Sales Manager Conference and Events

Sodexo; Brighton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited mental health & wellbeing平台

Employee Assistance Programme

Free health & wellbeing app

Sodexo Discounts Scheme

Salary Finance Platform

Pension/Retirement Plan

Death-in-Service benefit

Learning & development tools

Cycle to Work Scheme

Volunteering opportunities

Flexible benefits fund of £1,300

Free Lunches

Job summary

Sodexo Live! leads Conference & Events sales at the American Express Stadium, home of Brighton & Hove Albion FC.

You will drive the venue’s Conference & Events revenue, lead the sales team and build a sustainable pipeline across new and existing clients. This senior role requires delivering revenue growth, owning the sales plan, and collaborating with Marketing, Operations and Finance to deliver exceptional client experiences.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in Conference & Events sales or related B2B environment.
• Evidence of revenue growth and hitting targets.
• Strong business development and inbound/outbound sales skills.
• Excellent pipeline management, forecasting, and CRM discipline.
• Experience with key/strategic accounts and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Take commercial ownership of the venue’s Conference & Events sales performance and annual revenue budget.
• Lead, coach and develop the venue sales team with clear targets and accountability.
• Develop and execute a proactive sales plan targeting sectors, accounts and opportunities.
• Drive new business through prospecting, networking, partnerships, agencies and direct engagement.
• Grow existing client relationships and identify repeat business opportunities.
• Maintain a healthy, qualified sales pipeline with visibility of opportunities and revenue.
• Own forecasting accuracy and identify gaps with tactical actions to close them.
• Drive conversion across inbound enquiries while following an effective sales process.
• Use CRM and market insight to turn data into action.
• Build strategic relationships with clients and lead high-value opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to grow non-matchday utilisation of the stadium.

Skills

Conference & Events sales

Business development

CRM & forecasting

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Sales Manager Conference & Events

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, American Express Stadium, Village Way, Brighton BN1 9BL

£highly competitive + excellent bonus and benefits

40hrs pw 5/7 with flexibility to cover events

Flexible Benefits fund of £1,300 to utilise across an array of benefits

Free Lunches, free parking

Job Introduction

We’re looking for an ambitious and commercially driven Sales Manager to lead Conference & Events sales at the American Express Stadium, home of Brighton & Hove Albion FC.

This is a sales leadership role with real commercial ownership. You will be accountable for driving the venue’s Conference & Events revenue, leading a high-performing sales team and building a strong, sustainable pipeline across both new and existing customers.

We’re looking for someone who doesn’t simply respond to demand but creates it.

You’ll understand your market, identify where the opportunities are, develop new client relationships and ensure every opportunity is maximised through a disciplined and effective sales process.

Working closely with the wider Sodexo Live! Sales & Marketing team and venue leadership, you’ll help position the American Express Stadium as a leading year-round destination for conferences, meetings, corporate events, dinners, celebrations and large-scale experiences.

What You’ll Own

• Take commercial ownership of the venue’s Conference & Events sales performance and annual revenue budget.
• Lead, coach and develop the venue sales team, setting clear expectations, targets and accountability for performance.
• Build and execute a proactive sales plan that identifies target sectors, accounts and new revenue opportunities.
• Drive new business activity through prospecting, networking, partnerships, agency relationships and direct client engagement.
• Develop and grow existing client relationships, identifying opportunities for repeat business and increased account value.
• Maintain a healthy, qualified sales pipeline with clear visibility of opportunities, conversion and future revenue.
• Own forecasting accuracy and understand performance against budget, identifying gaps early and implementing clear tactical actions to close them.
• Drive strong conversion across inbound enquiries while ensuring the team consistently follows an effective sales process.
• Use CRM, market insight and sales data to understand performance and turn insight into action.
• Develop strategic relationships with key clients and personally lead significant and high‑value opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to grow non‑matchday utilisation of the stadium, including the Terrace and wider event spaces.
• Work collaboratively with Marketing to create demand, target priority audiences and develop campaigns that support the commercial plan.
• Partner with Operations, Culinary, Finance and other venue teams to ensure we sell experiences that can be delivered brilliantly for our clients.
• Champion a culture of pace, ownership, collaboration and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll bring:

• A strong track record in Conference & Events, hospitality, venues, hotels, stadia or a related B2B sales environment.
• Evidence of delivering revenue growth and challenging sales targets.
• Strong proactive business development capability alongside experience of managing inbound sales conversion.
• Excellent pipeline management, forecasting and CRM discipline.
• Experience developing key and strategic accounts.
• The ability to identify commercial opportunities and translate them into clear sales actions.
• Strong coaching and people leadership skills, with the confidence to set expectations and hold people accountable.
• Excellent stakeholder management and the ability to work effectively across Sales, Marketing and Operations.

Energy, curiosity and a genuine passion for winning business and creating exceptional client experiences. Above all, we’re looking for someone who wants to take ownership, someone who understands their numbers, understands their market and is excited by the opportunity to grow an exceptional venue.

What We Offer

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death‑in‑Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment
• Flexible Benefits fund of £1,300 to utilise across an array of benefits
• Free Lunches, free parking

About Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On-Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.