As Sales Executive, you will play a vital role in our award-winning exhibitions team, driving business growth through identifying, pursuing and converting sales opportunities for our UK Food & Drink Shows and London Coffee Festival. You will be responsible for the full sales cycle from lead generation to closing deals, working closely with prospects to understand their needs and demonstrating how our solutions can address their challenges. This role requires you to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
Your impact will contribute directly to the success of our events - uniting the food and drink industry, creating meaningful connections, and ensuring our shows continue to grow and thrive by strengthening our exhibitor community.
What You'll Be Doing- Generating and qualifying new sales leads through proactive outreach, networking and following-up on marketing-generated opportunities, achieving high activity including calls, emails, meetings, LinkedIn and face to face where required
- Owning and managing your sales pipeline, progressing opportunities through qualification stages and maintaining accurate weekly forecasts
- Creating compelling tailored proposals to sell exhibition spaces, sponsorship and digital opportunities to both existing clients and new business
- Developing an in-depth understanding of client business priorities to position solutions effectively and acquiring in-depth knowledge of the UK food & drink industry including market trends
- Achieving and surpassing individual and team revenue targets
- Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records within the CRM system to ensure visibility of sales activity and forecasts
- Representing the organisation at industry events to build relationships and identify new opportunities
- An understanding of sales principles, pipeline management and procurement processes
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to nurture client relationships, listen to and interpret client's challenges to offer solutions effectively
- An entrepreneurial flair with a determined outlook and a desire to deliver results
- Ability to work effectively within a motivated team, demonstrating resilience and positivity throughout the sales cycle
- Systems and technology capability, with a good understanding of Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint, and AI tools
- Experience in B2B sales, particularly selling exhibition space or sponsorship activities would be advantageous
- Familiarity with CRM systems and sales management tools such as Salesforce is beneficial
- Willingness to travel to industry events
- Generous annual leave -25 days plus standard England and Wales bank holidays for full-time employees
- Long service holiday reward - Receive an extra day's annual leave for each year of service after six years, up to a maximum of 30 days plus bank holidays for full-time colleagues
- Christmas office closure - Enjoy additional paid leave between Christmas Day and New Year's Day to cover discretionary office closure days
- Holiday purchase scheme - Buy up to three additional days' annual leave each year and spread the cost over up to six months
- MeDay - Take an additional paid day off to celebrate your birthday, a cultural or religious event, or another occasion that is meaningful to you
- Volunteering day - One paid day each year to support a charity, community group or cause close to your heart
- Hybrid and agile working - Flexible ways of working to help you balance work and life commitments (role dependent)
- Enhanced pension contributions - Benefit from employer pension contributions above the statutory minimum
- Life assurance - Providing financial protection and peace of mind for you and your loved ones
- Group Income Protection - Financial support if you're unable to work due to long-term illness or injury
- Family-friendly policies - Enhanced pay entitlements to support you and your family during important life events
- Health and wellbeing support, including:
- Healthcare cash plan
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Virtual GP service
- Health and wellbeing resources and tools
- Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - Supported by employee-led networks, with a culture where everyone feels welcome and valued. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer
- Cycle to Work scheme - Save money and support a healthier commute
- Electric Car scheme - Access an affordable and sustainable way to drive an electric vehicle