Head of Major Events & Experiences (12-16 months Fixed Term Contract) - London

Head of Major Events & Experiences (12-16 months Fixed Term Contract) - London

Overview of team purpose

We develop and promote London as a destination, creating inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth for the city. We work to build the global brand and reputation of London as the best global destination to visit. We do so by creating and promoting brilliant experiences for London and Londoners alike and delivering high visitor satisfaction. We collaborate with the industry, partners and stakeholders to deliver these plans, aligned to London’s Growth Plan, building L&Ps reputation as the delivery partner of choice.

London is a global leader in large-scale sporting and cultural events and consumer experiences. Events and Experiences are an important driver of London’s economy and they shape the city’s global brand and reputation. The Major Events & Experiences Team provides expertise and guidance to help stage major events and “anchor” experiences in the capital.

Our objective is to attract events and experiences which deliver significant economic returns, draw global media exposure for London and generate local business and community engagement. This continues to strengthen London’s international reputation as a world-leading and award-winning host city for major events and experiences which in turn allows us to engage with national and international audiences.

Purpose of the role

The Head will lead the team in their delivery of London’s international strategy for major events and experiences; identifying opportunities to create value from new and forthcoming major events and experiences, ensuring London maximises the economic and reputational benefits, and improving visitor satisfaction.

The Head of is responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for major events & experiences, and leading on stakeholder engagement. Our remits incorporates but it not limited to: sporting, cultural and esports events, anchor attractions, experiences, venues and hotels.

Key Tasks

• Lead the development of a cohesive and integrated sector strategy, including annual business plan, objectives and KPIs, working with the Senior Leadership Team, including the Director, Destination.
• Apply this strategy and lead the Major Events and Experiences team to attract large ‘anchor’/headline events and experiences to London
• Build and manage a pipeline of target events and experiences, building a London proposition and leading the business development programme
• Identify, nurture and manage the engagement with key influencers and stakeholders in this sector in London and work with the international teams to identify and nurture key sector stakeholder relationships in our core markets, in order to build London & Partners’ reputation in the ecosystem
• Work with the Destination team to identify suitable venues and development opportunities across London to host major events and experiences
• Lead on Major events bids, working with colleagues across London & Partners and the Mayor of London
• Support existing London events & experiences to help them grow and create more value for London
• Plan and lead the Major events and experiences thought leadership programme to raise the profile of London & Partners and as a business development tool to grow the pipeline
• Develop and share in-depth sector knowledge and expertise; monitor and report on issues affecting sector development in London; and serve as a go-to-person for information on policy and strategic issues for this sector.
• Represent L&P (and London where appropriate) in the Major Events and experiences sector, including in the media as requested and at sector events Act as Creative Sector Lead for Major Events
• Line manage, coach and develop the Creative team (senior investment and inward investment managers), including monitoring of workloads and conducting appraisals and improve the effectiveness of the team and mentoring/support to wider Creative leads in the FDI Welcome team as required
• Responsible for setting targets, budgets and reporting, including being accountable for the team’s budget
• Any other reasonable duties as allocated by the line manager.

You’ll have/bring

• Education: degree level or equivalent professional experience.
• Excellent knowledge and proven business development experience within London’s Major Events and/or experiences landscape.
• Track record of building strong networks and partnerships and working collaboratively with external partners to deliver major projects.
• Excellent communicator, able to communicate a clearly to internal and external stakeholders at all levels in a confident and articulate manner.
• Experience in cross-business working to achieve challenging goals
• Experience co-ordinating complex projects and programmes with the team using all available resources, measuring and monitoring performance throughout.
• Experience in public speaking, including presenting and moderating
• Able to build, maintain and support a high performing team through building trust, co-operation and a constructive dialogue.
• Able to motivate, coach and encourage others to maximize their own and the organisation’s potential. Creates an inclusive, supportive culture. Builds strong, trusted working relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Able to use business challenges and opportunities to improve team, personal and organisational performance.
• Strategically motivated problem-solver with a can-do attitude.
• Able to demonstrate resilience and adapt positively within the context of ambiguous and fast changing priorities and cultural agendas.

You’ll Get

• To join a fast paced, flexible and inclusive social enterprise
• Hybrid working environment
• 30 days’ holiday in addition to UK public holidays
• Excellent employer pension contribution and Medical Cash Plan

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date. This is to ensure our teams can manage application levels while maintaining a positive candidate experience. Once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

London's diversity is its biggest asset. At London & Partners, we aim to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the city that we promote. We encourage applications from people of any age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or assignment, faith or disability. We also appreciate that many people require flexibility in their working patterns and encourage you to talk to us at interview about any flexibility you may need, be it full-time, job-share, or part-time.

We encourage applications from all sections of the community.