Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager London, UK

Convene Hospitality Group (CHG) operates a global portfolio of lifestyle brands focused on creating places and experiences that bring people together. The company designs, develops, and operates hospitality-driven destinations to host gatherings of all kinds, ranging from small corporate meetings to immersive brand activations and beyond. We love bringing people together in person, and that passion for great experiences extends to our employees as well. If you're interested in creating inspiring moments of connection, consider joining our team.

The Role

We're seeking a Business Development Manager to join our Business Development team as a dedicated "hunter," focused entirely on expanding our footprint across the corporate and association sectors and third-party production companies. You'll build the top of the sales funnel with high-value leads for the sales team to close.

This is a purely proactive, new-business role covering the UK and London's key inbound international markets. It calls for research, strategic and tactical sales activity, networking, and engagement with the wider event-tourism ecosystem. You'll be responsible for generating your own pipeline and securing qualified RFPs from sectors, brands and organisations that have never hosted events in the Convene and etc.venues portfolio or reactivating those that have lapsed for 12 months or more.

We’re Here For You - At CHG, you’ll receive:

Health and Wellness

• Private medical insurance
• Subsidised eye care
• Subsidised fitness membership
• Employee Assistance Program: well-being support and personal advice programme

Time Off and Work-Life Balance

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and company sick pay
• Financial Support and Benefits
• Bonus scheme
• Interest-free loan for rail season tickets & further education
• Subsidised bicycle purchase through Cycle to Work scheme

Professional Development and Recognition

• Continuous professional and personal development support
• Employee recognition and reward programs to mark achievements and milestones

Community and Impact

• Opportunities to volunteer, donate, and participate in community give-back initiatives
• The opportunity to have a significant impact on your team and the business in the work that you do

What You'll Do:

• Prospect, qualify and target new business opportunities across the UK and international markets, as directed by the Head of Business Development.
• Meet and exceed ambitious lead-generation goals and KPIs for qualified appointments and site tours with new prospective clients.
• Self-generate 100% of your pipeline through cold calling, email outreach, networking events, social selling and creative outbound strategies.
• Partner closely with the Head of Business Development, Director of UK Sales, Head of Field Marketing and Assistant Director of Sales to identify new markets, use cases and buyer personas informed by business needs, event-industry trends and market research.
• Conduct compelling site inspections, virtual tours and client presentations that showcase the value of CHG's brand portfolio
• Maintain accurate, detailed and up-to-date activity, pipeline and account data in our CRM
• Report into the Head of Business Development and contribute to commercial meetings and regional reporting
• Attend industry trade shows, networking receptions and agency events to actively prospect for new business, in line with the commercial strategy and core business development objectives

What We Look For:

• 5+ years of experience in a commercial role within the UK meetings and events industry
• Proven track record in proactive selling or business development in London’s corporate and agency markets
• Knowledge of European corporate markets ideal but not mandatory
• Exceptional networking abilities and relationship-building sales skills
• Capable of working independently while thriving in a team-oriented environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Strong social selling skills

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