Associate Director, Experiential
Bustle Digital Group
New York, NY · $105k–$115k a year · Posted August 3, 2026
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About the job
Join BDG’s Experiential team, where we create elevated, high-impact, award-winning events at the country’s biggest cultural tentpoles — NYFW, Art Basel, Coachella, F1, and more. We’re looking for a strategic, creative, highly organized leader ready to own branded experiences from ideation through on-site execution, someone who thrives on the adrenaline of bringing big ideas to life in real time, and wants to help shape what’s next for experiential.
Key Responsibilities
Pre-Sale
Lead ideation, scoping, and pitch strategy for custom events and brand activations across our stable of proprietary properties.
Write and revise compelling pitch decks and RFP responses, shaping direction rather than just contributing to it.
Partner with Creative, Sales, and Editorial to ground concepts in audience insight and brand strategy.
Post-Sale / Execution
Own budgeting for assigned activations: building budgets, onboarding and managing vendors, tracking spend, approving invoices, and reconciling final costs.
Lead vendor negotiation, contracting, and production timelines as primary point of accountability for delivery.
Interface with clients throughout the process — refining concepts, managing expectations, and solving creatively in real time, including on-site.
Manage logistics for tentpole events (room blocks, travel, staffing) and ensure proper team resourcing.
Oversee recaps and event materials, guiding junior team members on quality and brand alignment.
Present strategic recommendations and recaps to leadership and clients.
Refine best practices and templates to improve team efficiency over time.
Qualifications
5–8+ years in experiential marketing, brand activations, or events, with a track record of leading complex activations independently and successfully.
A fast-paced go-getter with an out-of-the-box, marketing-minded approach — genuinely passionate about where experiential is headed.
Skilled negotiator with proven budget and vendor management experience.
Strategic thinker with strong creative instincts and excellent writing and visual storytelling skills.
Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills.
Highly dependable and collaborative across cross-functional teams.
Highly organized, able to manage multiple high-stakes projects under tight deadlines.
Proficient in Canva, Keynote, PowerPoint, MS Office, and Monday.com (or similar).
Willing to travel and work nights/weekends as needed.