Senior Brand Activation & Experiential Lead

WALKER GARRETT

SENIOR BRAND ACTIVATION & EXPERIENTIAL LEADER

Global Sports • Live Entertainment • Retail & Grassroots Engagement • Large-Scale Activations

Accomplished experiential and brand activation executive with 10+ years of expertise creating meaningful brand awareness, driving high-impact consumer impressions, and designing immersive experiences that influence purchase behavior and foster long-term loyalty. Trusted to lead complex, high-visibility national and international programs across sports, live entertainment, retail, and grassroots platforms, including the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, PGA Tour, NCAA Football, and Live Nation tours, consistently delivering measurable engagement, brand lift, and ROI.

Expert in full-cycle experiential execution, translating brand strategy into conversion-driven experiences through strategic planning, storytelling, venue operations, VIP hospitality, retail activations, fan engagement, staffing, logistics, compliance, and post-event performance reporting. Proven leader in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, guiding cross-functional teams and vendor partners to deliver flawless execution at scale.

Global Event Operations & Large-Scale Activations Brand Awareness & Consumer Impression Growth Immersive Consumer Engagement & Education Purchase Influence & Brand Loyalty Development VIP & Hospitality Experiences Field Team Leadership & Touring Operations Fleet & Asset Management Retail & POS Activation Grassroots & Community Engagement Live Broadcast & High-Security Environments Sponsor & Stakeholder Management Budget Oversight, Compliance & Performance Reporting

NOTABLE CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Directed multi-market experiential programs across 30+ U.S. cities, spanning Live Nation concerts, PGA Tour events, nightlife venues, retail activations, and grassroots outreach.

Executed fan zones, sponsor activations, hospitality environments, retail takeovers, and community events across stadiums, festivals, concert venues, and high-traffic retail locations.

Supervised cross-functional teams of 10–40+ staff per event, including brand ambassadors and grassroots field teams.

Delivered tens of thousands of live consumer engagements, driving trial, conversion, local market penetration, and national brand lift.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior Brand Activation Manager

Oversee immersive activations focused on consumer education, product storytelling, profile building, engagement quality, and purchase influence. Design experiences to convert first-time trial into repeat consideration and long-term brand loyalty.

Headed staffing, logistics, asset deployment, fleet operations, compliance, and on-site execution across concurrent national activations.

Served as senior on-site brand representative, ensuring brand standards, messaging accuracy, and elite consumer interactions.

Led field teams delivering education-driven engagement that increased product understanding and purchase intent.

Strengthened retail partnerships through retail-adjacent activations translating engagement into conversion.

Senior Brand Activation Manager

Led 75+ national experiential and retail activations across PGA Tour events and retail partners, driving consumer engagement, elevating brand perception, and increasing purchase consideration

Adidas Golf Tour 360 Truck: Spearheaded the execution of a mobile experiential platform featuring a fully inflatable golf simulator and premium retail showroom, efficiently packable for seamless touring.

Executed elevated experiences through product showcases, athlete storytelling, and interactive engagement.

Developed scalable activation playbooks and maintained brand standards across multiple markets.

Senior Brand Activation Manager, Keurig Dr Pepper

Directed weekly college football activations across SEC, ACC, and Big 12 campuses, promoting Dr Pepper Zero through high-energy, conversion-focused experiential programs. Oversaw large-scale builds, live fan engagement, social content capture, and post-event performance reporting.

Managed and trained 4–12 brand ambassadors per event, executing live activations spanning 4–8 hours.

Built and executed a digital tailgate ecosystem integrating influencers, DJs, chefs, and former players to amplify reach.

Performance Metrics: 14.55MM total impressions 2.2MM Instagram views 1,410 opt-ins 19.8K live engagements 676 events executed.

Senior Brand Activation Manager

Led a 14-city national sampling tour, executing 135 activations across retail locations, music and food festivals, MLB games, and pop-up events. Coordinated cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution under tight timelines while maintaining compliance and safety protocols.

Distributed 16,500+ samples, generating 960K social impressions.

Achieved 85% NPS and 94% “liked the experience a lot” rating.

Senior Brand Activation Manager

Steered the nationwide launch of Lipton’s first sparkling iced tea through a 7-month multi-city tour, driving brand awareness and consumer adoption. Directed and trained brand ambassador teams, coordinated sampling logistics, and executed social media amplification.

Executed activations at the Super Bowl, SXSW, Sundance Film Festival, MLB games, and NFL events.

Distributed 2M+ product units, exceeding campaign objectives and enhancing brand visibility.

ADDITIONAL GLOBAL & NATIONAL EXPERIENCE (2009–2019)

FIFA World Cup 2014 – PUMA / FIAT: Sole U.S. Tour Manager; oversaw 140+ activations and directed 25+ brand ambassadors.

Olympic Games – NBC Sports: Managed hospitality and talent services for on-air talent, executives, and sponsors in high-security, high-pressure environments.

PGA Tour / NCAA Football / Live Nation: Executed multi-market experiential activations delivering consistent brand messaging and immersive engagement.

Delta Airlines (GoGo Wi-Fi): Led airport activations contributing to an 80% post-launch revenue increase.

Xbox One / NFL Tour, Busch Light, New Balance, Hyundai, Bai: Directed national experiential campaigns, managing logistics, staffing, and on-site execution across touring platforms.

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