Marketing Specialist

The Marketing Specialist is responsible for the coordination and assistance with marketing projects that support positioning Milwaukee as a meetings, conventions, and events and leisure destination. This includes email marketing, experiential marketing, event marketing, traditional and digital ad campaigns, marketing collateral, CRM and CMS support, and more. The role is responsible for assisting with day-to-day activities to market meetings and conventions, events and sports programming. The position reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and will collaborate with key department staff and third-party partners and vendors.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Department Support:

• Assist in execution and development of key partner related projects and helping to track and develop marketing plans and tracking execution. 
• Provide overall project support as needed to the marketing team as directed by the CMO. 
• Assist in email marketing, social media, CRM and CMS updating, project planning and tracking. 
• Represent VISIT Milwaukee in the community by helping to staff Visit Milwaukee sponsorship tables, booths activations at festivals and events, and more. 
• Attend meetings, conferences and tradeshows as needed. May require long-distance travel. 
• Assist with other projects as assigned. 

Convention Marketing Support:

• Stay apprised of industry research and what trends are happening in the meetings market. Conduct regular audits of peer cities and how they are positioning their destinations to meeting planners and event organizers. Share learnings with extended team and use to drive strategic plans and marketing projects to position Milwaukee as a top meeting destination.
• Project management and execution of projects requested by sales department, event experience department, and Sports Milwaukee). Maintain project tracker and creative briefs for project requests. Coordinate meetings to gather information at project kickoff, oversee project plans and timelines, and ensure work is completed by deadline. 
• Ensure that content is updated and relevant and preform basic website development for both visitmilwaukee.org/meetings and visitmilwaukee.org/sportsmilwaukee. 
• Coordinate with the Content Team to provide a content strategy for the website and take the lead on writing new website content and making changes to existing content directly in the CMS. Meet regularly with other departments (sales, event experience, Sports Milwaukee) to ensure that the website is up to date with the key messages and department service offerings. 
• Create and deploy all email communications that target meeting planners, sports event organizers, hotel partners, and the sale’s department vertical market segments. Oversee quarterly email communications calendar and work with internal departments regarding content strategy. Write email communications and oversee internal review and approval process. Providing reporting on emails deployments sharing insights and engagement. 
• Work closely with the VP of Communications who oversees media relations and communications strategy specific to meeting planners and conventions hosted in Milwaukee. Collaborate on projects to ensure utilizing both marketing and communications expertise to strengthen Milwaukee’s position as a meetings and events destination. 
• Work with sales and event experience teams to identify annual tradeshow and pre-promote schedule. Work closely with agency of record on sponsorship opportunities to support tradeshows as part of the advertising campaign. Develop a plan for each tradeshow booth and provide marketing support of any in-person experiences and/or activations. 
• Create and maintain a binder and electronic files to capture all of VISIT Milwaukee’s work to marketing and promote meetings, conventions, and sports events in order to collect sample creative work and backup materials for historic record keeping. 

Wisconsin Center District (WCD) Support:

• Act as a liaison with WCD staff, coordinating incoming requests for marketing and communications support. Track all project requests from WCD team, and work with internal Visit Milwaukee team (design, communications, and digital) to fulfil on requests.

Required education and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with an emphasis in marketing, advertising, communications or a related field, or equivalent education and experience. 
• Past work experience within an advertising agency or marketing department preferred, tourism and hospitality industry experience a plus. 

Required skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Proven experience in marketing, advertising, and reporting results. 
• Strong written communication skills, including copywriting and editing. 
• Knowledge of SEO principles, content creation, website structure, and inbound marketing. 
• Experience with digital media (Display, Mobile, Video). 
• Familiarity with PPC/SEM strategy, optimization, and management. 
• Understanding of digital strategy, marketing, and branding. Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills. 
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Ability to engage with diverse audiences and communities. Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines. 
• Skilled in multitasking, prioritizing, and delivering tasks on time. Detail-oriented, proactive in addressing needs and resolving obstacles. 
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills, with a positive communication style. 
• Self-motivated, independent, and collaborative team player. 
• Strong work ethic, with a focus on accuracy and attention to detail. 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Adobe solutions, and internet technologies; graphic design experience a plus. 
• Passionate about leveraging technology to improve processes and efficiency. 
• Up-to-date on technology trends and tools. 
• Knowledge of web/intranet systems and email practices. 
• Flexibility to work occasional nights and weekends. 
• Travel by personal car, airplane, and train may be required for business. 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit at desk, operate computer keyboard and view computer screen for six to eight hours per day. 
• Must be able to hear and converse via telephone and in person. 
• May be required to lift boxes and small equipment up to 50 pounds in weight. 
• Travel in personal automobile may be required for business; occasional air or train travel may be required. 

NOTE:This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as needed to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.