Defence Engagement Audience Executive

At Clarion, our people are at the absolute heart of what we do. We’re proud that our core values of PASSION, CARE, IMAGINATION, and TRUST define the way we carry out our work across all of our teams.

If you share our values and want to be a part of a successful, dynamic, and creative global business then we want to hear from you.

The Opportunity:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly organised and detail-oriented individual to join the Defence Engagement / VIP team as a Defence Engagement Audience Executive, supporting the delivery of military and VIP engagement activity.

The successful candidate will support the delivery of VIP engagement activity across a portfolio of world-leading Defence & Security events, helping to connect senior military, government, and industry stakeholders through meaningful engagement opportunities and exceptional customer experiences.

This role plays an important part in strengthening military and VIP engagement across the Defence & Security portfolio. You will support the identification, invitation and engagement of senior military, government and industry stakeholders, helping to facilitate valuable connections and deliver high-quality experiences before, during and after our events. You will work across a range of internationally recognised events, supporting engagement with senior military and government stakeholders, building trusted relationships and helping to maximise the value delivered through our VIP engagement programmes.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

•Excellent organisational skills and strong attention to detail.

•Confidence communicating with a wide range of stakeholders in a professional manner.

•The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.

•A proactive and customer-focused approach to problem solving.

•A willingness to learn and develop within the defence and events sectors.

This is a hybrid role, requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office. The position is primarily office-based, with on-site responsibilities during events. Occasional travel and out-of-hours work may be required to support event delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

•Support the planning and delivery of military and VIP engagement programmes across the Defence & Security portfolio.

•Develop and maintain effective processes for identifying, managing and engaging senior military and government contacts across the Defence & Security portfolio.

•Research and identify relevant military, government and industry stakeholders to support audience growth and engagement objectives.

•Coordinate invitation and outreach activity to support the attendance of senior military and government stakeholders across multiple events.

•Manage invitation distribution through direct outreach, diplomatic channels, and the VIP Delegate Management System.

•Track engagement activity and stakeholder participation, providing reporting and insights to support event objectives.

•Coordinate military engagement activity for the Apex event portfolio, including invitation management and stakeholder liaison.

•Manage inbound VIP enquiries, providing professional and timely customer service to VIPs and other relevant stakeholders.

•Build and maintain strong relationships with military, government, and industry contacts.

•Support the delivery of VIP events, networking opportunities, and audience engagement initiatives.

•Collaborate with colleagues across the wider business to support event objectives and improve customer experience.

•Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency and ways of working.

•Handle customer and business data responsibly, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations.

•Take ownership of personal development through appropriate training and learning opportunities.

Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours:

•Previous experience in a stakeholder-facing, customer service, engagement, events or administrative role would be advantageous, particularly where relationship management, coordination and attention to detail were key to success.

•Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.

•Strong attention to detail when managing stakeholder information, engagement activity and reporting.

•Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

•Professional and confident when engaging with senior stakeholders.

•Customer-focused with a passion for delivering excellent service.

•Collaborative and team-oriented, with the ability to build strong working relationships.

•Adaptable and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

•Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to work.

•Good understanding of data management and reporting.

About Clarion Events

Clarion Events is one of the world’s leading event organisers, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947. (https://clarionevents.com/welcome)

Clarion Events embrace diversity and equal opportunities in all that we do. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Clarion is private equity backed and owned by Blackstone. Blackstone is one of the world’s leading global investment funds, investing capital for the long term in order to build successful, resilient businesses. (https://www.blackstone.com/)

Our purpose is to deliver exceptional customer outcomes and experiences, by making every connection count.

Our vision is we want every one of our products to be a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• End of year wellbeing shutdown (closed for the last week of the year)
• Employees on a permanent or fixed-term contract are gifted an extra day of leave that can be used for a celebration of your choosing, e.g. birthday, Eid, Diwali, etc.
• Summer Hours in August (3pm finish on Fridays)
• Helping Our World (HOW) Days – one paid day per quarter to carry out charity work
• Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Library (MYNDUP)
• Mentoring Programme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free on-site gym and shower facilities
• Free eyesight tests
• Free flu vaccination – offered on site once a year for all employees

Our Values

Passion

We deliver all our events with passion for people, the environment and businesses. We form connections with those who are just as passionate about what they do as we are. We always strive to exceed expectations and celebrate success. We love what we do, and it shows.

CARE

We care about our people and our products and work tirelessly to achieve lasting connections and satisfaction for ourselves, our customers and the businesses they support. We really get people - everyone is welcome.

Imagination

Everything is possible. We constantly challenge the status quo and create amazing experiences and opportunities. We take huge satisfaction in solving problems. As open-minded and fun-loving people, the sky is our limit.

TRUST

We trust our skills, people and partners to deliver extraordinary events our customers have come to rely on. We support everyone around us and always learn through our experiences. We are honest and straight forward. You can always rely on us.

Equal Opportunities

We encourage employees to be open and confident and recognise that every member of the team makes a vital contribution.

Clarion embraces equality, diversity and inclusion and seeks to promote these principles in all of our business activities.

When recruiting new employees or providing opportunities for promotion, we will:

• Recruit, develop and retain the most talented people, regardless of background, and make the best use of their talents;

• Ensure that no person is unlawfully discriminated against;

• Select the best person for the role based on their skills, qualifications and abilities.

This statement sets out our commitment to equal opportunities and to preventing discrimination in the workplace.