Sales Manager - Events & Sponsorship
Location: Wimbledon (Onsite)
Salary: £35,000 - £42,000 base + commission
We are hiring a Senior Commercial Sales Manager to take ownership of sponsorship sales for a leading UK manufacturing event portfolio, including Smart Manufacturing Week - a flagship exhibition attracting over 13,500 delegates and approximately 450 sponsors annually.
This is a newly created senior role, introduced to elevate the commercial function following the replacement of a junior position. Reporting directly to the Director of Sales, you will play a key role in driving revenue, developing long-term sponsorship partnerships, and identifying new commercial opportunities across live events and digital platforms.
The Role
* Drive sponsorship revenue across Smart Manufacturing Week, comprising four co-located shows held annually in June.
* Manage a portfolio of UK, US, and EU clients, allocated alphabetically across the commercial team.
* Deliver new business through proactive outbound sales activity, alongside managing warm inbound leads.
* Build and maintain strong client relationships via phone, video, and face-to-face meetings.
* Identify new routes to market and uncover growth opportunities within the event and wider manufacturing ecosystem.
* Cross-sell sponsorship opportunities across related digital publications and content platforms.
* Work towards an annual revenue target of circa £330,000.
* Collaborate closely with the Director of Sales and fellow Commercial Managers to maximise event performance.
About You
* Proven experience in B2B sales, ideally within events, exhibitions, or sponsorship-led environments.
* Comfortable with high-volume outbound calling and proactive lead generation.
* Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify and develop revenue opportunities.
* Confident meeting clients in person and managing relationships at various seniority levels.
* Able to hit the ground running in a fast-paced, deadline-driven sales cycle.
* Experience selling to UK and international markets is advantageous.
Why Join?
* Work on a well-established event brand that has grown significantly over the last five years.
* Inherit an existing pipeline with significant revenue still available ahead of the June events.
* Busiest and most lucrative sales period runs December through March, providing strong earning potential.
* Join a collaborative commercial team, including experienced Sales Managers and a dedicated Director of Sales.
* Flexible, hybrid working with a family-friendly and understanding approach to working hours.
* Office location in Wimbledon, with plans to move to a larger space locally next year.
This role suits someone with prior exhibition or large-scale event sales experience who enjoys outbound sales and relationship-led sponsorship selling.
We Are Aspire Ltd are a Disability Confident Commited employer