Sr Events Sales Manager

Position Summary

A premier high-end restaurant group in New York City is seeking an accomplished Senior Event Sales Manager to drive private dining, corporate, social, and special-event revenue across a portfolio of sophisticated restaurant concepts and event spaces.

This position requires a highly connected, results-driven hospitality sales professional with a strong understanding of the New York City restaurant, corporate, luxury, and events market .

The Senior Event Sales Manager will be responsible for generating new business, developing high-value accounts, maximizing existing client relationships, and managing the complete sales cycle for private dining, restaurant buyouts, corporate events, social celebrations, brand activations, and VIP experiences.

The ideal candidate brings an established NYC network and a successful background within high-end restaurants, luxury hotels, premium catering, or upscale event venues .

Key Responsibilities

Event Sales & Revenue Generation

• Drive private dining and event revenue across multiple NYC restaurant locations and event spaces.
• Consistently achieve or exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals.
• Manage a portfolio of high-value corporate, social, luxury, and VIP accounts.
• Convert inbound inquiries while maintaining a strong emphasis on proactive new-business development.
• Sell private dining rooms, semi-private events, full restaurant buyouts, receptions, and customized dining experiences.
• Develop compelling proposals tailored to client objectives, budget, guest count, and event style.
• Negotiate contracts, food and beverage minimums, buyout fees, event packages, and other commercial terms.
• Maximize revenue through premium menu selections, beverage packages, enhancements, and strategic upselling.
• Identify opportunities to maximize event-space utilization during both peak and need periods.

Private Dining, Buyouts & Special Events

Generate and manage business including:

• Corporate dinners and receptions
• Executive and board dinners
• Client entertainment
• Financial and professional-services events
• Holiday parties
• Full restaurant buyouts
• Product launches
• Luxury-brand activations
• Fashion events
• Media and entertainment events
• Influencer and press events
• Cocktail receptions
• Weddings and rehearsal dinners
• Engagement celebrations
• Birthdays and milestone events
• Fundraising and nonprofit events
• Chef-driven dinners
• VIP and celebrity experiences
• Off-site catering and special events

Multi-Unit Restaurant Sales

• Sell event opportunities across multiple restaurants and concepts within the group.
• Maintain expert knowledge of each venue's capacity, layout, cuisine, beverage program, pricing, and ideal event profile.
• Match clients with the appropriate restaurant based on their specific event requirements.
• Cross-sell clients throughout the portfolio.
• Develop relationships that generate business across multiple restaurant concepts.
• Strategically manage event calendars to maximize revenue without compromising regular restaurant operations.
• Partner with individual General Managers and Executive Chefs to develop location-specific sales opportunities.

Key Account Management

• Develop and manage relationships with high-value NYC corporate and social accounts.
• Serve as a trusted hospitality resource for executive assistants, planners, agencies, and repeat clients.
• Develop account plans for organizations with significant annual entertainment and event spending.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing accounts across multiple restaurants.
• Track account activity, preferences, history, and future opportunities.
• Conduct regular outreach to maintain relationships beyond individual events.
• Develop repeat business rather than relying solely on transactional bookings.

Client Experience

• Serve as the senior sales contact for high-profile and complex events.
• Conduct polished site tours, client presentations, menu discussions, and tastings.
• Develop customized experiences based on the client's vision and objectives.
• Maintain exceptional responsiveness throughout the sales and planning process.
• Manage VIP and high-profile clients with discretion and professionalism.
• Conduct post-event follow-up to ensure satisfaction and secure future business.
• Build relationships that position the restaurant group as a preferred NYC hospitality partner.

Event Planning & Operational Partnership

• Translate contracted business into detailed operational plans.
• Prepare and review contracts, event orders, menus, timelines, floor plans, billing arrangements, and special requests.
• Coordinate culinary, beverage, audiovisual, entertainment, décor, security, staffing, and vendor requirements.
• Conduct detailed operational handoffs.
• Partner closely with General Managers, Executive Chefs, Beverage Directors, and event operations teams.
• Participate in pre-event meetings for major functions and buyouts.
• Maintain involvement with high-value events through execution.
• Ensure all commitments made during the sales process are communicated clearly and executed successfully.

Culinary & Beverage Sales

• Maintain sophisticated knowledge of the group's culinary concepts, menus, wine programs, cocktails, spirits, and beverage offerings.
• Collaborate with Executive Chefs on customized menus and chef-driven experiences.
• Confidently sell premium wine and beverage packages.
• Identify opportunities for wine pairings, specialty cocktails, premium spirits, and customized culinary experiences.
• Understand event pricing, minimums, margins, and profitability.
• Stay current on NYC dining, culinary, beverage, hospitality, and event trends.

Revenue Strategy & Forecasting

• Maintain an accurate and active event sales pipeline.
• Track leads, tentative business, confirmed bookings, conversion, lost business, average event spend, and account production.
• Prepare weekly and monthly sales forecasts.
• Monitor booking pace and identify periods requiring additional sales activity.
• Develop strategies to improve conversion and average event value.
• Partner with leadership on pricing, minimums, and revenue optimization.
• Maintain accurate information within CRM and event-management platforms.
• Provide competitive intelligence regarding the NYC private dining and event market.

Senior Team Leadership

• Serve as a senior resource and mentor to Event Sales Managers and Coordinators.
• Coach team members on prospecting, negotiation, closing, account development, and client management.
• Assist with onboarding and training new sales professionals.
• Share market intelligence, leads, and relationship-building strategies with the broader team.
• Help establish sales standards and best practices.
• Foster strong communication between Sales, Operations, Culinary, Marketing, and Finance.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of progressive event sales, private dining, catering sales, or hospitality sales experience.
• Strong experience within the New York City hospitality and events market .
• Background within a high-end restaurant group, fine-dining restaurant, luxury hotel, premium caterer, or upscale event venue.
• Demonstrated history of achieving or exceeding significant event sales goals.
• Proven ability to generate business through proactive prospecting , not solely inbound leads.
• Established relationships within the NYC corporate, social, hospitality, or event-planning community.
• Experience selling private dining, restaurant buyouts, corporate events, and high-value F&B experiences.
• Exceptional presentation, negotiation, and closing skills.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Sophisticated client-facing presence.
• Excellent organization and attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of restaurant and F&B operations.
• Experience with CRM and event-management platforms such as Tripleseat, SevenRooms, Delphi, Social Tables, or comparable systems .
• Ability to work evenings and weekends based on event and client requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Multi-unit NYC restaurant group experience.
• Fine-dining or chef-driven restaurant background.
• Existing NYC book of business and strong local network.
• Relationships with corporate planners, executive assistants, financial institutions, law firms, luxury brands, fashion companies, entertainment organizations, PR firms, DMCs, and experiential agencies.
• Experience with high-profile and VIP clientele.
• Experience managing significant annual event revenue.
• Strong wine, spirits, and culinary knowledge.
• Experience mentoring junior sales professionals.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a well-connected NYC hospitality salesperson and proven revenue producer who understands both the sophistication and competitiveness of the New York private dining and events market.

This individual is not simply an event planner. They are an experienced business developer, relationship builder, and closer who knows how to create opportunities rather than waiting for inquiries.

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly motivated and revenue-driven.
• Deeply knowledgeable about the NYC hospitality market.
• Well connected within the corporate and event-planning community.
• Confident conducting proactive outreach and developing new accounts.
• Polished and sophisticated with executive and luxury clientele.
• Passionate about restaurants, food, wine, and hospitality.
• Strategic in developing long-term client relationships.
• Comfortable selling multiple restaurant concepts.
• Highly organized and responsive.
• Creative in developing memorable client experiences.
• Skilled at negotiating large restaurant buyouts and high-value events.
• Able to mentor junior members of the sales team.

Measures of Success

Performance will be measured through:

• Achievement of individual event sales goals
• Year-over-year event revenue growth
• New NYC account acquisition
• Proactive sales production
• Lead-to-booking conversion
• Average event value
• Restaurant buyout revenue
• Growth of key corporate accounts
• Repeat and referral business
• Pipeline development and forecasting accuracy
• Client satisfaction and retention

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive senior-level base salary
• Performance-driven commission/bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• 401(k), where applicable
• Paid time off
• Restaurant and dining privileges
• Business-development and networking opportunities
• Career advancement within a growing restaurant group
• Opportunity to represent a premier portfolio of high-end NYC restaurants

This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished Senior Event Sales Manager with strong New York City relationships to take ownership of significant event revenue, develop high-value accounts, and expand the private dining and special-events business of a premier restaurant group.