Marketing Specialist - RP Funding Center

Marketing Specialist

This position is responsible for all marketing, advertising, and promotional efforts for the RP Funding Center, its events, facilities, and services. The Marketing Specialist is responsible for managing event publicity and advertising budgets, and ensuring successful campaigns across concerts, sporting events, meetings, and shows. The position involves direct interaction with media outlets, community organizations, event promoters, and institutional advertisers, including negotiating service trade agreements and fostering partnerships to enhance public and community engagement. Additional responsibilities include brand management, public relations, media buying and billing oversight, group sales, and community outreach. Work is carried out under the supervision of the RP Funding Center Marketing & Sales Manager and is periodically reviewed through conferences, reports, and results achieved.

Please note this posting is "Continuous" and can close at any time without notice.

Essential Functions

• Develops, implements, and evaluates annual marketing strategies and goals to promote concerts, shows, and venue services.
• Manages and monitors the marketing department's budget, ensuring efficient resource use and maximizing ROI.
• Prepares and maintains project budgets, working closely with the Marketing and Sales Manager and the RP Funding Director on post-show recaps.
• Develops and shares data for all marketing initiatives.
• Analyzes campaign performance, digital metrics, and customer feedback to refine strategies and report on KPIs.
• Creates and executes integrated marketing and advertising plans across digital, radio, print, TV, outdoor, and grassroots channels.
• Creates and maintains relationships with local, regional, and industry media partners and supports promoters.
• Develops and implements creative campaigns targeting promoters and show organizers to sell Lakeland and RP Funding Center as an entertainment destination.
• Develops and implements creative campaigns to promote premium seating or group sales.
• Negotiates media contracts and implements creative cash/trade proposals and campaigns.
• Leads all public relations efforts, including press releases, presentations, media drops, artist relations, and hospitality coordination.
• Enhances existing promotional initiatives and develops new marketing programs and initiatives to maximize ROI, such as third-party partnerships, new media avenues, etc.
• Maintains media resource lists, issues press credentials, and manages press functions.
• Writes and reviews copy for public service announcements, calendars, and promotional materials.
• Develops and manages social media campaigns, email marketing, and digital promotions to drive ticket sales and brand awareness.
• Creates and maintains brand voice across all platforms and external marketing efforts.
• Partners with web development teams to enhance site features and user engagement.
• Standardizes the reporting of digital campaigns using tools such as Google Analytics.
• Develops and executes marketing plans to promote all artists and tours coming to RP Funding Center and its affiliated venues.
• Supports event promoters in their marketing efforts and enhances the artist experience.
• Creates pre-show and post-show guest experiences that enhance venue appeal and community engagement.
• Manages internal marketing assets, including marquees, LED ribbons, posters, and ticket giveaways.
• Develops and maintains third-party partnerships and sponsorships, including contract negotiation.
• Collaborates with Visit Central Florida, area hotels, chambers, and other stakeholders to promote Lakeland and the venue.
• Explores cross-marketing opportunities between events, partners, and the broader community.
• Stays current on national industry trends and local market shifts to inform strategy.
• Provides thought leadership and strategic focus to marketing communications and customer experience initiatives.
• Leverages research and analytical skills to drive data-informed decisions and innovation.
• Facilitates training and collaborates across departments to ensure project success.
• Works in collaboration with the venue's F&B General Manager and division marketing leads.
• Addresses complaints and serves as a liaison between the venue, patrons, and promoters.
• Participates in mission-critical operations and alternate scheduling as needed.
• Conducts daily activities, including graphic design and internal communications, in alignment with company policy.
• May be required to participate in and/or facilitate training to support departmental or City initiatives and requirements.
• May be required to work alternate hours as necessary for the efficient operation of the department.
• Position is designated as Mission Critical.

Additional Functions

• Requires business-related travel within and outside the state, including attending industry and event-related consumer/trade functions, meetings, conferences, and educational forums.
• May function as a duty manager.
• Performs related work as required.

Qualifications (Education, Training and Experience)

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.
• Two years of experience in marketing or advertising, with one year of professional experience in live event marketing, specifically within a sports facility, touring events, concerts and entertainment, convention center, performing arts facility, tourism, or other multi-purpose public assembly venue.
• One year of proficient experience in Graphic Design using Photoshop or an equivalent program.
• Special Requirements
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Must possess and maintain a valid telephone number.
• Experience in photography and videography preferred.
• Certification from a nationally ranked event marketing certificate program is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Knowledge

• Knowledge of marketing and advertising/sponsorship program development.
• Knowledge of Public Relations.
• Knowledge of Website maintenance.
• Digital expertise with various digital channels, including website optimization, social media, and data acquisition.
• Knowledge of website design.
• Knowledge of CRM software.
• Familiarity with the latest trends, technologies, and methodologies in graphic design, web design, production, etc.

Skills

• Proficiency with media buying and promotions.
• Analytical skills to forecast and identify trends and challenges using website analytics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Creativity skills that inspire brand loyalty.
• Flexible skill set that can be applied across a variety of relationships/situations.
• Innovator with increasing per caps and generating profitability.
• Demonstrated experience influencing peers and leadership teams.
• Demonstrable track record of success.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS SharePoint, and MS Outlook).
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
• Demonstrated skills in graphic design.

Abilities

• Ability to work nights and weekends as required.
• Ability to work with a wide array of client groups, vendors, and business partners enterprise-wide.
• Ability to project a professional manner and appearance, and communicate effectively with clients, senior management, staff, and the public.
• A results-driven leader who thinks in terms of ROI.

Working Environment/Physical Requirements

• The job requires sedentary work with occasional walking or standing, exerting up to 20 pounds of force regularly, and routine keyboard use.
• The job has no significant exposure to environmental hazards.
• The job requires normal visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, speaking, color perception, depth perception, and texture perception.

All City of Lakeland positions are subject to testing (e.g. written, oral, performance, computerized, interview and/or any combination). Candidates selected for testing will be notified via email or telephone. Please check your email and telephone messages regularly, including "junk" folders. Test times and locations to be announced.

The City of Lakeland is an equal opportunity/equal access employer and a drug free workplace.