Head of Sales, Custom Events

Introduction

The Economist Group is dedicated to the pursuit of progress and built on high-quality, independent analysis, a foundation of its businesses. Based in London and serving a global customer base, the Group produces digital and print content, global events, and offers a range of subscriptions and other services.

Economist Impact events is renowned as the premier provider of international forums for senior executives seeking strategic insights. Our portfolio includes industry conferences, management events, and high-level roundtables held globally. Each meticulously organised meeting offers objective and informed analysis, providing senior executives with unparalleled opportunities to gain insights, exchange views, and strategize effectively.

We are seeking a Head of Sales for Custom Events to develop a strong sales strategy and lead our sales team in meeting ambitious growth targets for our custom events portfolio. Reporting to the Head of Custom Events, this role will manage an experienced, regionally dispersed sales team to implement best practices and leverage The Economist Group’s brand strength to expand its client base across EMEA, APAC and the Americas.

Accountabilities

In this role you will be expected to:

• Develop key accounts and hit/exceed annual sales targets for bespoke event campaigns
• Drive revenue growth with a critical focus on new business opportunities, meeting personal sales targets and problem-solving to correct deficiencies and exploit new opportunities
• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan to expand the company’s client base across the event portfolio by region, key portfolios (sustainability, health care, tech and trade), industries (finance health care, tech and public sector) and key third-party event co-location
• Monitor, accurately report, and forecast business revenue and pipeline
• Motivate and manage direct reports to meet and exceed event sales targets, ensuring team accountability and high performance
• Ensure compliance with lead management, pipeline reporting, and sales forecasting using Salesforce
• Collaborate with other Economist Group departments and integrated sales teams to represent events effectively and align with the group's best interests
• Review budgets for custom event proposals and delivery, ensuring market viability and gross margins
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, ensuring high-quality experiences for sponsors and their clients
• Work closely with delivery team members, including marketing and programming, to implement custom event strategies across all regions
  
  

Experience, Skills And Professional Attributes

The ideal skills for this role include the following:

• Extensive experience in sales and sales management within the events industry
• Proficiency in event sales best practices, KPI monitoring tools and Salesforce
• Proven track record in building sales universes, developing new business and achieving substantial growth in event sales
• Strong leadership, organisational, and motivational skills demonstrated by the ability to motivate and lead a dispersed sales team
• In-depth knowledge of media and conferences markets, and familiarity with finance, health care, tech and public sectors
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with cross-cultural sensitivity and experience working effectively in international environments
• Ability to sell solutions beyond product offerings, emphasising value creation for senior stakeholders in various sectors
• Self-motivation, goal-oriented mindset, and ability to thrive in fast-paced, collegiate environments with flexibility for travel