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Grafana Labs is seeking an experienced Events Manager to independently own and deliver the company's regional events portfolio across EMEA and eventually APJ. This is a hands-on, senior individual contributor role for someone who has successfully run conferences end-to-end—from venue sourcing and contract negotiation to budget management, vendor coordination, and on-site execution.
You will manage Grafana's owned regional user conferences (ObservabilityCON on the Road) and third-party sponsorship portfolio, working cross-functionally with marketing, sales, product, and regional teams. You'll own event outcomes, not just execution, and are expected to maintain high standards in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment.
Key responsibilities include: independently managing a portfolio of in-person events; leading end-to-end logistics (venue sourcing, negotiation, contracting, vendor coordination, booth design, on-site execution); owning project management with detailed timelines, budgets, and contracts; defining and tracking event success metrics with post-event analysis and ROI reporting; creating and approving event assets for brand consistency; leveraging AI and automation tools to improve planning and reporting; identifying and resolving risks proactively; and providing guidance to junior team members and agency partners while remaining hands-on.
You must be located in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, or Germany. You'll need 4+ years of direct event management experience, including full ownership of hosted conferences and third-party sponsorships. You must have demonstrated expertise across the entire event lifecycle: venue sourcing and negotiation, budget ownership and reconciliation, vendor management, registration build, on-site delivery as the primary lead, and post-event analysis. Experience as the primary on-site decision-maker for in-person events is essential. You're willing to travel approximately 40% of the time, including long-haul trips to APJ and occasional cross-timezone work, with flexibility during peak event seasons. You're curious about and adaptable with new marketing technologies, including AI-driven tools. Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to work independently and collaboratively, and proven track record managing multiple concurrent events with competing deadlines are required.
