Event Sales Consultant (Freelance)

Nottingham Contemporary and Broadway are two of the city's leading cultural venues, each offering distinctive spaces for hire alongside a strong programme of screenings, exhibitions, events and activities.

Both sit centrally in Nottingham, both bring in-house expertise to every event, and both have a track record of successful commercial hires.

About the role

This is a proactive, externally facing sales role focused on generating new commercial venue hire income across both organisations.

You will be the primary driver of new business, working across both venues to identify opportunities, build client relationships, and convert leads into confirmed bookings. Once a booking is confirmed, delivery is handed over to the internal team at the host venue, leaving you free to keep selling. You will help shape compelling hire propositions for both venues by understanding what clients need.

Because you work across two organisations in a shared capacity, the role calls for a collaborative, transparent and commercially even-handed approach, showcasing both venues fairly and recommending whichever best fits the client.

Key responsibilities

Sales development

• Identify and pursue new business across the corporate, public and creative sectors
• Respond to and convert enquiries with tailored proposals and pricing, working to each venue's signed-off rate card
• Build and maintain an active pipeline of prospective clients for future bookings
• Develop client relationships that lead to repeat business for the venues

Joint offer and positioning

• Showcase both venues fairly, maintaining a coherent and competitive proposition, and work closely with each venue's events team
• Recommend the most suitable venue based on the client's needs and venue’s capabilities

Sales materials and packages

• Work with each venue's marketing and communications team to improve hire materials
• Help develop new hire packages with each venue
• Provide venue walkthroughs for clients where needed
• Pass on client feedback to both venues so they can improve their commercial offer where required

Relationship management and handover

• Ensure a smooth handover of confirmed bookings to the delivery teams
• Keep accurate, up-to-date records of leads and pipeline
• Log opportunities promptly so activity is transparent to both venues

Person specification

Essential

• A demonstrable track record of generating new business and meeting sales targets in event sales or business development
• Strong commercial awareness
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• A self-starter able to work independently and manage a pipeline with minimal supervision
• Confidence with proactive outreach, including approaching new prospects
• The ability to work collaboratively across two organisations and manage several stakeholders

Desirable

• Knowledge of the Nottingham and East Midlands market
• Established networks in relevant sectors (corporate, public, creative)
• Experience selling across multiple venues
• Access to a means of travel for occasional client meetings

Working arrangements

• Approximately 3 days per week
• Initial 6-month fixed-term freelance contract, with potential to extend subject to performance against target
• Priorities jointly agreed across both organisations (see Ways of working)

Fee and terms

• Fee of £14,000 for the initial 6-month term, funded equally by both venues
• Travel expenses allowance in addition to the fee [rate to be confirmed]
• Potential to extend subject to performance against target

Targets and performance

• You will work to a combined new-business income target across both venues, measured on business you proactively originate. Clear definitions of what counts as new business will be provided at the outset.
• A mid-point review at three months acts as a two-way checkpoint: an opportunity to review progress, confirm the balance of activity across both venues, and course-correct if required. This review considers both the consultant's performance and the support the venues are providing.
• You will maintain an active prospective client pipeline, provide regular written reports where required and attend regular review meetings with both venues.

Ways of working

• Joint owners: Simon Ackrel (Operations Manager, Broadway) and Sam Harrison (Senior Visitor Experience & Retail Manager, Nottingham Contemporary) jointly own the role and agree priorities together.
• Day-to-day / operational contact: Laura Cubley (Head of Events, Broadway); Holly Matthews (Events Planner, Nottingham Contemporary)
• Prioritisation: a regular joint check-in aligns priorities across both venues and resolves any competing demands on your time.
• Authority: you work to each venue's signed-off rate card and issue each venue's standard, non-negotiable terms and conditions. Discounts are not within your standing authority and are assessed case by case by your operational/day-to-day contacts. All provisional holds are placed through each venue’s events calendar, to which you will have access.
• Sign-off: each venue retains final sign-off on events
• Confidentiality: commercial information, client records and pipeline data are handled confidentially and remain the property of the venues.

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