Essential Work Samples for Hiring an Event Marketing Manager: Practical Exercises to Evaluate Top Candidates

Event Marketing Managers play a pivotal role in building brand awareness, generating leads, and fostering customer relationships through well-executed events. The right candidate must possess a unique blend of strategic thinking, creative marketing expertise, meticulous planning skills, and the ability to execute flawlessly under pressure.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal how candidates will actually perform in the role. While resumes highlight past achievements and interviews assess cultural fit, neither fully demonstrates a candidate's ability to handle the complex challenges of event marketing. This is where practical work samples become invaluable.

Work samples provide a window into how candidates approach real-world scenarios they'll face in your organization. They reveal problem-solving abilities, creativity, attention to detail, and communication skills in action—not just in theory. For Event Marketing Managers, who must juggle multiple priorities while maintaining strategic focus, these practical demonstrations are particularly revealing.

The following four exercises are designed to evaluate the essential competencies of an effective Event Marketing Manager. They assess candidates' abilities to develop comprehensive event strategies, manage budgets effectively, create compelling promotional content, and analyze event performance. By incorporating these exercises into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into each candidate's capabilities and identify those truly prepared to drive your event marketing success.

Activity #1: Event Strategy Development

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to develop a comprehensive event strategy aligned with business objectives. Event Marketing Managers must be able to conceptualize events that not only attract the right audience but also deliver measurable business results. This activity reveals how candidates approach strategic planning, audience targeting, and goal setting.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with a brief describing a specific business objective (e.g., launching a new product, entering a new market, or building brand awareness in a particular industry).
• Include information about your target audience, budget parameters ($50,000-$75,000), and timeline (3-4 months out).
• Allow candidates 24-48 hours to prepare their strategy.
• Schedule a 30-minute presentation followed by 15 minutes of questions.
• Ensure the evaluation team includes stakeholders from marketing, sales, and executive leadership.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a comprehensive event strategy that addresses the business objective provided.
• Your strategy should include:
• Event concept and format (in-person, virtual, or hybrid)
• Target audience definition and expected attendance
• High-level timeline with key milestones
• Budget allocation across major categories
• Marketing and promotion approach
• Success metrics and measurement plan
• Prepare a 15-20 slide presentation outlining your strategy.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale and answer questions about your approach.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide specific feedback on one strategic element the candidate executed well and one area that could be improved.
• Ask the candidate to verbally revise their approach to the improvement area based on the feedback.
• Evaluate how receptive they are to feedback and their ability to adapt their thinking on the spot.

Activity #2: Event Budget Management

This exercise tests a candidate's financial acumen and ability to make strategic trade-offs within budget constraints. Effective budget management is critical for event marketing success, requiring both attention to detail and strategic prioritization. This activity reveals how candidates allocate resources to maximize impact while controlling costs.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario where the candidate must manage a $100,000 budget for a flagship customer conference.
• Provide a spreadsheet template with standard event budget categories (venue, catering, speakers, production, marketing, etc.).
• Include some challenging constraints, such as a high-cost location or specific executive requirements.
• Allow 60-90 minutes for completion during the interview process.
• Provide access to a computer with Excel or Google Sheets.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the event objectives and requirements provided.
• Complete the budget spreadsheet, allocating the $100,000 across all necessary categories.
• Identify at least three areas where costs could be reduced if needed.
• Propose one "stretch" item that would enhance the event experience if additional budget became available.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale for budget allocation decisions.
• Identify any potential hidden costs or contingencies that should be considered.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the completed budget with the candidate, highlighting one particularly effective allocation decision.
• Identify one area where the budget allocation could be improved or where the candidate missed an important consideration.
• Ask the candidate to revise that section of the budget based on your feedback.
• Observe how they incorporate the feedback and whether they ask clarifying questions before making adjustments.

Activity #3: Event Promotion Content Creation

This exercise evaluates a candidate's marketing creativity and ability to craft compelling event messaging. Successful event marketing requires creating content that resonates with the target audience and drives registration. This activity reveals the candidate's writing skills, marketing instincts, and understanding of effective promotional strategies.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide details about an upcoming or hypothetical company event, including the target audience, key selling points, and event format.
• Include your brand guidelines and examples of past marketing materials.
• Specify which promotional assets need to be created (e.g., email invitation, social media posts, landing page copy).
• Allow candidates 24 hours to prepare their submission.
• Ensure the evaluation team includes someone from your content or brand team.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Create the following promotional assets for the event:
• Email invitation (subject line and body copy)
• Three social media posts (one each for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram)
• Event landing page headline and first paragraph
• One additional creative element of your choice (banner ad, video script, etc.)
• Ensure all content aligns with the provided brand guidelines.
• Focus on compelling messaging that clearly communicates the event's value proposition.
• Include a brief explanation of your strategic approach to the content (200 words max).

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide specific feedback on one element that effectively communicates the event's value proposition.
• Identify one area where the messaging could be more compelling or better aligned with the target audience.
• Ask the candidate to revise that specific content piece based on your feedback.
• Evaluate both the quality of their original work and their ability to incorporate feedback effectively.

Activity #4: Event Performance Analysis

This exercise tests a candidate's analytical abilities and strategic thinking about event ROI. Event Marketing Managers must be able to measure success and extract actionable insights to improve future events. This activity reveals how candidates approach data analysis and strategic decision-making based on event outcomes.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a mock data set from a previous event, including:
• Registration and attendance numbers
• Attendee demographics and firmographics
• Engagement metrics (session attendance, app usage, etc.)
• Lead generation results
• Attendee satisfaction scores
• Cost breakdown by category
• Present this as a spreadsheet or dashboard.
• Allow 60-90 minutes for the candidate to analyze the data and prepare recommendations.
• Provide access to a computer with Excel or Google Sheets.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided event data.
• Analyze the event's performance against its stated objectives.
• Identify 3-5 key insights from the data.
• Prepare recommendations for:
• What went well and should be repeated
• What could be improved for future events
• One significant change that would improve ROI
• Create a brief executive summary (1 page or 5-7 slides) highlighting your findings and recommendations.
• Be prepared to present your analysis and answer questions about your methodology and conclusions.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, highlight one particularly insightful observation or recommendation.
• Identify one area where the analysis could be deeper or where an important consideration was missed.
• Ask the candidate to expand on that specific area with additional analysis or revised recommendations.
• Evaluate their ability to think critically about the feedback and develop more nuanced insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allow for these exercises in our interview process?
The entire process, including all four exercises, would be too time-intensive for most candidates. We recommend selecting 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific needs. Activities #1 and #3 can be completed as take-home assignments, while #2 and #4 work well as in-person exercises. Allow 2-3 hours total for work sample exercises within your process.

Should we compensate candidates for completing these exercises?
For exercises requiring significant time investment (particularly take-home assignments), consider offering compensation, especially for senior-level positions. This demonstrates respect for candidates' time and expertise while ensuring you receive thoughtful, quality submissions.

How should we evaluate candidates who have different backgrounds in event marketing?
Focus on the thinking process and approach rather than specific industry knowledge. A candidate from a different industry might bring fresh perspectives. Evaluate their ability to ask clarifying questions, adapt to your context, and apply transferable skills rather than expecting perfect alignment with your industry's specific practices.

Can these exercises be adapted for virtual interviews?
Absolutely. All four exercises can be conducted virtually. For presentation-based activities, use video conferencing platforms with screen sharing. For collaborative exercises like budget management, use shared documents or specialized collaboration tools. The key is ensuring clear instructions and providing necessary technical support.

How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage certain candidates?
Be mindful of potential barriers such as time constraints, technology access, or differing abilities. Offer reasonable accommodations when needed, provide clear instructions with examples, and focus evaluation on core competencies rather than peripheral factors. Consider allowing flexibility in how candidates deliver their responses (written, verbal, or visual).

Should we share our evaluation criteria with candidates?
Yes, transparency about how candidates will be evaluated helps them understand what you value and allows them to put their best foot forward. Share the key competencies you're assessing and general expectations, while still leaving room for candidates to demonstrate creativity and personal approach.

Event marketing requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, creative execution, and analytical rigor. By incorporating these practical work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into candidates' capabilities than traditional interviews alone can provide. The right Event Marketing Manager will demonstrate not just knowledge of event best practices, but the ability to apply that knowledge to your specific business context while adapting to feedback and constraints.

For more resources to optimize your hiring process, explore Yardstick's comprehensive tools for creating AI-powered job descriptions, interview questions, and complete interview guides.

Ready to build a complete interview guide for your Event Marketing Manager role? Sign up for a free Yardstick account today!