Sr. Manager, Strategic Events - Third Party

What is The Role

At Elastic, our Corporate Marketing Team designs and executes best-in-class events and experiences that establish Elastic as a trusted advisor to the world's largest organizations. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Strategic Events Senior Manager to own our third-party conference portfolio globally. A collaborative team player with big ideas and the discipline to execute every detail, you'll be the driving force behind how Elastic shows up at the industry events that matter most — from sponsorship strategy through on-site delivery.

This role is based in North America, with greater priority given to candidates within the United States.

What You Will Be Doing

• Third-party event strategy: Develop and own a long-range strategy for Elastic's presence at external conferences, tradeshows, and partner events — tied directly to business priorities. Make deliberate, data-informed decisions about where we invest, at what tier, and why, ensuring every sponsorship earns its place in the portfolio.
• End-to-end execution: Lead every phase of the third-party event lifecycle — from sponsorship evaluation and contract negotiation through booth build, on-site management, and post-event analysis — with the logistics rigor that separates a good event from a great one.
• Cross-functional alignment: Partner with marketing, sales, and field teams to connect conference programs to pipeline goals. Serve as the connective tissue between sponsorship investment and measurable sales outcomes.
• Vendor & agency management: Own relationships with event agencies, exhibit houses, and service providers. Negotiate contracts through Procurement, securing competitive terms and all required InfoSec and privacy approvals.
• Budget & ROI: Build and manage the third-party events budget with a cost-effective mindset. Define success metrics up front, track ROI and engagement, and use those insights to continuously improve portfolio decisions.
• Risk management: Anticipate what can go wrong before it does. Build contingency plans so the team is never caught off guard — whether it's a last-minute venue change or an on-site logistics challenge.

What You Bring

• Proven Expertise: 10+ years in B2B event marketing with a focus on third-party conference and tradeshow programs, including a track record of owning sponsorship portfolios from strategy through measurement.
• Executive presence: Comfortable presenting sponsorship strategy and investment rationale to senior leadership, and skilled at translating vision into detailed execution plans.
• Sales partnership DNA: You understand pipeline, know how conference presence connects to revenue, and have worked closely with field sales and SDR teams to create and accelerate opportunities at events.
• Operational excellence: The organizational habits, vendor management expertise, and budget discipline to run a complex multi-event calendar without things falling through the cracks.
• Data fluency: You evaluate sponsorship tiers objectively, define ROI criteria upfront, and use post-event findings to make smarter portfolio investments each cycle.
• Adaptability: You thrive managing competing priorities across a fast-paced environment, staying calm when plans change and solutions-oriented when they do.
• Travel: Up to 40% travel, and managing a remote schedule.