Business Development Manager — Events & Nightlife

About the Role

This is a business development role at a seed-stage startup in the event and entertainment technology space, backed by top-tier investors and founded by a proven operator. The company serves both mid-market and independent event organizers, and this hire is specifically focused on solving top-of-funnel lead generation by bringing in someone whose network is already alive and active in local events and nightlife.

The ideal candidate is someone who can open their contacts app on day one and start making calls, not someone who needs to spend the first quarter building a list. Whether your background is as an account executive at a ticketing platform, a promoter, a venue manager, or a DJ who knows every organizer in your city, what matters most is that you have direct, personal relationships with the people who run local events and can turn those relationships into signed accounts.

Key Responsibilities

1. Tap your existing network of event organizers, venue operators, promoters, and DJs to generate warm leads and move them through to close
2. Run product demos, pitch to decision-makers, and negotiate commercial terms including fee splits, guarantees, and exclusivity end to end
3. Convert every signed client into a referral source by deliberately deepening and expanding your network beyond your initial contacts
4. Supplement warm outreach with targeted outbound prospecting including cold introductions and direct messages as a secondary channel
5. Stay engaged after the deal is signed by supporting onboarding and occasionally attending a new client's first event to cement the relationship
6. Collaborate with the Head of Business Development to refine top-of-funnel strategy and flag patterns from the field

Required Skills & Experience

• 2 to 6 years of experience in business development, account management, partnerships, or customer success within ticketing, events, or nightlife
• An existing, active personal network in the local events and nightlife space; you should be able to name 10 to 20 contacts you would call on day one
• Direct relationships with business owners and decision-makers, not secondary or referral-only connections
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate commercial deal terms and close on live calls or demos
• Clear, confident communicator who can pitch and hold a business conversation without hesitation
• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, early-stage environment with minimal process

Preferred Skills

• Background as a DJ, promoter, venue or bar manager, or nightlife general manager that gives you firsthand community access
• Prior experience at a ticketing or events platform such as Eventbrite, Luma, Posh, Dice, Shotgun, or a comparable company
• Experience running outbound prospecting campaigns as a complement to warm network outreach
• Familiarity with equity compensation structures and startup environments