We’re building awe-inspiring experiences. We’re launching award-winning brands. And we’re scaling faster than any tech event in history. LEAP, launched in Riyadh in February 2022, attracted over 100,000 attendees to its first edition, and became the most attended tech event in the world in February 2023.
Commentators have described it as: 'A digital Davos’ (Wired); ‘A head-to-toe tech player’ (Fast Company) and 'The largest debut tech event in history' (Wired). Stephen Bartlett, speaking with Fast Company, said, “I’ve been to a lot of conferences and conventions around the world, and this really feels like it’s in a class of its own.”
The event is supported by the world’s leading tech brands, investors, sovereign wealth funds and startups, and captures the pioneering spirit of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. With its unprecedented scale and momentum, the event is attracting enormous interest beyond the tech sector and requires an experienced brand leader to harness its full potential. Learn more about the experiences that we curate.
Who are we?
Tahaluf is rewriting the events playbook. Its purpose is transformational, its DNA digital, and its ambition unprecedented. Over the next 12 months Tahaluf will scale to further increase its lead as the largest B2B Live and On Demand Events organiser in Saudi Arabia: by SQM, Attendance, Colleagues and Revenue.
To scale at this pace requires impeccable local partners, and Tahaluf is proud to enjoy the support and partnership of several Gov and Non Gov Organisations that are at the apex of Saudi’s B2B and B2C large scale events scene. In fact, our partners don’t just support the expansion of live events in the Kingdom; they’re also the partner of choice for heavyweights like Apple, Amazon and AliBaba.
Throughout 2023 and 2024 Tahaluf will build on its award-winning events; LEAP (www.onegiantleap.com) and Black Hat Middle East (www.blackhatmea.com), to launch new, largescale business-to-business events. From technology, real estate and food to pop culture, intermobility, beauty and beyond, Tahaluf will introduce a vibrant, varied portfolio of events, trade shows and conferences to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Role
The Event Director [ED] of CPHI is a key role and makes two main contributions to the business – creating a strategy for future growth and the executing tactics to ensure the highest-possible quality delivery.
This position requires that the ED possess flawless reporting and presentation abilities, as they will often be required to present to the highest-ranking officials within the government of Saudi Arabia and Informa. As a uniquely fast-paced role, the selected candidate must be prepared to work in alignment with the demands of the event.
The ED will be expected to develop, direct and successfully execute a strategy for the ongoing development of the CPHI event in line with the targets set in the Tahaluf business case. Strategy will need to be aligned to the global strategic objectives for the Tahaluf brand.
The ED will also be ultimately responsible for digital and physical sales, visitor marketing, conference and content development and onsite show operations. The ED is responsible for ensuring that the event achieves its revenue, expenditure, and operating profit targets.
As part of the strategic development of CPHI it is anticipated that the ED will collaborate successfully with the Media, data and Client Solutions businesses within Informa Markets where relevant - in order to support the overarching objectives of both the brand itself and the wider business.
Key Responsibilities
- You will be expected to embrace and foster the team culture, ensuring that all team members feel content, inspired, and appreciated.
- Become an ambassador CPHI, fostering key relationships with clients, industry bodies, business leaders and suppliers.
- Develop a strong & dynamic partnership with the CPHI Commercial Director, managing him/her to ensure team & sales agents are focused, motivated and ably positioned to deliver on agreed goals.
- Successfully manage internal stakeholder relationships
- Establish a successful and trusted leadership partnership with the SVP, in partnership you will work on strategy, financial (budget & QF processes) and exploiting global opportunities for the growth of the CPHI brand.
- Develop and implement rolling strategic plan for CPHI
- Position and maintain the show as the definitive event in its market, strengthening market share and brand identity.
- Create, manage and deliver an annual budget and quarterly forecast
- Define focus and profile of event in line with needs of the industry and user communities.
- The ED will be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the industry, including the competitive landscape.
- Creating an environment in which people can be motivated, valued and successful.
- Development of staff within the portfolio, including regular appraisals in line with company guidelines.
Key qualifications
Qualifications
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience leading exhibitions, preferably in B2B sector
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Qualities & experience
- Previous Exhibition Director experience
- Strategic thinker and strategic planning experience
- Strong business acumen, experience of reporting, budgeting and forecasting
- Excellent interpersonal and communication and presenting skills
- Strong networker – able to form and capitalise on key industry relationships and build long-term relationships with customers / natural collaborator
- Ability to absorb current affairs and the political dynamics affecting this sector as well as trend, industry and design directions. Be able to embrace and respond to key industry dynamics through event strategies and tactics to ensure they stay ahead of their markets and competition
- Creative and intuitive – taking market intelligence and applying to show content to create unique/ challenging visitor experiences and or developing intelligent multi platform brand extensions nationally or internationally.
- Understand the business and information needs to the key customer communities and provide commercially successful solutions to address these.
- Highly collaborative
- Thrives on constant change.
- Middle East experience (desirable)
- Relevant sector experience (desirable)
