Exhibition Sales Manger - Birmingham

Sales Manager, Mind Body Spirit Birmingham

Remote working but ideally based in the Midlands.

Mind Body Spirit is one of the UK's leading wellbeing and spirituality event organisers. Since 1977 we have brought exhibitors, speakers and visitors together at our flagship festivals at Olympia London and, since 2015, the NEC Birmingham, alongside concerts, conferences and touring events.

In 2027 we celebrate 50 years and will continue to grow our events across the UK.

About the role

As Sales Manager, you will take ownership of Mind Body Spirit Birmingham, our November festival at the NEC. Reporting to the Events Director, you will be responsible for selling stand space, sponsorship and other commercial opportunities to new and returning exhibitors.

Our exhibitors are at the heart of what we do. Many are independent practitioners, small business owners, makers and passionate people who have built their businesses around something they genuinely believe in. They bring their knowledge, creativity and individuality to our festivals, and selling to this community takes more than a traditional sales approach. It takes empathy, curiosity, commercial instinct and a genuine appreciation of what makes our exhibitors and their businesses special.

Driven, commercially sharp and community minded, you'll combine strategic thinking with hands-on selling. You're confident enough to hold yourself and others to a high standard, and kind in how you do it.

Numbers matter to you. You'll run a tight pipeline, forecast with confidence and report clearly, while making sure every exhibitor feels looked after from the first conversation through to show day and beyond.

You'll combine commercial ambition with a people-first approach, understanding that for many of our exhibitors, joining the festival is a significant investment in their business. You'll help them understand the opportunities available, find the right fit for their needs and build confidence in the value of taking part, while ensuring we meet our revenue targets and grow the show sustainably

As Sales Manager you will:

Shape and deliver the Birmingham sales plan with the Event Director, beating revenue, KPI and yield targets
Sell stand space, sponsorship and other commercial opportunities to new and returning exhibitors, growing income through pricing, upgrades, volume and new revenue streams
Keep our exhibitor offer in step with what the market wants, by talking to exhibitors and acting on their feedback
Build relationships with a diverse community of exhibitors, understanding their businesses, audiences and ambitions so you can recommend opportunities that work for them as well as for the festival.
Balance a warm, consultative sales style with the confidence to negotiate, overcome objections and close deals. You'll be commercially driven without losing sight of the people behind the businesses.
Own the Birmingham pipeline in the CRM, keeping it accurate and visible, and make sure everyone selling the show uses it properly
Forecast revenue for this year's show and the years ahead, track sales pace, and raise risks and opportunities with senior colleagues in good time
Report on commercial performance with clear insight drawn from the data
Build lasting relationships with key exhibitors, partners and stakeholders, and step in on larger or more complex deals and negotiations
Be the face of the show in the wellbeing industry and across the region, opening up new markets and new routes to exhibitors
Keep track of competitors and industry trends, visit industry and competitor shows to find leads, and turn what you learn into action
Work with across the team and support on sales for geographical locations for Festivals.
Work with Marketing and Programming teams on campaigns, messaging and sales materials, and with Operations and Finance to deliver the show and resolve issues
Manage the commercial side of the floorplan to get the most from every square metre, and help produce exhibitor materials such as the show guide, listings and floorplans
Plan and run the onsite rebook, creating a positive experience for current exhibitors and securing next year's revenue early.
Lead from the front onsite at the NEC during build, the show days and breakdown
Follow GDPR in every part of the sales process

Requirements

A successful track record in exhibition sales
A history of hitting or beating revenue targets and KPIs
Experience of writing a sales plan and making it happen
Strong pipeline, forecasting and reporting skills
A confident communicator and negotiator who gets on well with people
An empathetic, consultative approach to sales, with the commercial confidence to challenge assumptions and help exhibitors make informed decisions.
Well organised, with a close eye for detail
Strategic and commercially aware
Resilient, proactive and focused on solutions
Takes initiative, gets stuck in and makes things happen.
A team player who leads by example
Curiosity and a drive to identify new markets, partnerships and opportunities for growth.
Professional, credible and trustworthy
Passionate about events and about giving exhibitors and visitors a great experience
Enjoys meeting people, building lasting relationships and turning connections into business opportunities.
Experience in consumer events, exhibitions or media sales would be beneficial
Experience managing floorplans or mentoring junior colleagues would be an advantage
An interest in wellbeing, personal development and spirituality would be an advantage alongside an appreciation of the independent businesses and individuals who make up our exhibitor community.

Benefits

£36,000 basic salary plus a performance-related team bonus of 25% of salary
Remote working with flexible hours. If you need to pick up the kids or take the dog to the vet, that's fine
A relaxed, supportive and non-corporate team
An annual pay review
Free tickets to all MBS events and those of our event partners
Real ownership of a flagship festival in our 50th anniversary year

At Mind Body Spirit, we're a small team with a big community. We care about our exhibitors, our visitors and each other, and we want the people who work here to grow with us.

We're looking for someone who understands that commercial success and a genuine care for people can go hand in hand. Someone who can help our exhibitors thrive, bring new businesses into the MBS community and grow Birmingham into an even stronger festival, while staying true to the spirit of what we've been doing since 1977.

We're an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from everyone, and we're happy to make reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

Click here to apply

https://mbsfestival.typeform.com/to/Kpe3YzE2