Event Sales Manager

We’re not hiring people to fill a seat or add to our headcount. We’re hiring people to craft our culture, ethos and success. This is a big deal for us, and we know it’s a big deal for you: a new role defines how you spend your days, who you spend them with, and what your future looks like. Together, we’ll shape each other’s entire trajectory. That deserves thoughtfulness, empathy and respect. It’s why this job description is deliberately detailed. We want you to know exactly what you’re stepping into. The challenges, the opportunities, the quirks of the role, and the kind of impact you’ll have.

Us Crafted is a series of life-friendly hotels and spaces where guests can be themselves and fill up on the good stuff: nature, food, wellbeing, craft, people and play. We hope to open several hotels in the coming years, with our first coming in summer 2025: Crafted at Powdermills, East Sussex. More specifics will follow as planning and pieces fall into place.

So, for now, here’s the sentiment behind Crafted… It’s easy to get overwhelmed by life. To switch to autopilot and go through the motions. We’re busy but not on the things we love doing, we spend more time on our phone, and we misplace our bounce and spark. In short, Dr Evil’s stolen our mojo. We all need a tune up now and again. To escape to somewhere that makes us feel totally at ease. Not so we can step away from life, but so we can come back to it. This is where Crafted comes in. Our aim is to create a network of connected destinations that people come back to again and again because it’s where they feel good about life. Somewhere to work on life, come together, and connect locally.

Your Crafted’s culture will be inclusive and agile, but with ambitious goals and a start-up mentality. We need to execute brilliantly from day one and every team member will contribute wherever they are able. Working closely with the Head of Sales, you’ll actively grow the MICE segment, with a focus on group residentials, corporate offsites, travel trade, private dining and leisure groups. You won’t just win the business—you’ll shape the experience. From first enquiry to final delivery, you’ll ensure every event feels considered, seamless and unmistakably Crafted. Your ability to build trust, create memorable moments, and turn one-off bookings into long-term relationships will set you apart. You’ll collaborate closely with the Head of Sales and Operational Team to maximise revenue and deliver exceptional guest experiences through clear, confident communication. This is a hands‑on role for someone who thrives across both sales and operations—someone who enjoys the pace, the detail, and the opportunity to bring a new brand to life through standout events.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage all incoming MICE and event enquiries, ensuring accurate system input (Event Temple) and timely, tailored proposals.
• Prepare proposals, contracts, invoices, and negotiate terms.
• Lead site inspections and confidently convert both corporate and social event opportunities.
• Collaborate with clients to design and shape their events—advising on flow, set-up, menus and guest experience to elevate each occasion.
• Take ownership of the event journey from enquiry through to execution, ensuring every detail is captured, communicated and delivered.
• Manage the Event Planner, setting clear priorities, overseeing workloads and ensuring smooth coordination across all events.
• Provide guidance and support to the Event Planner throughout the planning process, maintaining consistency, quality and attention to detail.
• Coordinate closely with events, catering and operations teams to ensure seamless delivery on the day.
• Oversee the event planner, who will act as the main point of contact for clients throughout the planning process, managing timelines, expectations and last‑minute changes with ease.
• Oversee function sheets and weekly ops meeting, ensuring timely communications to the hotel ops team.
• Monitor room inventory for group blocks, optimising yield while balancing guest experience.
• Issue contracts, rooming lists and detailed event schedules with accuracy and clarity.
• Manage amendments, cancellations and special requests across all group and event bookings in a calm, solutions‑focused way.
• Prepare and issue accurate event invoices, process and confirm payments, maintain accurate accounting records, resolve billing queries.
• Be present for key events where needed, ensuring delivery matches the promise and stepping in to troubleshoot where required.
• Manage client show rounds expertly.
• Collaborate with the Sales & Revenue teams to align group pricing, forecast demand, and support revenue targets.
• Track performance against sales targets and KPIs; provide regular weekly pipeline reporting to senior management.
• Ensure all MICE reservations comply with hotel policies and revenue management strategies.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 3 years of proven experience in the hotel MICE market.
• Knowledge of Event Temple and Mews booking platforms.
• Exceptional knowledge of corporate sales and event bookings, ideally for large, high-performing hotels or venues.
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Organised and detail‑oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.
• Ability to manage and lead a team member.
• Willingness to embrace a start‑up mentality and contribute beyond your core role.

Together we hire people with personality who have a desire to continuously learn. Each person should bring themselves to work to shape our culture and keep us real, interesting, and original. To create a comfortable environment for all, guests and staff, we prioritise teamwork over titles: no one’s too important to lend a hand, or too new to have a good opinion. We need low egos but high expectations: people who are humble enough to jump in, and serious about making an impact.

Three values we’ll expect you to live by:

• Enjoy it: it’s still work, but if you’re having fun then so are our guests. It’s ok if you’re humming behind the bar or moving with the music.
• Own it: whoever you are, and whatever your role, someone’s enjoyment is in your hands. Always keep an eye out.
• Improve it: ask for feedback (and don’t be scared of what follows), and be curious. We’ll give you plenty of chances to learn and develop.

Note: positive Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles are integrated across these three values.