Strategic Partnerships Manager (JR101589)

Clarion Events Ltd

At Clarion, our people are at the absolute heart of what we do. We’re proud that our core values of PASSION, CARE, IMAGINATION, and TRUST define the way we carry out our work across all of our exhibitions and conferences.

If you share our values and want to be a part of a successful, dynamic, and creative global business then we want to hear from you.

The Opportunity:

About Clarion Digital Media Ltd

Clarion Events is the world’s largest privately owned event and exhibition organiser, operating in 11 verticals. For the last few years, the group has been undergoing an incredibly exciting period of digital transformation, diversifying the core revenue model beyond face-to-face events into new digital product lines including digital advertising, membership, directory, and data subscriptions.

Clarion Digital Media Ltd (CDML) was created as a sub-division in 2023 to support this mission. The goal of Clarion Digital is to utilise the rich datasets and relationships built through our events business to launch new digital revenue streams that add year-round value for audiences and exhibitors. We have started transformation across our Gaming, Defence, and Consumer Electronics Businesses and are now looking for talented individuals who will support us on the next phase of our growth journey.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Strategic Partnerships Manager to sit within the Clarion Digital Defence team and take the lead on building and nurturing partnerships with the MOD, Primes, and SMEs to elevate our member event offering, enhance brand visibility, and generate revenue.

You will collaborate closely with internal teams – including Sales, Customer Insights, and Marketing – to identify opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships and develop innovative sponsorship offerings to support our member event programme. You will also be responsible for identifying partners that are willing to offer exclusive discounts to our member community.

This is a key role in shaping the growth and success of our membership programme by bringing in high-profile partners, maximizing audience engagement, and amplifying our reach.

About you

You will be a self-starter who is looking to build something from scratch and help deliver a year-round programme of events and benefits that delight our members. The right candidate will be a strong communicator and collaborator who is interested in working in the Defence industry – although previous experience in this sector is not required for the role.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Partnership Strategy and Development: Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive partnership and sponsorship strategy for member events. Identify, evaluate, and target potential partners whose goals align with our event objectives and brand values.
2. Identify opportunities: Research the market and identify potential partners.
3. Relationship Management: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with new and existing partners. Act as the primary contact, ensuring clear communication, regular updates, and delivering a high standard of partner satisfaction.
4. Sponsorship and Revenue Generation: Drive sponsorship sales to meet or exceed revenue targets. Develop custom sponsorship packages that cater to partner goals, ensure ROI, and add value to our events and audiences.
5. Member benefits: Identify strategic partners that are willing to offer exclusive discounts to our member community.
6. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Events, Marketing, Sales, and Content teams to integrate partnerships into event programming, promotions, and logistics. Ensure that partner activations align with event goals and contribute to an exceptional attendee experience.
7. Negotiation and Contracting: Lead contract negotiations, ensuring favorable terms that align with business and event objectives. Draft, review, and manage partnership agreements.
8. Market Research and Trend Analysis: Stay informed of industry trends and competitor partnerships to continually innovate and enhance our sponsorship offerings and maintain a competitive edge.
9. Reporting and Performance Measurement: Track and report on partnership success metrics, providing actionable insights and recommendations for optimizing partnership value. Analyze the effectiveness of partnerships post-event and apply learnings to improve future initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours:

1. Experience: Extensive experience in partnership management, sponsorship sales, or business development, with a proven track record of managing partnerships for events, trade shows, or conferences.
2. Communication and Negotiation Skills: Strong ability to articulate value propositions, negotiate contract terms, and manage partner expectations effectively.
3. Relationship Building: Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with a range of stakeholders, from corporate sponsors to media partners.
4. Strategic Mindset: Ability to think strategically about how partnerships align with broader business goals and to create a roadmap that drives long-term value.
5. Analytical Skills: Proficiency in analysing sponsorship ROI, event performance metrics, and deriving insights to improve partnership outcomes.
6. Team Collaboration: Proven success in working cross-functionally, with an ability to coordinate and lead initiatives across departments to ensure seamless execution of partnership activities.
7. Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
8. Membership experience preferred but not required.

Why Join Us?

1. Opportunity to work with high-profile brands and industry leaders in a dynamic event environment.
2. Influence the success of premier events and be part of a creative, results-oriented team.
3. Competitive compensation package, comprehensive benefits, and growth opportunities.

If you’re a proactive, partnership-savvy professional with a passion for driving event success through impactful collaborations, we’d love to hear from you! Apply today to become a key part of our team and help us take our events to the next level.

About Clarion Events

Clarion Events is one of the world’s leading event organisers, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947.

Clarion Events embrace diversity and equal opportunities in all that we do. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Our purpose is to deliver exceptional customer outcomes and experiences, by making every connection count.

Our vision is we want every one of our products to be a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight.

Benefits Include:

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• End of year wellbeing shutdown (closed for the last week of the year)
• Celebration day off (e.g. birthday, Diwali, Eid, etc)
• Summer Hours in August (3pm finish on Fridays)
• Helping Our World (HOW) Days – one paid day per quarter to carry out charity work
• Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Library (MYNDUP)
• Mentoring Programme
• Subsidised Café
• Season Ticket Loan
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free on-site gym and shower facilities
• Free eyesight tests
• Free flu vaccination – offered on site once a year for all employees