Position
: Full time – permanent
Location: Gatwick / Hybrid
Are you a proactive, results-driven sales professional who excels at building strong relationships? Are you passionate about identifying new opportunities and driving business growth? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment, working with dynamic teams to achieve ambitious goals?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Manager to join our award-winning exhibitions team on the UK Food & Drink Shows. The Business Development Manager will be responsible for identifying new revenue opportunities and initiating contact with senior level executives from key brands within the sector. With a strong sales background, the role will excel at targeting key players, managing high-value accounts, and securing new business to meet or exceed financial and strategic targets.
What you’ll be doing:
1. Approaching, pitching, negotiating and closing senior level executives, utilising a mix of telephone-based sales and face-to-face engagement through industry meetings and trade shows
2. Developing and maintaining a robust sales pipeline across new business and existing clients, through Google, LinkedIn, social media, press releases, and other resources to gain insights into prospects
3. Nurturing and managing key accounts to increase revenue opportunities
4. Re-engaging with lapsed clients to explore renewed opportunities
5. Writing detailed commercial proposals, based on client’s requirements, incorporating costs and timelines
6. Delivering a personal contribution to achieving new business sales targets across the portfolio and providing input and execution of the strategic direction of the brands
7. Demonstrating in-depth knowledge of Food & Drink industry and keeping up with the latest trends
8. Working with the content and marketing teams and the wider business to support existing and developing new commercial opportunities
9. Attending international and national conferences and networking events to build relationships and uncover new sales leads
10. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records in CRM systems
11. Supporting onsite at the UK Food & Drink Shows and the London Coffee Festival
Requirements
What you’ll need:
12. Strong sales experience in a B2B environment is essential, preferably within media, exhibition or event sales, though specific sector experience is not essential
13. A proven track record of building, nurturing, and expanding high-value client relationships, with strong networking skills and a natural ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders
14. Strong commercial acumen and a strategic mindset, with the ability to identify growth opportunities, develop tailored solutions, and confidently close complex deals
15. An advance sales approach, with the ability to match product capabilities to client business needs, clearly articulate value propositions and offer innovative solutions
16. Exceptional communication, presentation and negotiation skills, both written and verbal, with experience engaging at a C-Suite & Senior Executive level
17. A proactive and results-focused approach, demonstrating high levels of initiative, drive and determination in a fast-paced, target-driven environment
18. A collaborative mindset and the ability to work cross-functionally, contributing to both individual and team success
19. Excellent organisational and time management skills to effectively manage multiple priorities
20. Experience using sales software such as Salesforce or similar is desirable
21. Willingness to travel both internationally and nationally to events and flexibility in working hours