Director of Conferences & Events

Director of Conferences & Events

Location: Remote; frequent travel (weekly or every other week)

Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Directly Manages: Events Coordinator

Department: Marketing

Travel: Heavy (domestic)

About the Role

We’re seeking a Director of Conferences & Events to join a fast paced and growing venture studio with four distinct portfolio companies tackling real problems in industries overdue for technology-driven change:

• Insurtech
• Energy
• Govtech and disaster relief
• Fintech

The Director of Conferences & Events knows how to turn presence at a trade show into a pipeline, a hosted dinner into a partnership, and a sponsorship into something people actually remember. This is a high-impact role that blends strategic thinking with hands-on execution — you'll shape how IRG Ventures and its portfolio companies show up in the market, across industry conferences, trade shows, summits, and branded events.

You'll build and lead our conference and events function from the ground up, setting strategy, managing investments, and driving measurable ROI. This role sits within Marketing and works closely with leadership across sales, business development partnerships, compliance, and each portfolio company — so you'll need to be as comfortable in a planning meeting with executives as you are on a convention floor making sure everything runs perfectly.

You take care of the work. We’ll take care of you.

• Free medical coverage plus partially employer-paid comprehensive dental & vision insurance for you and your dependents
• An HSA with employer dollars to help you save
• Mental health resources for life's tougher moments
• Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability
• Company-paid parking on-site or train pass
• $60/month cell phone stipend
• 401(k) dollar-for-dollar company match up to 4% with 100% immediate vesting
• A team that genuinely enjoys spending time together — backed by free snacks, drinks, and events that people still talk about long after they happen
• Competitive paid time off, to recharge, so you can show up as your best self
• 12 paid holidays to recharge, plus a floating holiday to spend however you see fit

What You’ll Do:

Event Strategy & Planning

• Develop and own the annual conference and events strategy across multiple portfolio brands and industries.
• Partner with the Chief People Officer to plan and execute internal events - team building, holiday parties and annual gatherings
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize high-impact industry events, trade shows, and

sponsorship opportunities

• Build and manage event calendars aligned to business goals, GTM priorities, and growth stages of portfolio companies
• Create standardized playbooks and best practices for event attendance across the venture studio

Execution & Operations

• Lead all aspects of event execution from end to end including: event applications, submissions, and sponsorship negotiations, booth design, fabrication, shipping, and on-site setup/breakdown
• Speaker submissions, presentation logistics, and on-stage prep
• Vendor management (event organizers, agencies, AV, production, swag, logistics)
• Travel planning and coordination for internal teams
• Ensure flawless on-site execution and a best-in-class brand presence at every event
• Serve as the primary point of contact for event organizers and external partners

Budgeting & ROI Management

• Own event budgets across the portfolio, including forecasting, allocation, tracking, and optimization.
• Build business cases for event participation, including expected outcomes, pipeline impact, brand value, and strategic upside
• Define success metrics for each event (e.g., leads, partnerships, meetings, press, revenue influence)
• Track and report on ROI, cost efficiency, and performance against goals
• Continuously optimize spend based on results and learnings

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Marketing, Sales, Business Development, PR, and Portfolio Leadership to align event goals and execution
• Ensure event participation aligns with compliance, regulatory, and brand requirements across industries, including financial services & fintech, insurance & insurtech, GovTech & public sector, disaster relief & emergency response, and energy & climate technology
• Support pre- and post-event activation, including campaigns, outreach, follow-ups, and reporting

Leadership & Process

• Establish scalable systems, tools, and workflows to support a growing portfolio
• Manage agencies, contractors, and freelancers as needed
• Act as the internal expert on conferences, events, and experiential marketing

What We’re Looking For:

Required Qualifications

• 8 years of experience in conferences, trade shows, or large-scale events, ideally in B2B or regulated industries
• Willing and able to travel regularly (weekly/every other week) and meet onsite in Miami as needed for company meetings
• Embraces AI tools for productivity and efficiency
• Proven experience owning internal corporate event strategies—not just marketing events
• Deep hands-on experience with event applications and sponsorships; booths and physical activations; budget ownership and vendor negotiations; on-site execution and logistics
• Demonstrated ability to quantify and communicate ROI and business impact
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail—you catch what others miss.
• Highly creative with a strong operational backbone
• Comfortable juggling multiple brands, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with startups, venture studios, or portfolio companies
• Familiarity with compliance-heavy or regulated environments
• Experience supporting sales-driven or partnership-driven event strategies
• Strong presentation and executive communication skills

Who You Are

• Detail-obsessed: Logistics, timelines, budgets, and follow-through are your superpowers
• Business-minded: You think in outcomes, not just impressions or foot traffic
• Calm under pressure: You thrive on-site and handle last-minute changes with grace
• Collaborative: You’re a trusted partner to leadership and portfolio teams
• Creative analytical: You balance brand experience with measurable results