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Senior Events Sales Manager
Job Details
Job title: Senior Events Sales Manager
Reports to: Head of Events and Commercial Partnerships
Responsible for: Events Team
Salary: £40,000
Conditions: Permanent position, full time
Hours: 40 hours per week (inclusive of breaks), some evening and weekend work required
Annual Leave: 22 days + bank holidays
Background
Our client is more than just a cultural space; it is a vibrant community hub where creativity thrives, voices are heard, and everyone is welcomed and celebrated. They invite you to join them in their mission to enrich lives through the power of the arts.
Their vision is to empower the undervalued, unheard, and excluded communities through their creative and cultural spaces. They believe in creating a haven where every voice matters, where stories from all walks of life can be shared and celebrated. Their mission is rooted in a rich and influential theatre history, from which they have emerged as a dynamic new cultural hub. They are dedicated to presenting and collaborating with voices and perspectives that are often marginalised in mainstream funded culture.
Their commitment to building a strong connection with their community is reflected in their core values:
- Always be welcoming to their international community.
- Be radical and progressive in their thinking and activities.
- Be collaborative in their ambitions – nurturing new relationships locally, and beyond their immediate area.
- Most importantly, always celebrate their unique identity and growing accomplishments.
Purpose of the Role
The Senior Events Sales Manager is the senior sales lead within our client's commercial team, responsible for building a proactive sales operation that creates opportunities, develops pipeline and converts business into sustainable earned income. The role will lead the proactive sales strategy, with particular responsibility for growing their core hires business across rehearsals, auditions and workshops, while developing corporate, commercial and strategic venue relationships. The postholder will line-manage the Events Sales Manager and work closely with the Event Manager to ensure a strong transition from sales to delivery.
Sales Leadership & Business Development
- Lead and develop our client's proactive sales strategy, moving the team from a predominantly reactive model to planned outbound sales activity.
- Own the commercial sales pipeline and ensure sufficient quality and value to support income targets.
- Identify, target and develop new markets, clients and commercial opportunities across cultural, creative, corporate and other relevant sectors.
- Lead proactive prospecting and develop relationships that increase repeat, block and higher-value bookings.
- Work with the Head of Events and Commercial Partnerships to develop opportunities for multi-year venue partnerships and other forms of predictable, longer-term income.
- Use customer insight, market intelligence and sales performance data to identify opportunities and improve conversion.
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Core Hires Business
- Own the strategy for growing rehearsals, auditions and workshops, identifying priority client groups and markets.
- Develop targeted prospecting and sales activity to increase utilisation and visibility of the organisation's spaces.
- Develop compelling propositions and work with Marketing on campaigns, assets and case studies that generate qualified leads.
- Identify repeat and block-booking opportunities and monitor performance to improve results.
Sales Team Leadership
- Line-manage and develop the Events Sales Manager, setting clear objectives, priorities and performance expectations.
- Review pipeline, activity and conversion regularly and take action where performance or income is at risk.
- Coach and support the Events Sales Manager to develop strong prospecting, enquiry management, negotiation and conversion skills.
- Ensure clear processes are in place for enquiries, opportunities, quotes, follow-up and confirmed bookings.
- Build a culture of proactive sales, accountability, pace and excellent customer service.
Pricing, Packaging & Commercial Development
- Own the development of pricing and packaging with relevant colleagues, balancing demand, capacity, market position, value and profitability.
- Develop higher-value propositions that move beyond basic room hire and encourage package and ancillary income.
- Use customer feedback and commercial performance to improve the offer.
- Work with Marketing to ensure propositions are clearly communicated through effective sales and marketing assets.
Marketing & Campaign Development
- Work closely with Marketing to identify priority markets, audiences and opportunities.
- Brief and contribute to campaigns that support the sales strategy and generate qualified leads.
- Identify the content, assets, case studies and testimonials needed to support proactive sales.
- Share customer insight and market intelligence to strengthen the organisation's commercial positioning.
Commercial Management & Reporting
- Take responsibility for the commercial sales budget and sales performance.
- Maintain accurate pipeline and sales forecasting and report on income against target and emerging commercial risks.
- Track and analyse enquiries, pipeline value, conversion, booking value and utilisation.
- Ensure contracts, invoicing, CRM and commercial records are accurate and up to date.
- Contribute to the development of effective CRM systems and commercial dashboards.
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Client Relationships & Handover
- Ensure clients receive a professional, responsive and consistent experience throughout the sales process.
- Ensure confirmed bookings are handed over to the Event Manager with accurate and comprehensive information.
- Work collaboratively with the Event Manager to resolve issues arising from the sales-to-delivery transition.
- Use client feedback, testimonials and learning to improve future sales and generate repeat business, referrals and future opportunities.
Person Specification
Essential:
- Significant proven experience in events sales, venue hire, business development, hospitality, cultural venues or a related commercial environment.
- Demonstrable experience of proactive outbound sales, business development and building and converting a sales pipeline.
- Experience managing sales targets, budgets and commercial performance.
- Experience developing and maintaining strong client and business relationships, including repeat or strategic business.
- Experience managing, coaching or developing sales staff.
- Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills and the ability to work collaboratively across departments.
- Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
- A commitment to delivering inclusive, values-driven experiences.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM/sales management systems.
Desirable:
- Experience working in a cultural, theatre, arts or community venue.
- Existing corporate, creative, cultural or commercial networks.
- Experience selling rehearsal, workshop, audition, event or venue hire.
- Experience developing block bookings or multi-year venue partnerships.
- Knowledge of the London events, cultural and venue hire market.
Basic Terms & Conditions
Place of work will primarily be our client's venue in South London. The role will require flexibility to attend events, meetings and client engagements outside standard office hours where required.
How To Apply
Apply via the link on this advert.
Describe what attracts you to this position and provide clear evidence of your ability to meet the criteria outlined in the Job Description.
Application Process
- Log into the hire platform (Hireful), and complete the basic information
- Upload your CV
- Upload letter of application, no more than two sides of A4, size 12 font
Closing date: 16 September 2026
First Interviews: w/c 21 September
Second Interviews: w/c 28 September
REF-230602
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