Director, International Sales - Black Hat

Are you a strategic sales leader with a proven track record of building international event revenue and developing market-specific growth strategies? Informa Festivals is seeking a Director of International Sales to spearhead growth for our world-renowned cybersecurity event portfolio, with primary focus on Black Hat Europe, Black Hat Asia, and expansion into new regional markets.

In this critical player-coach leadership role, you'll balance strategic leadership with hands-on sales execution. You'll own the international sales strategy for our regional Black Hat events while personally managing a territory. This dual responsibility allows you to lead by example, mentor your team through direct experience, and maintain close connections with customers and market dynamics. You'll drive exhibition and sponsorship revenue, develop new growth opportunities including sales agency partnerships, country pavilions, and channel partner programs, while conducting competitive analysis and building scalable revenue models that position Black Hat as the premier cybersecurity event platform globally.

Responsibilities:

• Regional Event Sales Leadership
• Own and drive the international sales strategy for Black Hat Europe (London) and Black Hat Asia (Singapore), with responsibility for exhibition, sponsorship, and partnership revenue
• Develop and execute territory-specific plans that maximize sponsor sales revenue for assigned regional events
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of international exhibitors, sponsors, and strategic partners across all regional events
• Drive consistent year-over-year growth across the international event portfolio

Strategic Market Development & Competitive Intelligence

• Conduct competitive analysis of regional cybersecurity events, identifying market gaps, positioning opportunities, and differentiation strategies
• Develop market-specific growth initiatives tailored to regional dynamics, customer needs, and competitive landscape
• Analyze market trends, customer behavior, and competitor activities to inform pricing strategies and value propositions
• Monitor competitor moves and adjust strategies to maintain Black Hat's market leadership position

Market Development

• Identify and develop new revenue channels including sales agency partnerships, country pavilions, and channel partner programs
• Design innovative partnership models including hosted buyer programs, to drive sales growth
• Develop and manage partner programs with clear value propositions, performance metrics, and ROI tracking

Direct Sales Accountability:

• Manage a strategic sales territory covering key accounts and high-priority markets
• Own revenue targets for assigned territory, including exhibition sales, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships
• Conduct prospecting, relationship building, negotiations, and deal closures for major accounts
• Model best practices in consultative selling, customer engagement, and deal structuring

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor sales team members and external partners, fostering a high-performance, customer-centric culture
• Create a customer-centric culture that prioritizes long-term relationships and sustainable growth
• Develop comprehensive strategies that maximize customer lifetime value and reduce churn
• Provide hands-on guidance on complex negotiations, competitive positioning, and account strategy
• Balance individual sales responsibilities with team development and strategic oversight

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with marketing teams to develop regional campaigns, competitive positioning, and sales enablement materials
• Collaborate with event operations and content teams to ensure programming reflects regional market needs and competitive advantages
• Provide market intelligence and competitive insights to inform event strategy, product development, and expansion decisions

Essential Experience

• 7+ years of B2B event sales experience with at least 3+ years in a leadership role driving international revenue growth
• Proven track record in trade shows, exhibitions, or conference sales with responsibility for multiple markets
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills with experience developing market-specific growth strategies
• Experience working across EMEA, APAC, or other international markets

Preferred Experience

• Technology events or B2B technology sales background highly desirable
• Experience with sales agency management, channel partnerships, or the like
• Knowledge of the cybersecurity industry landscape and competitive event environment
• Customer-centric mindset with deep understanding of customer success principles

Personal Attributes

• Relationship-focused approach with genuine passion for customer success
• Analytical mindset with ability to identify patterns and optimize retention strategies
• Collaborative leadership style that builds trust and drives team performance
• Integrity and professionalism that builds long-term customer and team loyalty

We believe that great things happen when people connect face-to-face. That's why we work in-person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not spending time together in one of our offices or other workplaces – like at an Informa event – you get the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely.

We work hard to make sure Life at Informa is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone. Here’s some of what you can expect when you join us. But don’t just take our word for it – see what our colleagues have to say LifeAt.Informa.com

Our benefits include:

• Great community: a welcoming culture with in-person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on-demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning. When it’s time for the next step, we encourage and support internal job moves
• Time out: 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after two years, plus a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year
• A flexible range of personal benefits to choose from, plus company funded private medical cover
• A ShareMatch scheme that allows you to become an Informa shareholder with free matching shares
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, a healthy living subsidy, access to health apps and more
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programmes
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world

We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. If it sounds like a match and you have most – although not all – of the skills and experience listed, we welcome your application.

If you would like to request reasonable adjustments or accommodations to assist your participation in the hiring process and, or in the advertised position, please inform the appropriate Talent Acquisition Partner for the role once they have been in touch. Your request will be reviewed and considered in confidence. At Informa, you'll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer. This means we base decisions on relevant qualifications and merit and do not discriminate on the basis of key characteristics and statuses, including all of those protected by law. Ask us or see our website for full information.

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