Project Manager, Events & Shows

We're looking for a Project Manager, Events & Shows to lead the planning, logistics, and execution of Yerba Madre’s most visible brand moments — from national trade shows to large-scale sponsored events and festivals. This role is responsible for managing every detail of the event lifecycle, from setup to takedown, ensuring our presence is impactful, on-brand, and commercially effective. Acting as a project manager, cultural steward, and operator, the Sponsored Experience Manager ensures flawless execution while maximizing consumer engagement and ROI. You will report to the National Events & Sampling Manager.

How you’ll help:

Event Strategy & Planning

• Fully project-manage trade shows and large sponsored events from concept through completion
• Partner with leadership to align event goals with broader commercial and consumer engagement strategy
• Develop event timelines, run-of-show documents, and contingency plans
• Build and manage event budgets, ensuring cost efficiency and strategic resource allocation

Logistics & Operations

• Own all logistics related to sponsored events, including contracts, vendor coordination, permits, shipping, and site setup
• Oversee staffing plans including sampling agencies and internal stakeholders
• Manage on-site execution — setup, activation flow, compliance, and takedown
• Ensure brand standards are met across uniforms, signage, displays, and consumer touchpoints
• Troubleshoot real-time issues to guarantee seamless event delivery

Team Leadership & Communication

• Train and brief event staff to ensure consistent brand voice and consumer experience
• Act as primary liaison with internal teams (Sales, Marketing, Field Activation, Key Accounts) and external partners
• Manage internal communication before, during, and after events
• Lead post-event debriefs to capture learnings and recommend improvements

Measurement & ROI

• Track KPIs such as consumer reach, sampling volumes, SMS leads, retail impact, and ROI
• Partner with the Sr. Activation Performance Manager to fold event performance into national scorecards
• Provide insights and recommendations to improve future event strategy and execution

What you’ll provide:

• 5 years of experience in event management, brand activation, or experiential marketing.
• Proven success managing trade shows, festivals, or large-scale consumer activations.
• Strong background in logistics, vendor management, and staffing.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills; detail-oriented with ability to juggle multiple events.
• Strong communication skills — comfortable leading cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Willingness to travel frequently and work non-traditional hours as needed during events.
• Alignment with Yerba Madre’s brand ethos and passion for building consumer experiences.

How you’ll be successful in this role:

• Operational excellence — able to translate vision into on-the-ground execution
• Leadership — motivates and equips teams to deliver best-in-class experiences
• Problem-solving — resourceful under pressure and able to adapt quickly
• Consumer-first mindset — ensures activations deliver both brand love and commercial value
• Brand ambassador — embodies Yerba Madre culture and mission at every event

TRAVEL & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel frequently (30–50% of time) to trade shows, festivals, and sponsored events across North America.
• Availability to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, and extended days during event periods.
• Must be able to lift, carry, and move event materials (up to 50 lbs) including tents, signage, cases of product, and event equipment.
• Comfortable working long hours on feet in outdoor environments, sometimes in varying weather conditions.
• Ability to drive and maintain a valid driver’s license; experience with event vehicles, box trucks, or trailers is a plus.
• Flexibility to adapt to real-time challenges and physically demanding setups and takedowns.

What we offer:

Yerba Madre—formerly Guayakí Yerba Mate—is the nearly 30-year pioneer of regenerative yerba mate [yer-bah ma-tay] and the category leader in ready-to-drink mate beverages across North America. The name Yerba Madre, meaning “Mother Herb,” is a tribute to Mother Earth and the ancestral wisdom of the Indigenous communities who have cultivated yerba mate for generations —a reflection of the values the brand has championed since day one. 

Headquartered in Sebastopol and Venice, California, Yerba Madre sources organic, shade-grown yerba mate in direct partnership with 255 family farmers and Indigenous communities across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Using its Market Driven Regeneration™ model, every purchase helps reforest the Atlantic Forest, support fair trade premiums, and build long-term economic resilience for grower communities. 

In 2025, the brand became the world’s first yerba mate to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified™ Gold® status——setting a new global standard for ecological integrity, cultural respect, and environmental restoration. 

As an original founding member of the B Corp community and a founding member of the Purpose Pledge, Yerba Madre is committed to ethical business practices across ten key pillars, including climate positivity, living wages, circularity, and inclusion. Yerba Madre is available in over 45,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.YerbaMadre.com. 

Yerba Madre is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.