Shifting Procurement from Gatekeeper to Strategic Partner

Eric Samuelson, VP of Client Pricing and Procurement at Sparks, occupies a unique position at the intersection of creative teams and cost-conscious buyers.

He describes himself as a "procurement whisperer", translating between stakeholders to ensure maximum value from every engagement.

Sparks, part of The Freeman Company, is a global experiential marketing agency specialising in designing and delivering brand experiences that connect companies with their most important audiences. Eric believes that, in the marketing procurement world, events and experiential marketing often feel like the "forgotten child" – acknowledged but rarely prioritised.

Eric's role involves working closely with account and project teams to understand client procurement needs and, at times, educating procurement professionals about the events industry to dispel misconceptions. He also leads Freeman’s deal desk, creating pricing and incentive structures for clients leveraging Sparks and other Freeman services.

Here, Eric speaks to Procurement Magazine about how enlightened procurement can evolve from gatekeeper to strategic partner.

What emerging marketing trends should procurement leaders watch closely?

Event marketing is an underappreciated category poised for explosive growth. Studies show that when companies aggregate all spending on meetings and events – from large-scale conferences to small sales meetings – the total often rivals or exceeds media spend. Yet, procurement typically gives events far less attention than advertising or PR.

AI is another major trend reshaping the landscape. At Sparks, we’re integrating AI into nearly every facet of our work. From a procurement perspective, AI enables predictive modeling and budget optimisation – a “Moneyball” approach to marketing. By capturing all relevant variables, AI allows us to forecast costs with greater accuracy.

Interestingly, as AI becomes more pervasive, the demand for authentic, live experiences will grow significantly. People crave real, tangible interactions they can trust.

How can procurement move beyond cost control to support broader marketing objectives?

The difference between “enlightened” and “unenlightened” procurement lies in priorities. Enlightened procurement focuses on delivering the right solution and maximising ROI–not just cutting costs.

I recommend analysing spend in two buckets:

• Working dollars: Investments that directly influence the target audience (e.g., strategy, creative content).
• Non-working dollars: Necessary expenses that don’t directly impact the audience (e.g., shipping, material handling).

The goal is to shift more dollars into the working bucket. Procurement should also treat event marketing as a specialised category rather than lumping it into general indirect spend. Ideally, more professionals with event industry experience – such as executive producers or account directors–should transition into procurement roles to bring nuanced understanding of cost drivers.

Where can procurement add value with AI in event marketing?

AI offers two key advantages:

1. Predictive modelling: Applying data analytics to marketing budgets for more accurate forecasting.
2. Budget structuring: Building labour schedules and understanding cost patterns.

In my experience, agency fees for proprietary corporate events consistently represent 20–30% of overall budgets. With AI, procurement can analyse historical data, capture variables and move from subjective estimates to data-driven predictions.

Why is transparency such a critical issue – and how can procurement help?

Transparency is fundamental to driving value and ROI. Client procurement often focuses on agency fees, which typically represent only 20–30% of total event spend. The remaining 70–80% covers elements like audio visual, logistics, structures, entertainment and venues – areas that procurement teams often overlook.

This lack of understanding can lead to limited transparency and misaligned assessments of agency pricing and value. Procurement can address this by recruiting subject matter experts from the experiential world who understand cost drivers and can deliver true transparency across 100% of the spend. This approach ensures better outcomes and greater ROI.

How should procurement approach sustainability to strengthen its strategic role?

In events, sustainability and cost management go hand in hand. Heavier custom-built structures increase both environmental impact and costs. The industry is shifting toward modular “LEGO-like” steel structures with customisable rentals – solutions that are both eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Procurement leaders who understand these dynamics can collaborate with creative teams to balance design excellence with budget and environmental considerations.