Talent Buyer

Premier Concerts/Manic Presents; Waterbury (CT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Premier Concerts/Manic Presents in Connecticut seeks an experienced Talent Buyer to develop our concert calendar, identify opportunities, evaluate artist potential, and craft offers and financial projections. You will negotiate deals, manage show budgets, and build relationships with agents, managers, promoters, and venues to sustain a diverse programming slate.

Role requires flexibility outside traditional hours, travel as necessary, and the ability to assess market demand using data and

Qualifications

• Candidates must have a demonstrated professional track record of successfully buying and/or promoting concerts.
• This is not an entry‑level position; meaningful experience evaluating, negotiating, and executing live entertainment opportunities with financial risk is required.
• Experience with theater, amphitheater, and/or arena‑level events.
• Established relationships with agents, managers, promoters, venues, and other industry professionals.
• Strong knowledge of the national and regional touring landscape across multiple genres.
• Experience building show budgets, financial projections, ticket scales, and artist offers.
• Strong financial instincts with understanding of risk vs. opportunity.
• Ability to evaluate artist potential and market demand using data and professional judgment.
• Strong analytical skills with spreadsheets and ticketing data.
• Excellent organization, follow‑through, and attention to detail; strong written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with Senior Talent Buyer and team.

Responsibilities

• Identify, pursue, negotiate, and confirm artists and events for venues ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 seats.
• Develop a strong and diverse calendar with other Talent Buyers.
• Originate booking ideas and pursue opportunities aligned with programming strategy.
• Maintain understanding of national and regional touring activity, market trends and opportunities.
• Evaluate artists using historical ticket sales, market data, audience demographics and industry judgment.
• Identify opportunities across genres and develop routing opportunities.
• Build accurate show budgets, ticket scales, deal structures and financial projections.
• Prepare and submit artist offers based on demand, expenses and risk; negotiate guarantees and terms.
• Monitor event performance and settlements against projections; inform future decisions.

Skills

Proven concert buying experience

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Budgeting & financial analysis

Industry relationships

Independent worker

Job description

Talent Buyer

About the Role

Premier Concerts/Manic Presents, Connecticut’s independent concert promoter, is seeking an experienced Talent Buyer to join our team.

The position will help develop our concert calendar, identifying new opportunities, evaluating artist and market potential, creating offers and financial projections, negotiate deals, and maintaining strong relationships throughout the live entertainment industry.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Buying & Programming

• Identify, pursue, negotiate, and confirm artists and events appropriate for venues ranging from approximately 1,000 to 10,000 capacities.
• Work with other Talent Buyers in the office to develop a strong and diverse calendar.
• Independently originate booking ideas and pursue opportunities consistent with overall programming strategy.
• Maintain an active understanding of national and regional touring activity, artist development, market trends, and emerging opportunities.
• Evaluate artists using historical ticket sales, comparable markets, streaming and consumption data, audience demographics, competitive activity, and informed industry judgment.
• Identify opportunities across a broad range of genres and audiences.
• Proactively pursue routing opportunities and develop creative solutions to secure desirable events in competitive situations.

Offers, Deals & Financial Analysis

• Build accurate show budgets, ticket scaling, deal structures, and financial projections.
• Prepare and submit artist offers based on realistic assessments of ticket demand, expenses, market conditions, and financial risk.
• Negotiate guarantees, versus deals, bonuses, ticket pricing, expenses, and other deal terms with agents and artist representatives.
• Evaluate the financial implications and risk associated with different deal structures.
• Maintain disciplined assumptions when projecting attendance, gross potential, expenses, and profitability.
• Monitor event performance throughout the sales cycle and use results to inform future buying decisions.
• Review settlements and final event performance against original projections.

Industry Relationships

• Develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with agents, managers, promoters, venues, and other key industry partners.
• Maintain regular communication with agencies regarding artist availability, routing, holds, offers, and future opportunities.
• Continually expand relationships across agencies, genres, and areas of the touring industry.
• Represent Premier Concerts/Manic Presents professionally at industry conferences, events, showcases, and meetings, when necessary.
• Establish and maintain a reputation as a responsive, knowledgeable, trustworthy, and reliable booking partner.

Market Strategy & Development

• Maintain a deep understanding of the markets in which we operate, including audience behavior, competitive venues, historical performance, seasonality, and regional differences.
• Analyze ticket sales and market data to identify opportunities, risks, and changes in consumer demand.
• Identify developing artists and opportunities to build long‑term relationships as artists progress into larger venues.
• Evaluate opportunities beyond traditional concert bookings, including comedy, specialty programming, and other ticketed entertainment where appropriate.
• Contribute ideas and market intelligence to the company's broader programming and growth strategy.

Event Oversight

• Maintain ownership and awareness of booked events from confirmation through settlement.
• Work closely with marketing on campaign strategy, positioning, ticket pricing, and sales goals.
• Monitor ticket sales and remain actively engaged with event performance throughout the campaign.
• Work with ticketing teams on scaling, holds, pricing, inventory, presales, and on‑sale strategy.
• Coordinate with production and venue operations to ensure deal terms, artist requirements, and event expectations are clearly communicated.
• Attend events as necessary and maintain a working understanding of how booked shows perform operationally as well as financially.

Required Experience & Qualifications

Candidates must have a demonstrated professional track record of successfully buying and/or promoting concerts at the theater, amphitheater, or arena level.

This is not an entry‑level or developmental talent buying position. Candidates should bring meaningful experience evaluating, negotiating, and executing live entertainment opportunities where significant financial risk and responsibility are involved.

The successful candidate should have:

• A demonstrated track record of successful concert buying and/or promotion.
• Direct experience with theater, amphitheater, and/or arena‑level events.
• Established professional relationships with agents, managers, promoters, venues, and other industry professionals.
• Strong knowledge of the national and regional touring landscape across multiple genres.
• Experience building show budgets, financial projections, ticket scales, and artist offers.
• A strong understanding of concert deal structures and demonstrated negotiating ability.
• The ability to evaluate artist potential and market demand using both data and informed professional judgment.
• Strong financial instincts and a clear understanding of risk versus opportunity.
• Experience managing a high volume of holds, offers, negotiations, and confirmed events simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with spreadsheets, ticketing data, historical sales, and financial information.
• Exceptional organization, follow‑through, and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with the Senior Talent Buyer and broader team.
• Professional discretion when handling confidential artist, financial, and business information.

This position requires flexibility outside traditional business hours, including select nights, weekends, industry events, and travel as necessary.

Attending concerts is part of understanding the business, maintaining relationships, evaluating artists, and seeing firsthand how audiences respond.

About Us

Premier Concerts/Manic Presents promotes major artists as well as up‑and‑comers at various venues throughout Connecticut, includingCollege Street Music Hall,Palace Theater Waterbury),District Music Hall, Space Ballroomseasonally outdoors atWestville Music Bowl, and more