Senior Manager, Partner Activation

Serve as the operational lead for partner fulfillment while supporting the overall execution of live events. This role serves as the primary liaison between Events, Sales and Sales Marketing, ensuring partner commitments are executed seamlessly while contributing to the successful planning and delivery of the overall event experience.

Location

New York preferred with Chicago, Detroit or Houston possible for the right candidate. In-office presence three days a week required.

Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with Events leadership, Sales and Sales Marketing to coordinate partner programs from sale through onsite execution.
• Partner with Events leadership to ensure all partner deliverables are fully integrated into event plans, timelines and run-of-show documents.
• Translate sponsorship contractual obligations into detailed activation plans, including timelines, branding requirements, production needs and onsite execution.
• Manage partner communications and planning leading up to each event.
• Coordinate partner activations, exhibits, branded environments, speaking opportunities and experiential elements.
• Ensure all contracted sponsorship benefits are delivered accurately, creatively and at a high standard.
• Lead the planning and execution of custom partner programs, VIP experiences and other bespoke event engagements, partnering with Events leadership to deliver high-touch experiences that strengthen client relationships and create new commercial opportunities.
• Support broader event execution, including registration, attendee flow, speaker management, VIP experiences and onsite logistics as needed.
• Serve as a key member of the onsite event management team, helping ensure a seamless experience for attendees, speakers, partners and sponsors.
• Partner with Sales and Sales Marketing to support sponsorship renewals, strengthen client relationships and identify opportunities for account growth.
• Collaborate with Events leadership, Sales and clients to develop creative activation concepts that enhance partner visibility, attendee engagement and overall event experience.
• Manage sponsorship-related expenses and activation budgets.
• Identify opportunities to elevate partner engagement, attendee experiences and premium activation concepts that support future revenue growth.
• Serve as the primary onsite resource for partner needs throughout each event.
• Support Events leadership with partner debriefs, fulfillment reporting and recommendations for continuous improvement.

While this role has primary responsibility for partner fulfillment and live activations, it is also a core member of the event operations team and will support the successful execution of the overall event experience.

Ideal Candidate

An experienced event, partnership or sponsorship professional with a background in sponsorship fulfillment, experiential marketing, conference production or event operations. The ideal candidate is an exceptional relationship builder who thrives in a fast-paced environment, manages multiple priorities simultaneously, and is equally comfortable developing creative activation ideas, coordinating complex logistics and delivering outstanding onsite experiences. Experience working collaboratively across Events, Sales and Marketing to support client satisfaction, renewals and revenue growth is strongly preferred.

Pay Transparency Disclosure:
The estimated salary range for this position is $100,000 to $115,000.
The final salary offering will take into account a wide range of factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.

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About Crain Communications: 

Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, energy, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain’s brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain’s regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today’s business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visit crain.com.

Environmental Demands 

Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote.  Employee work location is subject to change.

• An “in-office” role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves.  
• A “remote” role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC.
• A “hybrid” role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager’s approval, subject to change. 
• Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week.

Many positions will also include work done in “the field.” Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves.   Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work.  

Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required.  It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required.   Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time.  

Physical Demands 
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change. 

Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions.  For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems.  Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading.  The typical physical requirements are light work—exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion.  Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires.  

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role. 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities  The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)