Creative Director

Purpose

The Creative Director role owns the creative vision, storytelling, engagement and ideation behind our exhibits, live events, and brand activations.

This is a client-facing, idea-driven, leadership role. The Creative Director will lead concept development, creative strategy, and narrative building, working closely with clients, internal teams, and Rockway's designers to bring ideas and concepts to life.

While hands-on design skills (especially 3D) are a plus, the core of this role is ideation, thinking, storytelling, pitching, and creative leadership.

About Rockway

Rockway is a strategic design-build partner for brands that want more from their tradeshows & events. We bring brand-activation thinking to exhibits and live events - helping clients transform events into strategic growth channels. Our work blends strategy, creativity, and execution, and we believe ideas matter just as much as how they're built.

Key Responsibilities

Creative Strategy & Ideation

• Lead the development of big ideas, themes, and experiential concepts for:
• Trade show exhibits
• Live events & conferences
• Brand activations
• Translate our clients business goals, brand positioning, and audience insights into compelling creative direction and engagement.
• Own the creative "why" behind every project - not just how it looks.

Client Engagement & Pitching

• Serve as a lead creative presence on client calls, discovery sessions, and pitch meetings.
• Ask smart, strategic questions to uncover client goals, challenges, and success metrics.
• Present ideas confidently through:
• Storyboards
• Mood boards
• Concept decks
• Sketches
• 3D design and renderings
• Inspire confidence and excitement in clients through clear, compelling storytelling.

Creative Brief Development

• Create clear, strategic creative briefs based on:
• Client discovery calls
• RFPs
• Internal strategy sessions
• Ensure briefs articulate:
• Goals and objectives
• What's important to the client
• Target audience
• Core message
• Creative direction & experience goals
• Align internal teams and external designers around a shared vision, idea, or concept.

Creative Direction & Oversight

• Own creative approval and consistency across projects.
• Collaborate with Rockway's designers to:
• Select the right designer for each project
• Clearly communicate creative direction
• Review and guide design development
• Ensure designs stay true to the original idea, story, and strategy.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Partner closely with:
• Sales & Marketing
• Production
• Vendors
• Elevate Rockway's overall creative standard and point of view.
• Contribute to internal creative processes, templates, and best practices.

Core Purpose of this Role

Own & Lead the Creative Vision from Idea to Execution

• Turn client needs and RFPs into clear, strategic, pitch-worthy creative ideas.
• Be the primary creative voice in client conversations and presentations.
• Ensure every project starts with a strong narrative and eds with execution that stays true to that vision.

Why it matters: Transforming client objectives into powerful experiential ideas gives Rockway Exhibits a competitive advantage over others in the industry.

Guide Ideas through Storytelling, Pitching, and Creative Confidence

• Communicates intent clearly to design team.
• Develops presentations and guides the conversation with clear, imaginative and concise communication.

Why it matters: Clarity and Confidence during ideation stays with the client as part of the overall experience when selecting an industry partner.

Ensures a Smooth and Positive Client Experience

• Provides the internal teams with clarity, updates, and confidence throughout the project lifecycle.
• Helps enhance the production process with a creative emphasis, creating a stress-free for stakeholders managing multiple shows or tight schedules.

Why it matters: Strong client experiences lead to repeat business and long-term partnerships.

Success Looks Like

• Clients are excited, inspired, and confident in Rockway's ideas.
• Projects start with strong, clear creative direction.
• Designers are aligned and executing efficiently.
• Rockway's creative work feels elevated, strategic, and differentiated.
• Creative thinking becomes a competitive advantage for Rockway.

Qualifications

Required

• 7+ years of experience in one or more of the following:
• Exhibit design
• Live Event design
• Creative or experiential agency environment
• Proven experience pitching and presenting creative ideas to clients.
• Strong background in concept development, storytelling, and narrative building.
• Experience working with external designers, freelancers, or agencies.
• Familiarity with experiential design, environments, and physical brand experiences.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience in 3D design software (SketchUp, Vectorworks, C4D, etc.)
• Understanding of exhibit fabrication and live-event production constraints
• Experience bridging brand activations and trade shows

Personal Attributes

• Exceptional storytelling and presentation skills
• Strong strategic thinking paired with creative intuition
• Ability to connect business goals to creative ideas
• Clear communicator - verbally and visually
• Highly collaborative and comfortable leading creative conversations

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional growth in a dynamic, innovative environment.
• A culture built on creativity, craftsmanship, and teamwork.
• The chance to work with high-profile brands and create unforgettable event experiences.