Event Sales Manager - Italy

Job description

About : The Rolex SailGP Championship is the most exciting racing on water, where anything can happen in short, adrenaline-fueled battles between national teams at iconic stadium destinations worldwide. Top athletes fly in identical high-tech F50 catamarans faster than the wind, at speeds in excess of 100km/h (60mph). Founded in 2018, SailGP is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and entertainment properties, now in its sixth season. SailGP also races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. Underpinning the organisation’s purpose-driven agenda is a diversification of the league, with the goal of immediately progressing gender equity and inclusivity. SailGP is a global organisation with defined values that shape the culture of its team – Deliver Quality and Consistency; Evolve with Focus; Make it Count; Stand Together and Strike a Balance. Summary: The Event Sales Manager, Italy is a commercially driven sales leader responsible for generating sponsorship & hospitality revenue and developing commercial partnerships around the Rome Sail Grand Prix, taking place on September 11/12, 2027. The role will focus on identifying, developing, and closing new business opportunities with Italian and international brands, supporting the growth of SailGP's commercial presence in the Italian market. Working closely with the global commercial, event, marketing, and partnership activation teams, this role will own the sponsorship & corporate hospitality sales process from prospecting and relationship development through to negotiation and close. The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of the Italian sponsorship landscape, an established network of brand and agency relationships, and a proven ability to deliver against revenue targets. The role will also interact closely with the Italy SailGP Team to ensure we are maximising commercial opportunity from the Italian market. Key Responsibilities: Partnership Sales & Revenue Generation: Develop and execute a sponsorship sales strategy for SailGP event in Italy to meet and exceed revenue targets. Identify, prospect, and close new sponsorship and partnership opportunities across priority categories Build and manage a strong pipeline of prospective partners, using CRM tools to track activity, manage opportunities, and forecast accurately. Develop compelling, tailored sales proposals and presentations that communicate SailGP's unique value proposition and commercial opportunities. Lead on the presentation of compelling SailGP Event propositions to key brands in the Italian market Support the global sales team in potential global partnership opportunities arising from the Italian market Work closely with the global corporate (hospitality) sales team to generate local hospitality interest and sales opportunities to complement the local market sponsorship process Secure corporate bookings for event hospitality packages (for relevant local and global brands) Market Development: Present a strong understanding of the Italian sports sponsorship and brand marketing landscape. Identify emerging opportunities, category whitespace, and competitive dynamics within the market. Support the Events team in identifying new inventory opportunities and partnership integrations Represent SailGP at relevant industry events, conferences, and networking forums to build relationships, generate leads, and increase commercial awareness. Qualifications: 5+ years of experience in sports sponsorship, commercial sales, business development, media sales, events, or a related field, with a proven track record of delivering revenue. Demonstrated experience managing the full sales cycle and closing sponsorship or partnership deals Strong knowledge of the Italian sports, sponsorship, and brand marketing landscape. Existing relationships with senior contacts across Italian brands, agencies, and/or media partners. Strong presentation, negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills. Highly organized with strong pipeline management and forecasting skills. Comfortable working independently while collaborating across a fast-paced, international organization. Fluent Italian and strong English language skills required. Passion for sailing, sport, entertainment, or premium/international brands a plus. Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience preferred. Location: Rome, Italy. This role is offered on a contractor basis for an initial period of 12 months. The successful individual will be engaged as a contractor rather than as a permanent employee, with the engagement expected to run for the full 12-month term, subject to the agreed contractual terms. SailGP is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion.