Creative Director - Scenic & Graphics (Event Production)

About Royal Productions

Royal Productions is a national AV and live event production company with nearly 40 years in the business. We run in-house AV programs at hotel properties across the country and operate a full road show and external production division. Conferences, galas, corporate meetings, holiday programs: a lot of what makes those events memorable comes out of our scenic and creative department.

The Role

We’re looking for a Creative Director to lead the creative side of our scenic department. You’ll set the creative direction for everything scenic at Royal, lead our graphic design team, and be the go-to scenic expert for our sales staff across the country.

You’ll work closely with our Scenic Project Manager, who runs the operations side: the shop, the builds and the logistics. You design it and help sell it, and together you make it come to life.

This is a hands-on role. We want someone who loves the design work, enjoys helping others sell it, and cares about what the finished product looks like when the doors open.

What You’ll Do

Creative Direction & Design

• Develop set concepts, designs and layouts for client events, hotel programs and company-produced shows
• Create renderings, mockups and presentations that help sell scenic work
• Refresh recurring and annual event sets so returning clients see something new each year
• Set the creative standard for everything that leaves our department
• Photograph and archive finished sets for proposals, marketing and our portfolio

Leading the Graphic Design Team

• Lead, schedule and develop our graphic designers
• Direct work on signage, printed graphics, kiosk artwork, vehicle wraps and branded collateral
• Manage priorities and deadlines across multiple events at once
• Bring in and manage freelance designers or render artists when volume calls for it

Scenic Sales Support

• Act as the go-to scenic resource for our sales managers, property directors and event sales team
• Turn their client briefs into concepts, renderings and quotes they can take back and sell
• Train sales staff on our scenic inventory, pricing and what’s possible, so they can spot scenic opportunities on their own
• Join client calls and site visits when a bigger or custom project needs a designer in the room
• Track scenic revenue by property and look for ways to grow it

Working With Scenic Operations

• Partner with our Scenic Project Manager to turn designs into buildable, on-budget projects
• Review builds in the shop and on site to confirm the finished work matches the design
• Help set scenic pricing and order deadlines with the operations team
• Plan scenic packages for new hotel properties as they come online

Seasonal & Holiday Décor

• Lead the creative side of holiday and seasonal décor programs at Royal properties
• Present décor concepts and budgets to hotel ownership and management

Leadership

• Manage the creative budget and purchasing for your team
• Take part in company leadership and department head meetings

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years in scenic design, event design, themed décor or a related creative field, with at least 2 years leading a design team
• A portfolio that shows both design work and finished, built projects
• Strong rendering and design skills (3dsMax, SketchUp, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite or similar)
• Experience supporting a sales team with designs, proposals and pricing, and comfortable presenting directly to clients when needed
• A working understanding of fabrication and materials, enough to design things that can actually be built
• Organized and decisive when deadlines compete
• Willing to travel occasionally and work early mornings, evenings or weekends when the event calendar calls for it

Bonus Points

• Background in live events, hotel AV or corporate event production
• Experience with seasonal or holiday décor programs at hotels or venues
• CNC or fabrication shop experience
• Familiarity with event management or inventory software

Why Royal Productions

• Nearly 40 years in business: stable, established and still growing
• Health, dental, life and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement plan with company match
• Real ownership of a creative department, with the authority to shape it