WHAT DOES AN EVENT SALES MANAGER DO?

Updated: Jun 03, 2025 - The Event Sales Manager achieves sales targets by generating leads, securing event revenue, and strategically up-selling services. This role involves managing full-service event planning, including catering, venue selection, staffing, and execution for corporate and social events. The manager also builds and maintains client relationships through networking, marketing efforts, and regular collaboration with internal teams.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Event Sales Manager

1. Event Sales Manager Key Accountabilities

  • CRM Management: Manage and increase event data via CRM
  • Target Achievement: Hit and exceed all targets
  • Business Development: Identify and source new business opportunities
  • KPI Achievement: Meet and exceed set KPIs across call rates, new prospects, and targets
  • Goal Setting: Set and achieve weekly goals and targets as part of a team
  • Cold Calling: Cold calling to maintain a consistent pipeline of prospects
  • Lead Follow-up: Follow up on incoming lead generation prospects from marketing and data team
  • Account Management: Account manage existing clients and cross-sell into other events where relevant
  • Client Meetings: Host face-to-face meetings with new and existing business
  • Sponsorship Upselling: Upsell sponsorship opportunities and bespoke solutions for clients
  • Industry Knowledge: Knowledgeable of all targeted products, competitors, and industry sectors
  • Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively as part of the portfolio team to exceed portfolio targets and tasks set
  • Cross-selling: Identify opportunities to cross-sell into other products within the business
  • Business Development Support: Work closely with the Head of Sales and Portfolio manager on the business development of events and additional products
  • Event Administration: Manage and maintain all event administration

2. Event Sales Manager General Responsibilities

  • Sales Management: Receive and convert day-to-day sales enquiries across the venue and relish event catering
  • Event Coordination: Coordinate open days and evenings
  • Marketing Collaboration: Work closely with marketing to create new concepts and keep up to date with new ideas
  • Diary Management: Take responsibility for event diary management
  • Client Showcases: Host venue show-arounds and be flexible to accommodate evenings and weekends to suit the needs of the clients and business
  • Event Planning: Event planning and coordination throughout the customer's journey (5 weeks before the event baton pass onto operations)
  • Budget Management: Understand monthly and yearly budgets and look at ways to achieve and exceed them
  • Profit Margin Achievement: Work to achieve forecasted profit margins on each quote, working closely with the event operations team to understand the event costs and review the sales costs in line with these
  • Event Handover: Responsible for handing the event over to the operations team to ensure a smoother event delivery
  • Customer Support: Support customers and clients from initial enquiry through to feedback post-event, ensuring they have an exceptional experience at every stage
  • Menu Tastings: Deliver client menu tastings as outlined in the menu tasting process to secure new business, as well as to aid couples in choosing the right menus for them
  • Client Brief Delivery: Ensure that the client’s brief is delivered in a way that exceeds expectations and is achievable by the team, with a clean and clear handover to the operations team
  • Client Relationship Building: Build and retain client relationships to enhance experience and capture repeat business (investing and nurturing)
  • Event Support: Support on the day of events

3. Event Sales Manager Role Purpose

  • Business Prospecting: Prospect new business, retain past business, and follow up promptly to inquiries
  • Client Tours: Schedule and conduct tours for prospective clients and update and track all current client files
  • Roster Management: Manage Event Center Roster of Employees
  • Event Administration: Ensure the complete administration and execution of all planned events from booking, payment, floor plan, TV photos, linen ordering, set up/tear down, catering, bartenders, and clean up
  • Staffing Reports: Run weekly event staffing reports for management staff to ensure every event is properly staffed
  • BEO Meetings: Lead weekly BEO meetings on upcoming events for the week with the management team
  • Package Development: Assist in development and solicitation of banquet and event package plans aimed at conference business, local fundraising events, proms, holiday parties, etc., and encourage repeat business
  • Trade Show Attendance: Attend trade shows for promoting event and conference business
  • Booking Management: Ensuring all inquiries and bookings are recorded accurately in the TripleSeat software
  • Special Event Assistance: Assist with in-house planned special events
  • Review Management: Manage responses to The Shipyards Google, Facebook, Instagram, and website reviews about events
  • Social Media Management: Maintain “events” social media presence on Facebook and Instagram
  • Vendor Relations: Uphold relationships with local and event communities, vendors, and attend networking events and meetings

4. Event Sales Manager Essential Functions

  • Event Calendar Development: Assists the Food and Beverage Director with developing an annual entertainment and social calendar for Members within budget allowances
  • Function Scheduling: Works with sports sections and Food and Beverage Director to effectively schedule in-house functions without losing profitable events
  • Marketing and Revenue Generation: Responsible for active marketing and revenue generation within the legal room capacities for the private function facilities and services offered to Members and non-members, corporate and social
  • Catering Operations Management: Maintains an overview of the function and operation of the Catering department to include the Catering office and private function rooms
  • Event Planning: Plans, coordinates, and oversees large social events to maximize revenue
  • Relationship Management: Ensures the timely follow-up and pursuit of strategic relationships with customers and stakeholders to drive the highest levels of conversion
  • Budget Management: Implements and maintains the annual operating budget, including recommendations for capital improvements and replacements
  • Financial Monitoring: Fiscally reviews, monitors, and executes approved budget goals to include revenues, cost of material, catering payroll, and office operating expenses in the best way
  • Event Coordination: Coordinates and oversees major Club events/functions to ensure that they are adequately and properly carried out with the necessary arrangements
  • Pre-Event Planning: Plan and conduct pre-event meetings with clients and banquet team members to identify ways to enhance the member and guest experience
  • Customer Support: Assigned upon situation as the point-of-contact to give immediate assistance so that customers’ needs are met quickly and their event runs smoothly
  • Contract and Documentation Management: Oversees to ensure that appropriate documentation of contracts, function accounts, and deposits are accurately processed on time following the deadlines set by the Accounting department
  • Invoice Management: Supervise the timely delivery of Master Invoice to customers and facilitate payment

5. Office and Event Sales Manager Additional Details

  • Office Supply Management: Order office supplies and other purchases
  • Office Maintenance: Address any office issues (printer, A/C, lighting, phones, etc.)
  • Office Organization: Keep the office clean (dishes, organization of closets, general tidiness, maintenance issues)
  • Mail Distribution: Check and sort mail daily and distribute it accordingly
  • Office Operations: Oversee day-to-day office operations, including payroll submission, receiving log, etc.
  • Client Correspondence: Receive all event inquiries and conduct all correspondence with prospective and confirmed clients
  • Event Liaison: Act as the liaison between the client and the head staff to accurately communicate all pertinent details and information relating to that event, ensuring all parties involved are clear on all event components
  • Business Development: Develop new business relationships and opportunities to increase private event sales
  • Event Management: Oversee and manage all private events
  • Client Follow-Up: Ensure timely follow-up with clients, including Thank You’s and outreach for repeat business
  • Manager Meetings: Participate in weekly manager meetings to review all pertinent details regarding all upcoming events and catering at the related entities
  • Event Customization: Develop and create specialty items about each event, such as the printing of any menus and place-cards, along with any other details designed to make the event unique
  • Vendor Coordination: Work with outside vendors such as flower, linen, and rental companies to create a full-service event sector that can meet each client's particular needs
  • Sales Collaboration: Collaborate with the team to generate ideas and collateral to promote Private Events and Catering sales, including creative ideas to fill the space when not booked

6. Event Sales Manager Roles

  • Sales Goal Achievement: Achieving assigned sales goals within budget
  • Event and Catering Planning: Provide full-service event and catering planning, including custom-tailored menu creation, linen rental/decor coordination, event space selection, staffing, and execution for social and corporate events, weddings, and off-site productions
  • Event Coordination: Work with on-site Event Admin to facilitate the organization of menus, collateral, and leads
  • Weekly Review Meetings: Have a weekly one-on-one with the GM and EC to review weekly events and needs
  • Client Relationship Management: Maintain and develop relationships with current client base through networking correspondence and events
  • Lead Generation: Generate leads and gain event revenue through daily outside sales efforts
  • Revenue Maximization: Maximize revenue potential by strategically up-selling and offering targeted enhancements
  • Team Management: Oversee and direct front-of-house and back-of-house teams for all contracted private events
  • Logistics Coordination: Have weekly one-on-ones with the Director of Event Operations to discuss any logistical concerns as evaluated by the GM and venue-level team
  • Marketing Collaboration: Work with GM and corporate marketing team to address event collateral requests
  • Canvassing: Lead canvassing efforts in neighboring businesses weekly
  • Venue Buy-Out Monitoring: Monitor all venue buy-outs and be in attendance for the full execution of the event
  • Client Outreach Database: Maintain a database of all client outreach
  • Marketing Support: Assist in the distribution or delivery of marketing materials and conceptualization of marketing offers

7. Event Sales Manager Tasks

  • Event Research and Development: Actively research, develop, and participate in off-site event opportunities to build brand awareness
  • Marketing Liaison: Act as marketing liaison between corporate and management/staff
  • Client Communication: Maintain strong communication with the client through all facets of their event, and follow up personally afterward to ensure expectations were exceeded
  • On-Site Event Assistance: On-site to assist operations for larger and/or high-profile events and promotions
  • Sales Support: Work closely within the team to support and maximize sales and enquiry turnaround
  • Sales Operations: Lead and coordinate day-to-day sales operations
  • Event Day Support: Support the operations team on event days where necessary – i.e., supporting the ceremony, the initial meet and greet, and providing on-hand support if needed
  • Phone and Query Management: Answer the phone, divert the call to the relevant department, take messages, or deal with queries and enquiries
  • Administrative Support: Support the directors on basic administrative tasks at their request
  • Flexible Work Scheduling: Understand that there isn’t a structure to the working week – the working week is determined by the events diary and the requirements of the business
  • Event Collaboration: Collaborate with the Events Team for successful event execution
  • Sales and Budget Reporting: Assist in the creation and monitoring of sales and budgetary reports
  • Event Logistics Input: Participate in weekly BEO meetings for event logistics input
  • Event Setup Guidance: Attend booked events and guide event staff on setup and logistics

8. Event Sales Manager Overview

  • Team Management: Manage the current Meeting, Events, and Wedding Team
  • Operations Management: Plan and direct day-to-day operation of the Wedding, Meeting, and Sales functions to ensure maximum revenue and profitability while providing potential and existing clients with the highest level of sales service
  • Marketing Planning: Plan and implement annual marketing expenditures focusing on overall business in conjunction with the Director of Sales and Marketing (DOSM)
  • Forecasting and Reporting: Execute weekly forecast and revenue reports to the DOSM and General Manager
  • Activity Planning: Execute quarterly activity plans to create focus for the team and adapt activity to support business needs
  • Revenue and Target Achievement: Achieve revenue and targets for Corporate, Private, and Public events
  • Event Sales and Marketing: Sell and market Thomas Prior Hall’s weddings and commercial event services, ensuring the proposition is compelling and well communicated
  • Event Communication: Ensure the Event/Functions sheets are communicated to all departments with all correct information to the various other departments involved
  • Sales Activities: Perform day-to-day sales activity, including lead generation, sales calls, contracting and rate negotiation, site inspections, attendance at trade shows, client entertainment, and on some occasions, overseas sales trips
  • Wedding Showcase Coordination: Coordinate Wedding Showcases within Thomas Prior Hall each quarter
  • Account and Agent Management: Identification and management of assigned accounts/agents
  • Sales Territory Allocation: Allocate sales and segment territories to the Sales and Meeting Executive to ensure existing business is maintained and new business is developed

9. Event Sales Manager Functions

  • Campaign Collaboration: Input with the advertising and promotional campaigns in conjunction with the Sales and Marketing Events Team
  • Online Marketing Management: Liaise with Sales and Marketing, Events Team on the execution and effective management of online marketing
  • Collateral Production: Liaise with Sales and Marketing, Events Team on the production of hotel marketing collateral including brochures, flyers, special offers, posters, tent cards, etc.
  • Budget and Sales Planning: Input into annual Revenue Budget and Sales Plan with DOSM, General Manager, and Revenue Manager
  • Sales Correspondence Management: Ensure the accurate processing, distribution, recording/filing, and follow-up of all sales correspondence, including the execution of contracts, quotations, confirmations, cancellations, etc.
  • CRM Utilization: Utilise CRM system for client database building
  • Competitor Analysis: Identify key competitors and carry out regular competitor analysis, monitoring their performance, rates, and sales activity
  • Brand Promotion: Protect and promote the image of the hotel at all times, both in print and verbally
  • Market Awareness: Be fully aware of the main market developments and other factors that would influence business or create favourable market conditions
  • Event Coordination: Liaise with the Operational team accurately to ensure smooth delivery of events and weddings
Relevant Information
What Does An Event Specialist Do?
What Does An Event Producer Do?
What Does An Event Project Manager Do?