An event marketing manager is responsible for creating positive publicity around a special event. This can be everything from a business conference or seminar, to a show, festival, or a book launch, among others. It is the job of the event marketing manager to research the target audience or demographic, and then tailor his or her advertising campaign to that group. The marketing manager might create television commercials, posters, and fliers, and take out newspaper or magazine advertisements. For certain events like a book launch, the manager might plan a book tour or a series of events in order to increase sales potential.
In general, anyone who becomes an event marketing manager usually has a degree in marketing or communications, as well as a certain number of years of experience. Sometimes these people fill dual roles as event planners and marketers, so it is common to have a background in both. For the largest events, the marketing manager might not have a hand in the planning of it, but in many cases the marketing and the planning of an event will go hand in hand. It can often make developing the advertising somewhat easier, though, and marketing managers will often have marketing assistants to help as well.
Marketing for an event can take many different forms. In most cases, it will require various types of print and media advertising. This can include advertisements in magazines and newspapers, as well as posters, fliers, or mailings around the community. TV or radio ads are also common for larger events, as well as online advertising through various types of social media and networking. In some cases, the event marketing manager might even place personal calls to sponsors or participants in the event, asking them to recruit guests themselves to be sure that the event is a success.
The event marketing manager also needs to monitor the effectiveness of these marketing techniques, and the public response. Because the goal is to generate positive publicity and excitement surrounding an event, no matter what it is, the manager will want to monitor the public response in order to address any issues or concerns. Sometimes this can also provide ideas for modifying advertisements or trying something new. Tracking the effectiveness of one event marketing plan can also lead to clues for better event planning in the future, which is an important aspect of the job of an event marketing manager as well.