Job Overview

The Customer and Dealer Experience Specialist is responsible for implementing strategies and plans for events and tradeshows, within Komatsu North America, to drive organizational goals forward. In partnership with key stakeholders (employees, dealers, vendors, and others), this individual can see the big picture and grasp nuances around our offerings, brands, sales channels, and future vision, to bring face-to-face and online experiences to life for our audiences, driving meaningful interactions with the Komatsu brand and our stakeholders.  

Develop strategies and plans for North America tradeshows, events and other customer and dealer experiences, collaborating with regional, global, and functional business units, as well other Marketing Communications leaders (i.e. Marketing Managers, Corporate Communications, Content, and Creative).

Plans and executes tasks and activities related to tradeshows and events including, but not limited to: strategic planning, researching locations and performing site visits, vendor negotiations, equipment coordination, lead generation engagement strategy and booth layout, logistics, communications, attendee support, staff training and post show reporting.

Implement measurement plans for tradeshows, events and customer experience centers. Create measurable objectives and KPIs to determine the effectiveness of the tradeshow experience for our attendees. Create post-event reports documenting results, and present to leadership as needed. 

Manage budgets for tradeshows, customer experiences and dealer experiences. 

Partner with business units to develop equipment strategies and plans for implementation at major events and shows, including all related processes and management of logistics, build plan, move in/out, show floor layouts, budgets, and project management, and communication of updates with appropriate stakeholders..   

Manage relationships and negotiations with outside vendor partners in relation to tradeshows, events and merchandise. This includes event production, hospitality/concierge, logistics, exhibitor services, equipment, lead generation, facility tours, displays, interactions, inventory etc. 

Provide strategic recommendations to inform ongoing participation and investment in relevant events and tradeshows, ensuring customer attendance aligns to KNA focus markets and targets. Proactively identify new opportunities to drive customer and dealer engagement via face-to-face events and merchandise, and create proposals to support and pitch to leaders. 

Key Job Responsibilities

Perform strategic intake with regional and functional business units to understand their business situation, objectives, challenges, and opportunities in relation to each trade show/ event. Manage stakeholder expectations.

Work with Marketing Communications teams to create engagement plans that meets the show, event or experience strategy. Work with the team to determine assets needed for the show to build the experience attendees have with us pre-show, at-show, and post-show, aligning in-person experiences to pre-show campaigns and overarching business and marketing goals and KPIs. 

Partner with the digital office and outside vendors to unite the face-to-face experience with the digital experience. Ensure methods are identified to track and nurture leads, report on key KPIs, and tie efforts to sales. 

Management and reconciliation of budgets supporting shows and events. 

Develop internal communications plans as needed for each tradeshow and event, in partnership with Corporate Communications team when necessary. Communications may span across executive leadership, MarComm,  regional and functional business divisions, dealers (owned and independent), legal, finance, and others.   

Determine show and event staffing plans, including booth crew, equipment crew, booth staff, brand ambassadors, customer support, executive leadership, sales teams, dealer partners, etc. 

Work with vendors, contractors, and internal teams to arrange the booth according to the strategy, schedule, and plans. Negotiate contracts and pricing. Ensure logistics are arranged. Communicate “run of show” with all parties. 

Attend tradeshows and events, acting as the on-site lead or support on the ground, providing staff training, set-up and tear down directions, making tough calls on-site under pressure, supporting employees and customers for any on-site needs, negotiations with vendors, etc.

Support the successful execution all content and creative work leading up to shows and events, coordinating resources and driving overall consistency of messages, in partnership with Marketing Managers and Corporate/Brand Communications teams. 

Ensure MarComm’s content, creative and digital teams have the input required to develop content that resonates with the intended audiences during virtual and in-person experiences. Develop necessary documentation (i.e. show/event strategy, plan, marketing or creative brief, slide decks, messaging, proposals, etc.) to advance projects through the MarComm team/workflow. 

Work with other marketing managers to identify opportunities to cross-promote equipment, technology, parts, and services during shows, aligning messages to business goals and attendees’ interests and needs.

Qualifications/Requirements

•    A bachelor’s degree (business, marketing communications, events, or project management).
•    2-4 years minimum of proven experience in the trade shows industry.
•    Experience with heavy machinery in a trade show environment preferred.
•    Experience in marketing, excellent organizational and writing skills, strong project management skills.
•    Experience managing budgets, invoicing and negotiating pricing/contracts.
•    Demonstrated ability to manage a significant workload and people (indirectly)
•    Ability to take complex ideas and translate them into communications that can be easily understood by audiences at all levels.
•    Excellent writing and verbal skills.
•    Good sense of the visual side to communications – can work with experts to create visually high impact communications.
•    Very detail oriented.
•    Ability to work in a fast-paced, short deadline environment; Can meet demands and timelines without sacrificing quality; work under stress.
•    Manage relationships with internal customers and stakeholders, taking a proactive approach.