Event Director LIONS

About Informa PLC and Tahaluf

Informa PLC is a global leader in events and digital services. Tahaluf, a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund (EIF), is the largest B2B live and on-demand events organizer in Saudi Arabia. Tahaluf is responsible for large-scale events such as LEAP, Cityscape, Black Hat MEA, and CPHI Middle East, contributing to the global events sector.

About LIONS Riyadh

LIONS Riyadh is a new Festival launched by Tahaluf in partnership with LIONS and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media. It is designed to highlight Middle Eastern creativity on a global scale, connecting regional talent and industries with international networks, brands, and decision-makers. The inaugural three-day Festival will take place at KAFD, Riyadh, from December 6–8, 2027, bringing together CMOs, creative leaders, agencies, and brands to focus on creative excellence and industry future.

The Role of Event Director - LIONS Riyadh

The Event Director for LIONS Riyadh is a full-time leadership position based in Riyadh, requiring 5-10 years of experience. This role is responsible for the strategic direction, commercial success, creative ambition, and overall delivery of the Festival. The Director will translate the vision into a business and delivery plan, ensuring alignment across commercial, content, marketing, audience, partnerships, operations, and experience teams. The position involves developing LIONS Riyadh as a distinct regional Festival within the global LIONS ecosystem, maintaining LIONS' creative standards while building a relevant proposition for Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and the wider Middle East. The role requires leadership and stakeholder management skills to engage with government, global brands, agencies, and international partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the overall event strategy, business plan, budget, and long-term growth roadmap, setting commercial, audience, content, and experience objectives.
• Oversee revenue, expenditure, and operating profit, driving commercial growth through sponsorship, strategic partnerships, and other opportunities.
• Supervise the development of the event proposition, content program, audience strategy, and customer experience to ensure a world-class festival.
• Lead and align teams across Sales, Partnerships, Content, Marketing, Operations, Creative, Finance, and Project Management to achieve shared objectives.
• Cultivate a collaborative team culture, providing direction, coaching, and performance management.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with government stakeholders, strategic partners, global brands, agencies, and industry leaders.
• Manage the master event plan, overseeing milestones, dependencies, resources, and onsite delivery for operational excellence.
• Establish governance, reporting, and decision-making processes, managing risks and acting as a senior escalation point.
• Maintain understanding of global and regional creative, advertising, marketing, media, technology, and cultural landscapes to identify trends and growth opportunities.
• Champion LIONS Riyadh's position within the global creative ecosystem, working with stakeholders to build industry credibility and international participation.
• Lead post-event performance reviews, evaluate outcomes, and translate insights into continuous improvement and long-term growth plans.

Qualifications and Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within major events, media, creative industries, entertainment, culture, or premium international platforms.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, complex, multi-functional events or businesses with full commercial and operational accountability.
• Experience launching, scaling, or repositioning a major brand, event, or platform is preferred.
• Relevant senior leadership experience may be considered in place of formal qualifications.

Application

Candidates who meet the requirements and are prepared to contribute to a significant regional event are encouraged to apply.