Benson Arongkorn Veechai
resume
OBJECTIVE
I am a senior executive in search of the next great opportunity which marries my passion for marketing in an environment where I can fully realize how my contributions positively impact the business, the lives of the people whom I work with, and the customers whom I serve.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Seasoned marketing and communications professional with over 18 years of experience in strategic, digital, Business to Business (B2B), product and event marketing. Acumen in integrated marketing communications, brand management, customer insights, international business, corporate communications, and public relations (PR). Skilled business and budget manager with a motivational and coaching leadership style.
Areas of Expertise
Executive-level marketing management
Creative brand and design management
Corporate communications management (internal and external liaison, crisis management, executive media training and presentations)
Public Relations strategy and execution
Event and experiential marketing
Print and electronic new media publishing
Digital marketing maven in databases, social media, content marketing, and analytics
Customer insight research in design and analysis
International business and partnership development with direct penetration of American, Asian, and European markets
Cross-organizational management
Professional coaching
Education
September 2020 – Expected February 2022
Hong Kong University, Hong Kong SAR; Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
Dean's List Honours, 3.98 GPA
September 1998 – May 2002
Boston University School of Management, Boston, MA USA
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration Marketing & MIS, 3.40 GPA
Employment
January 2017–December 2020
Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Asia
Informa Markets (formerly UBM Asia Ltd., UBM plc), Hong Kong SAR
Led top-level marketing strategy for 250+ events organized in Asia and the professional development of over 400 marketing staff
As a member of the senior management team, contributed to seven years of double-digit revenue growth for the company to become a US $600+ million division from US$ 280 million in 2011
Successfully led the marketing and brand integration of the of Allworld Exhibitions acquisition (a $250 million business with 230 employees)
Devised and rolled-out marketing, communication, and rebranding initiatives for events in food & hotel, construction, machinery, jewelry, energy, cosmetic, and lifestyle vertical markets
Upgraded the corporate communications function by restructuring communication teams, enacting change management policies, driving brand guidelines, and producing crisis management best practices
Expertly ran quarterly face-to-face and online corporate town hall events
Oversaw Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives including a Wuhan relief fund and annual employee engagement programs
Created and hosted the weekly webcast Asia Marketing TV which rand for 24 episodes
Co-authored Asia’s Journey to Digital Events – a 100+ case study-based textbook on operating virtual events inclusive of devising strategy, sales, marketing, technology, and customer service
January 2017 – December 2020
Regional Director of International Marketing
UBM Asia Ltd., Hong Kong SAR
Increased the international visitors to UBM Asia’s top 20 events by an average of 12% annually from 2013 through 2016
Spearheaded the marketing and brand strategy of UBM and Alibaba’s strategic partnership creating the O2O2O trade buyer and seller digital platform
Authored and conducted over 70 marketing-related training courses with the international marketing departments across UBM Asia’s offices in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Turkey
Led the 2014 edition of the UBM Asia Marketing Meeting and Marketing Awards events towards placing “Best Corporate Event” honor at the 2015 Marketing Event Awards
Wrote and internally published The Introduction to B2B Event Marketing, a 100+ page textbook covering the basics of trade exhibition marketing from direct print marketing to digital, social media, and experiential marketing
Developed the Marketing Excellence Leadership Program (MXLP) to expand the coaching and managerial marketing skills of senior marketing managers
October 2011–January 2013
Head of International Marketing
UBM Asia Ltd., Hong Kong SAR
Established the international marketing department to enhance the skills of all company marketers, improve customer experiences, and increase the quality and quantity of company fair visitors
Developed a systematic approach to coaching 250+ marketing staff, increasing their proficiency in international and digital marketing and exploring and implementing new forms of attendee marketing and audience development
Worked alongside business intelligence and IT departments to develop and roll out new email marketing systems and best practices, data marketing automation tools, content management systems (CMS), and standardized customer insight analysis for event teams across Asia
Helped achieve 4%–60% year-on-year (y-on-y) increases in international visitors at events, such as Cosmoprof Asia, Tissue World, Hotelex, Children-Baby-Maternity Expo (CBME), LED China, Food Ingredients Asia, and Hong Kong Jewelry Fairs
May 2007 – October 2011
Marketing Director, UBM Tech Game Developer Division
UBM Americas, San Francisco, CA
Drove the marketing strategy and innovative attendee acquisition programs, securing nearly $8 million in attendee revenue for the 2011 Game Developers Conference® (GDC)—the largest worldwide gathering of professionals within the digital entertainment industry
Increased attendee revenue per event by 26% and averaging 18% y-on-y growth from 2009 to 2011
Led and mentored five direct marketing reports, three designers, and a contracted PR firm towards exceeding revenue targets and measurably augmenting the GDC brand globally
Integrated the company’s acquisition of Global Games Media into the launch and commercial success of 2009 GDC Europe in Cologne, Germany and revitalized 2009 GDC China in Shanghai, China
Improved relations and created new partnerships with over 40 game media companies worldwide, international associations, and government agencies in China, Japan, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Nordic countries, driving product penetration and creating new market segments
Co-developed a partnership with Google to successfully secure over $1 million in free DROID and Nexus One devices to promote the Android operating system and drive GDC 2011 registration
November 2005 – May 2007
Online Marketing Specialist/Project Manager
International Data Group (IDG), PC World Communications, Mac Publishing LLC, San Francisco, CA
Headed PCWorld.com’s RFP response team, developing and executing integrated marketing programs for advertisers, including IBM, Symantec, Dell, Cisco, Toshiba, Google, and Microsoft (MS).
Championed a new role of website analysis for IDG’s 20+ network of websites towards increasing content stickiness and digital revenue
Developed and managed custom sales and lead generation programs for PCWorld.com and Macworld.com, including holiday gift guides, vendor-sponsored micro sites and webcasts, and integrated print and online campaigns
Managed PCWorld.com and Macworld.com’s strategic brand initiatives, including promoting the revamp launch PCWorld.com and developed sales marketing collateral as well as managed print, online, and email campaigns
April 2004 – November 2005
Marketing Coordinator
IDG, InfoWorld Media Group, San Francisco, CA
Supported the vice president of marketing in all aspects of InfoWorld Media Group’s $25+ million portfolio of electronic, print, research, and trade show products.
Awarded 2004 Ozzie Award for Best Media Kit alongside sales and marketing brochures
Managed sponsored lead generation programs, including copywriting, email list management, digital advertisements, CPC campaigns (Google AdWords, Business.com), and website design
Organized custom client events and company brand events, including service-oriented architecture (SOA) forums in San Francisco and New York
Spearheaded PR and trade relations with event partners, including Interop, JavaOne, and MSTechEd
Successfully developed several primary marketing and brand awareness research studies
Skills
Mac OS, Windows OS, MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), MS Teams, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Omniture (web analytics), Google Analytics, SEO, SEM, database management, CRM, email marketing/marketing automation
Brand management, marketing management, budget management, systems analysis and design, copy and business writing, marketing research, UX/UI testing, survey design, customer insight analysis, focus groups, customer journey mapping
English (native), Thai (fluent), French (conversant), Chinese Mandarin (conversant), and Cantonese (beginner)