Sr. Manager, Event Activations

Purpose of the Job

Senior Manager, Event Activations is responsible for leading Guitar Center’s experiential marketing initiatives—from concept to execution—designed to grow brand affinity, customer acquisition, and omnichannel engagement. This role oversees national event activations, large‑scale contests, and in‑store events that uniquely bring the Guitar Center brand to life.

Through hands‑on clinics, expert‑led workshops, live performances, national contests, and exclusive meet‑and‑greets with top artists, we’ll transform our stores and off‑site activations into vibrant community hubs for musicians of all levels. These experiences will be shaped by a highly creative, detail‑obsessed events leader—someone who can imagine immersive moments, flawlessly plan every logistical touchpoint, and elevate each activation into a memorable, brand‑defining experience.

Own the strategy, ideation, and end‑to‑end execution of Guitar Center’s most impactful brand‑building initiatives across multiple event categories.

• Co‑design national programming framework for in‑store clinics, masterclasses, gear workshops, expert demos, and community‑building events that inspire musicians of all levels.
• Create immersive concepts that bring the Guitar Center brand to life inside our retail spaces while driving traffic, engagement, and local customer acquisition.

• Lead planning and execution for artist meet‑and‑greets, performances, product launch events, and talent‑driven activations.
• Collaborate closely with Artist Relations, vendor partners, and internal stakeholders to secure talent, develop compelling programming, and ensure seamless onsite management.
• Festival, Concert & Cultural Activations
  Oversee Guitar Center’s presence at major music festivals, concerts, and culturally relevant events—from footprint design and experiential builds to staffing, logistics, and cross‑channel amplification.

Own execution for nationwide contests, competitions, and talent discovery initiatives that generate brand affinity and broad consumer reach.

Partner with Marketing, Social, Content, Stores, E‑Commerce, PR, and vendor partners to ensure every activation is supported by cohesive omnichannel promotion.

• Drive execution of retail‑facing brand events including:
• Store Grand Openings and re‑openings
• Category‑specific events and campaigns
• Vendor activations, workshops, masterclasses, artist performances, and new product launches

• Build and maintain the national event calendar aligned with brand and business objectives.
• Lead annual planning for events, including forecasting needs, budget development, and resource requirements.
• Track, analyze, and report performance across KPIs (sales, traffic, impressions, engagement, new customers, ROI).
• Continuously optimize programs based on insights and data‑driven recommendations.

• Partner with Content, PR & Social teams to ensure event storytelling and amplification across channels.
• Engage the Artist Relations team and MI vendor partners to secure aligned talent and ensure seamless talent management during events.
• Oversee project management for all major activations, including timelines, playbooks, deliverables, and cross‑team communication.

• Stay attuned to cultural trends, festival landscapes, and experiential marketing innovations.
• Recommend new approaches that push the brand forward and improve event effectiveness.

• Bachelor’s Degree (or 4 years of equivalent experience), preferably in Marketing, Communications, or related field.
• 5+ years of event marketing experience, with demonstrated success in large‑scale brand activations.
• Experience managing festival activations, large contests, sponsorship programs, or culturally relevant experiential campaigns.
• Meticulous eye for detail with a proven ability to manage intricate logistics and deliver…