Senior Manager, Global Meetings, Events & Brand Experiences

About the role

The Senior Manager, Global Meetings, Events & Brand Experiences leads the strategy, operations, and performance of Columbia Sportswear Company's corporate events function. This role ensures the successful delivery of meetings, events, activations, and experiences that support business objectives, strengthen brand engagement, and elevate stakeholder experiences. The position manages a high-performing team and a complex ecosystem of agencies, production partners, suppliers, technology providers, venues, and hospitality partners to deliver world-class events. As a trusted advisor to senior leaders, this role brings clarity to ambiguity, navigates complex challenges, removes barriers to execution, and drives alignment across diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Talent Development
  • Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Events team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Coach and mentor team members while influencing stakeholders and senior leaders to drive alignment, informed decision-making, and successful business outcomes.
  • Build organizational capability, define clear priorities, and create an environment that enables teams to perform at their highest level.
  • Lead large, cross-functional initiatives involving significant budgets, business impact, and organizational complexity.
  • Influence decisions and outcomes across Marketing, Sales, Product, Procurement, Finance, Legal, HR, Communications, and external partners.
• Event Strategy & Experience Delivery
  • Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of the company's portfolio of corporate meetings, sales meetings, executive events, customer experiences, internal events, and experiential activations.
  • Ensure operational excellence across all phases of event delivery, from concept development through post-event evaluation.
  • Lead through ambiguity, proactively identifying risks, solving complex challenges, and removing barriers that impact execution.
• Vendor & Partner Ecosystem Management
  • Oversee a diverse network of 25+ vendors including event agencies, production companies, AV providers, fabricators, design agencies, labor partners, shipping companies, venues, transportation providers, and event technology vendors.
  • In partnership with Procurement, establish strategic partnerships, negotiate contracts, define performance expectations, and ensure consistent service delivery, accountability, scalability, and cost efficiency across the event ecosystem.
• Financial Management & Contract Strategy
  • Lead event budget planning, forecasting, financial reporting, and investment management.
  • Ensure responsible stewardship of event investments while balancing business objectives, attendee experience, and financial performance.
  • Oversee negotiation and management of complex hotel, venue, production, agency, and supplier contracts while mitigating risk and maximizing value.
• Event Technology & Innovation
  • Lead the selection, implementation, and optimization of event technologies, including registration, attendee management, floor planning, event applications, reporting, virtual event platforms, and engagement tools.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert in platforms such as Cvent, Social Tables, and related event management technologies.
• Content, Communications & Stakeholder Management
  • Partner with executive leaders and business stakeholders to develop event objectives, content strategies, attendee journeys, and program experiences.
  • Ensure clear and effective communication throughout the event lifecycle, from planning through execution and reporting.
  • Influence and align stakeholders across varying priorities while maintaining focus on business objectives and attendee experience.
• Events Center of Excellence (COE)
  • Lead the enterprise Events Center of Excellence (COE), establishing governance, standards, tools, best practices, and capabilities that support consistent and scalable event execution across the organization.
  • Provide expertise and consultation to business partners, ensuring alignment with company standards and event strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Hospitality, Event Management, or a related field. CMP, PMP, or related professional certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in corporate event management, experiential marketing, hospitality, event operations, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience managing teams, large-scale programs, budgets, and external partners.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale corporate, executive, customer-facing, virtual, and hybrid events.
• Experience managing agencies, production vendors, AV providers, hotels, venues, labor partners, and event technology suppliers.
• Expertise in event strategy, operations, production, hospitality, experiential marketing, and attendee experience design.
• Experience in budget management, forecasting, procurement, contract negotiation, and financial stewardship.
• Familiarity with event technology platforms, registration systems, virtual event solutions, and attendee engagement tools.
• Skills in vendor management, operational governance, and organizational capability development.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25–30% annually.
• Flexibility to support events during evenings, weekends, early mornings, and other nontraditional business hours.
• Ability to work in event environments requiring extended standing, walking, lifting, and onsite operational support.

Benefits

• 401k plan with a generous company match.
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability coverage.
• Flexible spending accounts and health savings account.
• Assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services).
• Free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services (EAP+).
• Extensive wellness benefits and employee discounts.
• Generous time off program.