Commercial Sales Director - Exhibitions and Sponsorhips

We Are Aspire; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment firm is seeking a Commercial Sales Event Director in London to lead the commercial strategy for a flagship international exhibition. The ideal candidate will have 7-10 years of B2B sales experience, a proven track record of exceeding targets, and strong relationships in the defense industry. This position offers a base salary of £80,000 plus commission and excellent benefits, including international travel opportunities.

Benefits

£80,000 base salary

Commission

Excellent benefits

International travel opportunities

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of experience in B2B sales, ideally within international exhibitions.
• Proven track record of exceeding targets and growing revenues.
• Experience managing sales teams and confident at negotiating with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales strategy to achieve revenue targets.
• Drive exhibitor and sponsorship acquisition.
• Build and manage relationships with key stakeholders.

Skills

B2B sales experience

Strong network in defense/security

CRM skills (Salesforce)

Communication and negotiation

Education

Degree educated

Job description

Overview

Commercial Sales Event Director - Flagship International Exhibition
London | £80,000 + Commission + Excellent Benefits

I am recruiting on behalf of my client for an and experienced Sales Director to lead the commercial strategy for a flagship Pan-African defence and security exhibition and conference.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy to achieve revenue targets
• Drive exhibitor and sponsorship acquisition across defence, aerospace, security, and related sectors
• Build and manage strong relationships with defence contractors, government officials, international delegations, and trade associations
• Lead and mentor a small but high-performing sales team, monitoring performance and KPIs
• Collaborate with marketing, content, and operations teams to ensure consistent messaging and delivery
• Oversee international agents and country pavilions to maximise participation
• Monitor global defence market trends, identifying new opportunities for growth

About You

• 7-10+ years of B2B sales experience, ideally within large-scale international exhibitions (experience in defence, aerospace or security strongly preferred)
• Proven track record of exceeding commercial targets and growing revenues
• Strong network within the African and global defence/security industries (experience with events such as IDEX, AAD, DSEI is an advantage)
• Degree educated with excellent commercial and strategic leadership skills
• Confident communicator and negotiator with senior-level stakeholders
• Experience managing and motivating sales teams
• Comfortable working across diverse geographies and cultures
• Willingness to travel extensively across Africa and internationally
• Strong CRM skills (Salesforce desirable)

Package

£80,000 base salary + commission

Excellent benefits

International travel opportunities

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially astute sales leader who thrives on building global partnerships and delivering growth on a high-profile international stage.

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