Sports Marketing Jobs in Decatur, GA (NOW HIRING)

Meridian Group Partners has been retained to conduct a confidential search for a Director of Marketing for one of Georgia's largest and most highly visible Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs).

This is a high-profile marketing leadership opportunity with an organization responsible for promoting a nationally recognized destination to leisure travelers, business travelers, meeting planners, sports organizations, events, and other tourism audiences. The Director will play a significant role in shaping how the destination is positioned, marketed, and experienced across multiple channels.

The position reports directly to the President & CEO and provides leadership for a multifaceted marketing organization spanning brand, digital, creative services, website, social media, public relations, promotions, and visitor services.

The Director of Marketing will lead the development and execution of the organization's short- and long-term marketing strategy with a primary objective of driving overnight visitation and strengthening the destination's profile across key domestic and regional markets.

This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership position. The successful candidate will be expected to establish marketing direction while working closely with a talented internal team and external partners to translate strategy into compelling campaigns, content, experiences, and measurable results.

The Director will have significant visibility with senior leadership, the organization's Board, tourism and hospitality partners, community stakeholders, and industry organizations.

• Develop and implement comprehensive annual and long-term marketing strategies encompassing advertising, communications, digital marketing, website, social media, public relations, promotions, publications, direct marketing, exhibits, and visitor services.
• Lead the development of the organization's annual marketing plan and establish priorities, objectives, timelines, and measurements.
• Identify emerging market opportunities and develop strategies to increase overnight visitation.
• Analyze tourism research, industry data, travel trends, and competitive activity to inform marketing decisions.
• Maintain a strong understanding of leisure, business, group, meetings, sports, and other travel segments.
• Establish and monitor marketing KPIs and use data to evaluate campaign effectiveness and return on investment.
• Develop and manage the annual marketing budget.

• Provide leadership for the destination's brand strategy and ensure consistency across all marketing channels and materials.
• Maintain and evolve comprehensive brand guidelines.
• Ensure the destination is positioned consistently and compellingly across consumer, group, business, and industry audiences.
• Identify opportunities to increase national, regional, state, and local awareness of the destination.

• Develop and oversee integrated advertising programs designed to reach priority feeder markets.
• Determine appropriate markets, audiences, channels, and media strategies based on research and performance data.
• Oversee advertising creative development, production schedules, media programs, and reporting.
• Develop and manage cooperative marketing opportunities with state and regional tourism organizations and industry partners.
• Develop special promotions, packages, and campaigns that leverage multiple marketing channels.

• Lead the organization's digital marketing strategy and ensure effective integration across website, social media, email, advertising, and other digital channels.
• Oversee website content, functionality, analytics, SEO, and ongoing optimization.
• Monitor website performance and ensure timely resolution of technical and content issues.
• Use analytics and reporting to identify opportunities to improve digital engagement and conversion.
• Oversee social and digital content strategies in collaboration with internal team members and external partners.
• Write or oversee compelling copy for publications, articles, editorial content, advertorials, campaigns, and promotional materials.

• Oversee development of marketing collateral supporting leisure travel, group business, sales, and visitor engagement.
• Provide strategic direction for visitor guides, maps, sales guides, facilities guides, seasonal campaigns, brochures, signage, banners, digital assets, and other promotional materials.
• Oversee creative services and ensure that visual communications consistently reflect the organization's brand.
• Coordinate photography, videography, presentations, trade show materials, and other visual assets.

The Director will provide leadership and oversight for key marketing functions, including:

• Creative Services
• Brand & Website
• Welcome Center/Visitor Services

The Director will work closely with the organization's Director of PR & Communications and Social Media Manager, as well as other members of the marketing, sales, and leadership teams.

The position will be responsible for setting priorities, establishing accountability, developing employees, and ensuring the marketing team operates as an integrated function rather than as separate disciplines.

• Maintain a strong presence within the tourism and hospitality industry.
• Develop and maintain relationships with state, regional, national, and local tourism organizations and marketing cooperatives.
• Work with state tourism partners on cooperative advertising programs.
• Research and evaluate publications, media opportunities, trade shows, and other channels that effectively reach target audiences.
• Support the organization's sales efforts through presentations, collateral, digital tools, facilities information, and other resources.
• Oversee systems and resources used by hotel and tourism partners.

• Analyze ADR, occupancy, RevPAR, sales, visitor, and other tourism-related data to inform marketing strategy.
• Prepare regular marketing performance reports and presentations for senior leadership and the Board.
• Maintain appropriate databases and documentation of advertising and publication activity.
• Manage departmental expenses and ensure adherence to the approved marketing budget.
• Assist the President & CEO with special projects and initiatives as needed.
• Maintain and update crisis communications/management resources.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic, creative, data-informed marketing leader who understands how to build a destination brand while delivering measurable business results.

Candidates should bring a demonstrated history of leading integrated marketing programs across multiple channels and audiences. Experience within a CVB, destination marketing organization, tourism, hospitality, travel, events, economic development, or another highly visible consumer-facing environment is particularly relevant.

The successful candidate will be equally comfortable discussing brand strategy and marketing analytics, creative campaigns and budgets, digital performance and stakeholder relationships.