Event Manager, Natural & Organic Food Show

Diversified Business Communications UK Ltd; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Pension contribution up to 10%

Discretionary company bonus

Flexible start times

Hybrid working

Wellbeing package

Volunteer day

Job summary

Diversified UK & Europe, Brighton Office, is seeking an experienced Event Manager to lead two co-located trade shows within the NOFS and Artisan Food & Drink Show portfolio. You will drive revenue from stand space, sponsorships and digital advertising while guiding a small sales team and coordinating international partners.

You will build strong industry relationships, craft compelling proposals, and manage end-to-end client delivery across both shows, with hybrid working and in-person event

Qualifications

• Established event manager with a track record of hitting revenue targets.
• Experience selling exhibition space, sponsorships and related services.
• Experience managing international sales agents and pavilions.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive revenue through stands, sponsorships and digital ads.
• Lead and develop a small sales team to hit targets.
• Manage international agents and secure pavilions.
• Build relationships with associations and trade bodies.
• Write compelling proposals and prospecting emails.
• Conduct high level meetings with senior contacts and convert to long-term relationships.
• Develop new business via calls, emails and industry events.
• Hit and exceed revenue targets consistently.

Skills

Event management

Sales leadership

Team management

Sales prospecting

Relationship building

CRM riding

Proposal writing

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Event Manager - Diversified UK & Europe: Brighton Office, UK

Full-time, permanent role

The Opportunity

We are recruiting for a full-time Event Manager to manage two co-located trade shows at the heart of the specialist food and drink calendar:

• Natural & Organic Food Show (NOFS). The go-to destination for retailers sourcing organic, functional and plant-based products.
• Artisan Food & Drink Show. The must-attend event for deli, farm shop and retail buyers looking for smaller-scale, premium producers.

Both shows form part of The London Food & Drink Festival at ExCeL London. NOFS has been the definitive trade event for natural, organic, plant-based and free‑from food and drink for 30 years, and alongside the Artisan Food & Drink Show it is more compelling than ever. This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious, commercially minded sales leader with a real appetite for product growth, looking to develop their career within a forward-thinking events company.

And unlike most sales roles, you’ll see the results of your work in person. When the doors open and the floor fills with thousands of industry professionals, it’s a feeling our sales team consistently say makes this job unlike anything else.

About Diversified UK & Europe

We’re a Brighton-based events company, part of the global Diversified Communications group, connecting, educating and strengthening business communities through market-leading trade shows, industry awards, digital products and publications. We organise 20 in-person trade events and 4 industry awards across a range of sectors, creating the kind of valuable business connections that help companies grow. With a team of around 100 people, we’re large enough to offer variety and structure, but small enough that individuals make a real difference.

We’ve won Employer of the Year two years running (2025 and 2026). Not because we tick boxes, but because we genuinely invest in our people. Flexible working, a collaborative culture, and a leadership team that listens are things we’re proud of, not just things we say.

THE ROLE

What You’ll Be Doing

Day-to-day, you’ll be:

• Owning and driving revenue – exhibition stand space, sponsorship packages and digital advertising, using strong objection-handling skills to win and retain exhibitors
• Leading and developing a small sales team to hit individual and team targets
• Managing international sales agents and securing international pavilions
• Building solid, lasting relationships with associations and trade bodies
• Writing compelling sales proposals and prospecting emails that win business
• Conducting high-level meetings with senior industry contacts and converting them into long-term commercial relationships
• Proactively developing new business through calls, email, LinkedIn and in-person outreach – including attending industry events to represent NOFS and the Artisan Food & Drink Show and generate leads
• Hitting and exceeding individual and team revenue targets consistently across the year
• Developing a deep understanding of the competitive landscape and using that insight to sharpen the commercial approach
• Using Salesforce and sound data management to keep pipeline data accurate and generate reports for senior leadership
• Working closely with operations, marketing, finance and other departments to ensure seamless delivery of client requirements across both shows
• Attending NOFS and the Artisan Food & Drink Show on-site, supporting clients and helping to deliver a great experience for exhibitors and sponsors

YOUR PROFILE

What We’re Looking For

We’re not after a perfect CV – we’re after the right person. You’ll probably be:

• An established event manager, commercial manager or sales manager with a strong track record of hitting revenue targets, selling stand space or similar in events, exhibitions, media or publishing
• Confident and credible across multiple channels – phone, email, LinkedIn and in person. You know how to open doors and build relationships that last
• Commercially sharp and strategically minded – you have a strong commercial outlook and an appetite for product growth, and think about the portfolio as a whole, not just the next deal
• Experience managing a team, with excellent sales skills and objection handling
• Good knowledge of Salesforce and data management
• Brilliant sales writing skills for proposals and prospecting emails
• Experience managing international sales agents and securing international pavilions, with the ability to build solid relationships with associations and trade bodies
• An understanding of the food and drink retail sector, especially natural, organic, healthy and sustainable categories
• Organised, methodical and collaborative – you follow through on commitments and bring others with you

If you’re already operating at management level and looking for a portfolio with real commercial ambition behind it – we’d like to hear from you!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What’s in It for You

We know you have options, so here’s why people enjoy working here:

• A role with real ownership – you’ll be trusted to get on with it, not micromanaged
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays – and we close over Christmas and New Year on top of that
• An employer pension contribution of up to 10% - significantly above the statutory minimum and one of the most generous schemes you’ll find at a company of our size
• A discretionary company bonus scheme – when the business does well, everyone shares in that successA comprehensive wellbeing package including a cash health plan, EAP, life insurance, critical illness cover, bereavement support, and a contribution towards gym membership or a wellbeing app
• Flexible start and finish times, so you can work around your life
• Hybrid working – Monday to Thursday in our lovely Brighton office and Friday working from home
• Cycle to Work scheme and Electric Car Scheme
• Ongoing professional development – in-house training, curated programmes, and dedicated self-directed learning time
• A paid volunteering day to give back to a cause that matters to you
• Genuinely family-friendly policies, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• A colleague referral scheme – because the best people often know the best people
• Regular social events – from book clubs and game nights to our annual Star Awards and Christmas party
• A two-time Employer of the Year winner (EN Awards 2025 & 2026) – an accolade that reflects how we actually treat our people

Where Could This Lead?

We promote from within wherever we can. For the right person, this role is a strong platform for broader commercial leadership – across a wider portfolio, at a more senior level, or both.

Competitive