Managing Director, Motorsports & Outdoor Group

About the position Bonnier's Motorsports & Outdoor Group is seeking a Managing Director to lead a portfolio of four consumer and trade event brands — the Sand Sports Super Show, Off-Road Expo, Open Season Sportsman's Expo, and Street Machine Nationals. This is a full P&L leadership role responsible for revenue growth, operational excellence, and long-term brand strategy across events that collectively engage more than one million enthusiasts annually. The ideal candidate is an experienced event operator who combines strategic vision with hands-on execution and a genuine passion for the motorsports and outdoor communities these events serve. Responsibilities • Own full P&L across all four event franchises, with accountability for revenue growth, cost management, and margin expansion • Develop and manage annual operating plans and budgets • Monitor performance across all revenue streams — exhibitor sales, sponsorship, and ticket/attendance revenue • Identify and execute opportunities to improve profitability and operating leverage • Drive growth across all revenue lines with direct oversight of sales team performance • Ensure strong pipeline development, consistent pacing against targets, and effective pricing and packaging strategies • Own exhibitor and sponsorship renewal strategy, with accountability for protecting and growing the existing client base • Align marketing and sales activity to maximize demand generation and conversion across all franchises • Set strategic direction and competitive positioning for each event franchise • Evaluate market performance and make decisions regarding expansion, consolidation, or repositioning of underperforming events • Identify and execute opportunities for geographic expansion, new event launches, and format innovation • Ensure high-quality execution across all live events, overseeing timelines, vendor relationships, and production • Negotiate and manage multi-year venue contracts and institutional relationships, including those with state and county fairgrounds facilities • Serve as the senior escalation point for operational issues across the portfolio • Champion the quality and authenticity of each event as a product, recognizing that enthusiast loyalty is the foundation of long-term exhibitor and sponsor value • Ensure each franchise reflects and serves its specific community — from sand sports and off-road to street performance and hunting — with programming, activations, and experiences that deepen engagement • Manage simultaneous event production cycles across California, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois, running spring through fall • Coordinate staffing, vendor relationships, and logistics across multiple markets to ensure consistent execution and operational efficiency • Lead and develop a cross-functional team spanning sales, marketing, and event operations • Establish clear accountability, KPIs, and performance expectations across all functions • Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing talent; foster a culture of execution and continuous improvement • Establish consistent reporting across revenue pacing, attendance, and marketing performance — and use those insights to drive pricing, event optimization, and resource allocation. Requirements • 10+ years of experience in trade shows, consumer events, or experiential marketing • Proven track record of owning and growing event P&Ls, including exhibitor and sponsorship revenue • Experience managing multi-event or multi-market portfolios • Strong commercial instincts with a demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in trade shows, consumer events, or experiential marketing

• Proven track record of owning and growing event P&Ls, including exhibitor and sponsorship revenue

• Experience managing multi-event or multi-market portfolios

• Strong commercial instincts with a demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Own full P&L across all four event franchises, with accountability for revenue growth, cost management, and margin expansion

• Develop and manage annual operating plans and budgets

• Monitor performance across all revenue streams — exhibitor sales, sponsorship, and ticket/attendance revenue

• Identify and execute opportunities to improve profitability and operating leverage

• Drive growth across all revenue lines with direct oversight of sales team performance

• Ensure strong pipeline development, consistent pacing against targets, and effective pricing and packaging strategies

• Own exhibitor and sponsorship renewal strategy, with accountability for protecting and growing the existing client base

• Align marketing and sales activity to maximize demand generation and conversion across all franchises

• Set strategic direction and competitive positioning for each event franchise

• Evaluate market performance and make decisions regarding expansion, consolidation, or repositioning of underperforming events

• Identify and execute opportunities for geographic expansion, new event launches, and format innovation

• Ensure high-quality execution across all live events, overseeing timelines, vendor relationships, and production

• Negotiate and manage multi-year venue contracts and institutional relationships, including those with state and county fairgrounds facilities

• Serve as the senior escalation point for operational issues across the portfolio

• Champion the quality and authenticity of each event as a product, recognizing that enthusiast loyalty is the foundation of long-term exhibitor and sponsor value

• Ensure each franchise reflects and serves its specific community — from sand sports and off-road to street performance and hunting — with programming, activations, and experiences that deepen engagement

• Manage simultaneous event production cycles across California, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois, running spring through fall

• Coordinate staffing, vendor relationships, and logistics across multiple markets to ensure consistent execution and operational efficiency

• Lead and develop a cross-functional team spanning sales, marketing, and event operations

• Establish clear accountability, KPIs, and performance expectations across all functions

• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing talent; foster a culture of execution and continuous improvement

• Establish consistent reporting across revenue pacing, attendance, and marketing performance — and use those insights to drive pricing, event optimization, and resource allocation