Exhibition Planner

We are looking for an experienced Exhibition Planning & Revenue professional who will be responsible for planning and managing the company's exhibition route, venue strategy and revenue performance.

The role will have a strong business ownership component, combining exhibition planning, revenue management, market analysis, venue selection and operational coordination. The person will also lead the Exhibition Planning function, with Exhibition Team Managers reporting into this role.

The ideal candidate should have strong business acumen, logical reasoning, analytical ability and technology skills, along with the ability to translate data and market insights into effective exhibition decisions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Exhibition Route & Calendar Planning

• Develop and manage the overall exhibition route and calendar based on business objectives.
• Identify markets, cities and locations with potential for exhibition-led revenue growth.
• Evaluate exhibition opportunities based on customer potential, historical performance, market attractiveness and commercial viability.
• Optimise the exhibition calendar to maximise revenue opportunities and operational efficiency.

2. Venue Planning & Selection

• Identify, evaluate and finalise suitable exhibition venues in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Assess venues based on footfall potential, customer profile, location, commercial terms, accessibility and expected revenue.
• Develop a structured framework for evaluating and comparing potential venues.
• Maintain a database of venue performance and historical exhibition outcomes.

3. Revenue Accountability

• Own and monitor revenue performance across exhibitions.
• Set revenue expectations/targets for individual exhibitions based on historical data, market potential and planned investment.
• Analyse actual performance against targets and identify reasons for variances.
• Develop actionable plans to improve revenue productivity across the exhibition network.
• Track key commercial metrics including revenue, footfall, conversion, average transaction value and ROI, as applicable.

4. Team Management

• Lead the Exhibition Planning function and provide direction to Exhibition Team Managers.
• Exhibition Team Managers will report into this role.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations for the team.
• Review exhibition performance and provide regular business insights to senior management.
• Ensure effective coordination between planning, exhibitions, retail, merchandising, marketing, finance and operations teams.

5. Data, Analytics & Business Intelligence

• Use data and analytics to support exhibition route, venue and revenue decisions.
• Develop and maintain dashboards/MIS for tracking exhibition performance.
• Analyse historical exhibition data to identify trends, opportunities and underperforming markets/venues.
• Use technology and data-driven tools to improve planning accuracy and decision-making.

6. Cross-functional Coordination

• Work closely with Retail, Marketing, Merchandising, Finance, Operations and Exhibition teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Coordinate commercial and operational requirements for upcoming exhibitions.
• Ensure that business plans are translated effectively into on-ground execution.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong business acumen with a commercial and revenue-oriented mindset.
• Excellent logical reasoning and analytical thinking.
• Strong planning and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong IT skills are mandatory, particularly proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets and business reporting tools.
• Ability to work with data and convert insights into business decisions.
• Strong understanding of revenue drivers and commercial metrics.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple exhibitions, timelines and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Strong ownership and accountability for business outcomes.

Preferred Experience

• 6-8 years of relevant professional experience.
• Prior experience in retail operations, exhibitions, events, retail expansion, business planning, revenue management or similar commercial functions will be preferred.
• Candidates with exposure to multi-city retail/exhibition operations would be an advantage.
• Experience managing teams and working with senior stakeholders will be preferred.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is someone who can move beyond purely operational exhibition coordination and take end-to-end ownership of the business planning behind exhibitions.