Project Director - Events, Hospitality & Operations

About the Role:

Reporting to: Head of Major Events, Fuse Events Team

Fuse is seeking an experienced Project Director with a passion for Sport & Entertainment, to join a team delivering a major Rugby World Cup 2027 sponsorship for one of our clients – Asahi Super Dry. With this role, you will have the opportunity to lead a team who will plan and deliver all ticketing, hospitality, guest programme & operations elements at Rugby World Cup Australia 2027

The successful candidate will have a strong project management background in Major Events, ideally leading or having a senior position in planning a sponsor guest programme involving multiple stand alone events and experience of managing significant budgets. The management of client relationships is key and the ability to manage multiple workstreams and stakeholders, across different time zones is essential.

You will lead a team of up to 20 people, located in both the UK & Australia and will have specific workstream leads across Accommodation, Transportation, Communications & Ticketing, Branding & Operations, Project Management, Staffing and Events.  You will also oversee a large team of indirect reports (when considering local hosting staff) so must be comfortable being in a leadership position and aiding team development. The team will be a mix of Fuse colleagues and freelancers.

The ideal candidate will have a positive & flexible can-do attitude, be comfortable delegating as well as being prepared to get involved in all aspects of project delivery. A working knowledge of World Rugby is preferred but not essential.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Project Management

• Close liaison with the Head of Major Events to ensure the smooth delivery of the project and meeting of client KPIs
• Acting as a senior contact and interface between client(s), client agencies, World Rugby, venue stakeholders and various suppliers
• Acting as a contact and point of escalation between client, suppliers/ partners
• Creation, on-going management, and circulation of project management tools including project plans, status documents related to the project
• Creation of client presentations and preparation of client documents, as necessary

 Guest Programmes

• Planning and onsite delivery of a multi-day guest programme for approximately 200-600 guests at approximately six matches at Rugby World Cup Australia 2027
• Begin initial planning across all workstreams until workstream leads are on board
• Close liaison with all project workstream leads to ensure the smooth delivery of the overall guest experience  
• Supporting the team throughout the project and ensuring that all agreed deadlines, submissions and artwork approvals are met
• Creation and management of key project documents including but not limited to a project plan, security plan, stadium operations plan, event schedule, hour by hour documents for onsite and budget
• Full ownership of guest programme budget with regular client reporting and oversight of supplier payments
• Close liaison with Market Communications & Finance teams to ensure accurate tracking and timely billing of packages & additional costs to markets
• Planning and attending venue visits and client meetings, as and when necessary 
• Creation of client presentations and preparation of client documents, as necessary 
• Close liaison with internal Fuse team to plan onsite staff logistics requirements (i.e. accommodation, flights, per diems etc)

Ticketing & Market Communications

• Oversee the requesting, ordering, confirming and distribution of all tickets for Asahi across all 52 matches
• Manage the set up and then oversee day-to-day running of the ticketing & guest management system and reporting
• Oversee the on-going management, and circulation of project management tools including project plans and status documents related to the project.  
• Oversee the team responsible for all market communications via market leads including; supporting local market leads with use of the online guest management system and shared mailbox management.

Hospitality 

• Oversee planning around all Stadium Hospitality options including World Rugby shared Partner Lounges, Private Lounges and Skyboxes.
• Oversee planning around all ancillary hospitality events (Welcome Parties and Business Events)

 Operations

• Oversee the project management of brand visibility of bars within all stadia including fascia, menu boards, POSM etc,
• Coordination with WR regarding branding of bars, location of 'hero bars', hitting deadlines for production
• Main point of contact for WR and appointed suppliers re Asahi branding of bars and split of responsibilities across Asahi and World Rugby
• Support local Asahi operations teams where escalation or integration is required with World Rugby

Event Delivery Onsite in Australia

•  Onsite presence and guidance for team for all operational on-site days to oversee the delivery of the guest programme(s)
• Onsite client management, including attendance at daily client meetings
• Point of escalation for Fuse team, client(s), client agencies, and H&S teams.

 Post Event

•  Post event client reporting to help shape and inform future programmes
• Contribute to review of internal processes & make recommendations for improved ways of working for future Finals
• Full ownership of budget reconciliation (cost & income)

Misc

• Assisting with other ad hoc projects and events relating to Asahi x RWC 2027 as requested by the Head of Major Events

Desired Skills & Experience

• Significant experience of managing high profile and complex guest programmes, ideally at Major Events, with £2m+ budgets 
• Experience of working with global sports rights holders is essential and experience working with World Rugby is highly desirable.
• Excellent client, stakeholder and relationship management skills and diplomacy 
• Experience in managing multiple direct reports and a large workforce onsite  
• Experience in overseeing and delivering multiple hospitality events within a guest programme 
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to adapt as required 
• A working knowledge of sports stadium operations and Rugby, desirable but not essential  
• Excellent attention to detail, yet ability to multi-task and think on your feet 
• Experience in account management and sport sponsorship is desired   
• Excellent project management and multitasking skills, with the ability work under pressure  
• Enthusiastic, self-motivated and proactive 
• Be able to anticipate team and clients’ needs to find ways to add value and be solutions orientated  
• Presentation skills (verbal and written), internally and to clients / external parties   
• Exceptional client servicing and communication skills (verbal and written) 
• Excellent attention to detail and rigor 
• Confident in liaising with multiple stakeholders, personable and able to build strong professional relationships 
• Ability to work in a fast paced, high-pressure environment, including working across various time zones and international travel  

You need to have the ability & willingness to work flexibly, usually in the London office, with occasional international travel, on-site at events and some weekend work.  

This is a full-time role & you must be eligible to work in the UK, with periods of travel to Australia.

Fuse job descriptions are not intended to be restrictive and are a guideline to the duties in this role. 

We are committed to providing comprehensive training & development plans for all team members. 

 

About the Agency:

Culturally Connected, Seriously Effective. 

A global agency with local expertise, connecting brands to the things that matter most to their audiences in culture through partnerships in sport, music, film & television, gaming & esports.  These connections make our clients more memorable - the key to unlocking effectiveness. 

Powered by Omnicom Media Group, we bring an extra edge to strategy, execution, and measurement. 

Our work has won numerous awards, and the industry frequently recognises our people as top performers in their field. We place great importance on trusted relationships, sound moral judgement, and strong governance, all delivered through transparent processes. 

We have a fantastic team of 120 in our London HQ and 300 more across offices worldwide, working with incredible clients, including PepsiCo, Vodafone, Nissan, British Gas, Renault, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, McDonald’s, and Just Eat Takeaway.com. 

Follow us @fuse_agency Visit us online. Find us on LinkedIn 

Flexible Working

At Omnicom Media Group, we are committed to supporting flexibility for our people while fostering collaboration, innovation, and teamwork. We have a hybrid working model (three days in the office, two working remotely), to ensure that we meet the needs of both our people and our business, balancing the benefits of in-person connections with the flexibility of remote working.  Our standard working hours are 9:30 – 17:30, but we offer the ability to flex around core hours of 10:30 – 16:30 to give our people flexibility on how they manage their working day, whether that’s in the office or working remotely. For example, you could start work at 8:30 and finish at 16:30 or start at 10:30 and finish at 18:30.

We encourage open conversations between our people and managers to help navigate high-need periods and individual circumstances. Our goal is to create an environment where people feel genuinely supported to do their best - both in their careers and in their lives outside of work.

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Be Your Best

We want everyone to make the most of the opportunity to shine and showcase your talents and we are happy to make adjustments in the recruitment process so you can be your best. Please discuss any specific requirements with your dedicated Talent Team member or if you would feel more comfortable, you can email us confidentially at beyourbest@omnicommediagroup.com to let us know how we can support you.

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