Exhibition Director📣 Job Ad

Role Overview: Exhibition Director

Tahaluf is seeking an experienced Exhibition Director to join its team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time leadership position is central to driving the long-term growth and commercial success of events within the Tahaluf portfolio. The role requires a strategic leader capable of developing future growth strategies and ensuring high standards of event delivery through effective execution.

Strategic and Commercial Accountabilities

The Exhibition Director holds full accountability for the commercial and operational performance of assigned events, including exhibition sales, sponsorship, visitor marketing, conference and content development, and on-site event delivery. This involves ensuring events meet their revenue, expenditure, and operating profit targets. The role requires regular engagement with senior executives, government officials, and key stakeholders across the Government of Saudi Arabia and Informa Markets, necessitating exceptional communication, reporting, and presentation skills. Operating in a fast-paced environment, the successful candidate must be adaptable to evolving demands.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop, lead, and execute the long-term strategy for events, aligning with Tahaluf's business plan and broader portfolio objectives.
• Champion a positive, collaborative team culture and foster team development through performance reviews, coaching, and mentoring.
• Act as an ambassador for the event, building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, government stakeholders, industry associations, business leaders, partners, and suppliers.
• Collaborate with the Commercial Director to ensure sales teams are focused and equipped to achieve commercial objectives.
• Establish leadership partnerships with EVP and AVP for portfolio strategy, financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and identifying global growth opportunities.
• Prepare, manage, and deliver annual budgets and quarterly forecasts to achieve financial targets.
• Define the strategic direction, positioning, and profile of events in line with industry and audience needs.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of industry trends, customer requirements, and the competitive landscape to inform strategic decisions.
• Work collaboratively with Government stakeholders and Informa Markets teams to support overall event and organizational objectives.

Required Experience and Attributes

• Over 10 years of proven experience as an Exhibition Director or in a comparable leadership role with full commercial and operational responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans that drive business growth and market leadership.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience in financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, capable of influencing and engaging stakeholders at all levels.
• A strong networker with the ability to build, maintain, and leverage long-term relationships with customers, partners, industry bodies, and key stakeholders.
• Collaborative leadership style, effective across cross-functional teams and in building trusted internal and external partnerships.
• Ability to understand current affairs, market trends, regulatory developments, and the wider political landscape, translating these insights into successful event strategies and commercial opportunities.
• Creative and innovative mindset, capable of using market intelligence to shape compelling event content, enhance customer experience, and develop new products or multi-platform brand extensions.
• Strong understanding of customer and industry needs, with the ability to develop commercially viable solutions.
• Highly adaptable, resilient, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience working within the Middle East.
• Experience within the safety, security, fire protection, emergency management, or chemical resilience sectors.

About Tahaluf

Tahaluf is the largest B2B live and on-demand events organizer in Saudi Arabia. It operates as a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund (EIF). The company is known for its series of large-scale events, including LEAP, Cityscape, Black Hat MEA, and CPHI Middle East, working with various government and non-government organizations at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s B2B and B2C events scene.