Summary Crain Communications is seeking a visionary and results-driven Director of Events to lead the evolution of our B2B events portfolio - beginning with the flagship Automotive News brand and scaling across other verticals, including Modern Healthcare, Ad Age, and Pensions & Investments.

This role will be responsible for defining and executing a long-term strategy that enhances audience value, deepens client relationships, and drives revenue growth through best-in-class in-person and virtual event experiences. A major focus will be on customer journey optimization - including registration strategy, Cvent flow design, and seamless onsite/offsite engagement.

This individual will partner across editorial, marketing, sales, and product teams to deliver impactful tentpole events, executive gatherings, and new scalable formats. Ideal candidates bring a mix of strategic thinking, event lifecycle expertise, and a passion for delivering measurable results. Key Responsibilities Strategic Planning & Brand Expansion

• Develop and execute a multi-year events roadmap for Automotive News, with a clear path to scale across additional Crain brands.
• Identify opportunities to launch new formats (e.g., regional summits, executive dinners, micro-events) aligned to brand and audience goals.
• Translate editorial and audience insights into compelling event products.

Audience & Customer Experience

• Design the full attendee journey - from pre-event registration to on-site experience - with a focus on conversion, simplicity, and satisfaction.
• Oversee registration strategy and execution, including optimization of Cvent builds, ticketing tiers, group pricing, workflows, and reporting.

Event Success & Business Growth

• Develop long-term strategic plans and roadmaps for event growth across key Crain brands, starting with Automotive News.
• Identify and test new event formats and audience engagement models (e.g., micro-events, regional summits, hybrid formats).
• Optimize the registration experience across platforms with a focus on ease, mobile experience, and conversion, including the on-site app experience.
• Drive pricing strategy and campaign planning to increase audience reach and registration yield. Partner with marketing on deployment.
• Continuously evaluate event performance and industry trends to inform growth decisions and future planning.

Content & Production Integration

• Partner with programming teams to ensure content strategy aligns with audience expectations and editorial positioning.
• Collaborate with technical production teams on stage design, A/V experience, run-of-show flow, and brand presence.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of event operations, vendors, and on-site execution.

Stakeholder & Team Leadership

• Act as the central cross-functional lead for all Automotive News events, managing timelines, stakeholders, and deliverables.
• Oversee direct reports and collaborate with centralized functional teams (registration, sponsorship, operations, tech production).
• Implement strong planning tools, workflows, and performance reporting to drive accountability and visibility.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of B2B event experience, with a focus on large-scale conferences, summits, and awards programs
• Proven ability to scale event portfolios across multiple brands or business units
• Strong expertise in Cvent (registration, build logic, reporting) and attendee experience design
• Ability to build high-trust relationships with editorial, marketing, and sales leaders
• Exceptional communication, time management, and project leadership skills
• Team-oriented mindset with experience managing direct reports and cross-functional initiatives
• Understanding of event production, show flow, and on-site execution - but not required to lead logistics directly
• Strong collaboration expected with partner event directors focused on operations and client services.

Preferred

• Background in B2B media, publishing, or vertical industries such as automotive, healthcare, or marketing
• Exposure to executive-level programming and audience development strategies
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana) and data platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Google Analytics)

Brand Overview:

Since 1925,Automotive Newshas been the go-to place for all the news that is happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. Whether it is breaking news sent to a phone, digital editions and web products delivered to a desktop, or stories in the award-winning print edition,Automotive Newscovers the news everywhere it happens around the world. Breaking news, data, daily newscasts, webinars, conferences and events are just some of the offerings.AutomotiveNews,Automotive News EuropeandAutomotive News Chinaare created locally and are backed by a global team of 50 editors and reporters, as well as a commitment to journalistic excellence.

www.AutoNews.com

@Automotive_News

About Crain Communications:

Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain's brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain's regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today's business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visitcrain.com.

Environmental Demands

Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change.

• An "in-office" role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves.
• A "remote" role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC.
• A "hybrid" role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager's approval, subject to change.
• Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week.

Many positions will also include work done in "the field." Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves. Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work.

Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required. It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required. Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change.

Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are light work-exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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