Job Description for Ticketing Sales Manager in the Marketing & Commercial Department
Company: EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby)
Job Title: Ticketing Sales Manager
Reporting to: Head of Commercial
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Starting Date: November 1st, 2024 Duration: Permanent Position
Background:
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) is the organiser of the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. EPCR’s mission is to create outstanding rugby experiences for all key stakeholders, including leagues, clubs, players, match officials, unions, fans, broadcast and commercial partners, communities and the media. Established in 2014 with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, EPCR has the following shareholders: Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR), Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR), Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Rugby Football Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby (SRU), Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), Premiership Rugby (PRL) and United Rugby Championship (URC). The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments feature clubs which have qualified on merit from their respective domestic leagues – the Gallagher Premiership, the TOP 14 and the United Rugby Championship.
EPCR is seeking to appoint a collaborative and committed individual to join and contribute to the success of our Marketing & Commercial Team in growing the value of our blue-chip club rugby competitions. Reporting to the Head of Commercial, the role is mainly aimed at maximizing ticketing sales revenues for the Investec Champions Cup Semi Finals and EPCR Finals Weekends. As part of this growth strategy, the individual will be responsible for launching and managing EPCR’s new owned and operated ticketing platform, including the appointment of a service provider to establish an in-house ticketing solution for EPCR’s owned events. The role will also involve acting as a liaison for clubs across both competitions, assisting with the commercial delivery of our partners’ rights and supporting the wider business with ticketing operations and hospitality programmes. This will include assisting with the distribution and fulfilment of EPCR’s ticketing and hospitality inventory across the pool and knockout stages as well as working as the organisation’s project lead for the semi-finals and finals ticketing operations, ticketing sales strategy and hospitality programmes.
The position will be located in the EPCR Head Office in Lausanne, Switzerland, and will involve occasional weekend work and travel across Europe.
Main Responsibilities:
- Work with the selected venues for the two Investec Champions Cup semi-final fixtures and the EPCR Finals weekend (EPCR Challenge Cup and Investec Champions Cup Finals) to:
- Lead on the pricing, scaling, manifest creation, stadium configuration and sales forecasting
- Lead on improving and managing the customer journey, data management and establishing and maintaining high levels of customer service and resolving customer service issues where required through the establishing of EPCR’s owned and operated ticketing platform with a third-party provider
- Lead on ticket & hospitality sales strategy and revenue reporting, any reporting required to assist financial reconciliation and/or the maintenance of all auditing procedures
- Lead on the maintenance of ticket inventories and placement of all ticket holds
- Lead implementation of new own EPCR Ticketing Platform across all streams including;
- Customer Service: coordination, management and response to all questions and complaints both in the build up to events and on match-days
- Ticketing operations: Work alongside stadiums to establish layout, products, kills, inventory management and customer journey
- Sales & Reporting: Develop on-sale timeline to keep demand and sales high, coordinating with marketing teams of EPCR, stadium and stakeholders to promote events, lead on reporting of sales trends
- Marketing: Work with marketing teams of EPCR, stadium and stakeholders to develop narrative and sales message for fans.
- Lead on ticketing and hospitality projects across both Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup during the pool stages and knockout stages:
- Acting as Club Liaison to ensure ticketing and hospitality delivery of EPCR’s Competitions Participation Agreement (PA);
- Building strong and effective relationships and engaging both internally, with EPCR colleagues, and externally, with the leagues, clubs, broadcasters, partners and suppliers to assist with the effective delivery of the competitions.
- Managing and delivering all EPCR partner and stakeholder requests for tickets and hospitality across all pool and knockout stage games in collaboration with the 42 competing clubs and/or host venues where applicable.
- The role requires the management of 1 direct report (Ticketing Executive)
Skills & Experience
- Minimum 5 years professional experience in a sports business, entertainment venue or promoter environment.
- Expertise and knowledge of all facets of ticketing sales and delivery for major events.
- Experience of establishing or working on an in-house ticketing platform for events to a similar standard and scale (e.g. Ticketmaster, Secutix, Tixserve, Eventim, Tick & Live).
- Proven knowledge and ability to work with commercial stakeholders and sponsors to deliver their requirements.
- Strong organisational and project management skills and an ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment, with diplomacy and flexibility.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to establish and maintain strong interpersonal relationships
- Self-motivated individual, able to work independently but aware of when to seek guidance and advice.
- Proven creative and innovative approach to problem solving.
- Knowledge of rugby and its major stakeholders in the Northern Hemisphere and South Africa preferable.
- Proficiency with Microsoft and other standard IT applications and tools.
- Languages:
- Excellent command of written and spoken English and French.
- Additional languages, such as Italian or Spanish, would be an advantage.
SBT Executive is working with UTMB to recruit their future Asia Key Account Manager.
The person we are recruiting will have the flexibility to be based wherever he wants across the Asian region.
Who we are?
UTMB Group is the global leader in the organization of trail running events. Based in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in the French Alps, UTMB Group launched the UTMB® World Series in partnership with The IRONMAN Group in 2022. The UTMB® World Series became the number one trail running series in the world, bringing together from 2022 about 41 (to grow) leading international events to give all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the globe.Who are we looking for?
UTMB® Group is seeking to appoint an entrepreneurial-minded, Mandarin-speaker UTMB Asia Key Account Manager with an international profile and proven experience in International Sport Business Management and development in Asia.Your mission and key responsibilities
As a UTMB Asia Key Account Manager, you will report directly to UTMB International Director. Your mission will articulate around the following objectives1/ Key Account Management of UTMB World Series Franchises in Asia
UTMB Group manages a set of Franchised events in Asia (so far: China, Thailand, and South Korea) that require day-to-day coordination. Your mission will include, but will not be limited to :- Managing day-to-day relations with our Asian Franchised events and hosts
- Being the key contact at UTMB Group for Asian Franchised events’ representatives
- Helping Asian Franchised events deliver state-of-the-art and premium trail-running events that comply to UTMB World Series guidelines and recommendations
- Coordinating multiple (internal and external) stakeholders in a challenging and highly multicultural environment
2/ Support to Business Development in China
- Your mission will be to contribute actively to the growth of the UTMB World Series in China (and more punctually in Thailand and South Korea), by supporting the UTMB Asia Director in identifying and generating opportunities to add new UTMB World Series events in those countries
Work location
- Asia (China or Hong Kong, China would be ideal)
- The UTMB Asia Key Account Manager will be required to travel frequently across Asia (UTMB World Series events, other events, business meetings...). He/She may also take part in meetings in France, Chamonix to coordinate with UTMB® Group team members and during strategic occasions (UTMB® Mont-Blanc week, key meetings etc.).
Profile & skills
- Minimum +5 years experience in the sports business and outdoor sports events industry, or in the management of franchises or clients in adjacent industries; understanding of trail running principles and values preferred
- Solid credentials and references confirming the above
- Multilingual – perfect English and good Mandarin are a must, other additional languages preferred
- A deep understanding of Asian culture, and its specific features in different countries
- A desire and the availability for extensive travel across Asia
- Ability to adapt to multinational and multicultural challenges
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with an aptitude in building relationships with professionals at all organizational levels
- Strong business acumen
- Ability to perform both analytical and strategic-oriented mindsets and activities
- Ability to work independently and proactively
- Computer skills, including advanced use of Excel and PowerPoint
- Budget management
- Excellent presentation drafting
What we offer?
- A passionate and fast-growing company offering challenges and career opportunity!
- Remote work possible
- But also a benefits package calculated according to the profile, a meal ticket card, and promotional offers thanks to our partners UTMB World Series & Dacia UTMB Mont-Blanc
- A thirteen-month (including in the package)
- Company pension plus 21 days holiday per year in addition to bank holidays.
SBT Executive is working with UTMB to recruit their future Asia Director
The person we are recruiting will have the flexibility to be based wherever he wants across the Asian region.
Who we are?
UTMB Group is the global leader in the organization of trail running events. Based in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in the French Alps, UTMB Group launched the UTMB® World Series in partnership with The IRONMAN Group in 2022. The UTMB® World Series became the number one trail running series in the world, bringing together 2022 about 41 (to grow) leading international events to give all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the globe.Who are we looking for?
UTMB® Group is seeking to appoint an experienced entrepreneurial-minded, Asia-based UTMB Asia Director with an international profile and proven leadership in International sports business Management and development in Asia.Your mission and key responsibilities
As a UTMB Asia Director, you will report directly to the UTMB International Director. Your mission will articulate around the following major objectives1/ Business Development
Your mission will be to contribute actively to the growth of the UTMB World Series in China, Thailand, and South Korea, including but not limited to:- Identifying and generating opportunities to add new UTMB World Series events in those countries, and liaising with prospects
- Writing franchising agreements
- Pitching events to host countries or cities
- Providing benchmarks, analysis, presentations, and business intelligence to support the UTMB World Series long-term development strategy in those countries
2/ Key Account Management of UTMB World Series Franchises in Asia
UTMB Group manages a set of Franchised events in Asia that require day-to-day coordination. Your mission will include, but will not be limited to :- Make sure that UTMG Group's franchised event business is sustainable in the long run
- Coordinate the action of the UTMB Asia manager in his/her mission to manage day-to-day relations with our Asian Franchised events and hosts, and help them deliver state-of-the-art and premium trail-running events that comply to UTMB World Series guidelines and recommendations-
- Manage high-level questions and challenges linked to the franchised event business, the relation with UTMB Group’s franchisees, and government representatives
3/ Coordination of the team in charge of Translantau by UTMB
UTMB Group owns and operates a trail-running event in Hong Kong called Translantau by UTMB. The team in charge of the preparation and execution of the event, including the Race Director, is based in Hong Kong. Your mission will include, but will not be limited to :- Supervising the event team, and its Event Director
- Defining, together with the Event Director, the development strategy of the event, and helping the Event Director make the main decisions
- Being accountable, together with the Event Director, of the budget of the event
- Being a link with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and key other high-level local public stakeholders of the event
4/ UTMB Group image and network in Asia
- Build a strong network for UTMB Group in the above-mentioned countries, and in Asia more generally speaking
- Strengthen UTMB’s brand equity and image in Asia
- Liaise with The Ironman Group’s Asia Director, and coordinate joint challenges
Work location
- Asia (China, Thailand, Singapore, Seoul...)
- The UTMB Asia Director will be required to travel frequently across Asia. He/She may also take part in meetings in France, and Chamonix to coordinate with UTMB® Group team members and during strategic occasions (UTMB® Mont-Blanc week, key meetings, etc.).
Profile & skills
- Minimum +10 years experience in the sports business and outdoor sports events industry; understanding of trail running principles and values preferred
- Solid credentials and references confirming the above
- Strong evidence of leadership and team management
- Multilingual – proficient English mandator, other additional languages (Mandarine...) preferred
- A deep understanding of Asian culture, and its specific features in different countries
- A desire and the availability for extensive travel across Asia
- Ability to adapt to multinational and multicultural challenges
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with an aptitude in building relationships with professionals at all organizational levels
- Strong business acumen
- Ability to perform both analytical and strategic-oriented mindsets and activities
- Ability to work independently and proactively
- Computer skills, including advanced use of Excel and PowerPoint
- Budget management
- Excellent presentation drafting
What do we offer?
- A passionate and fast-growing company offering challenges and career opportunities!
- Remote work possible
- But also a benefits package calculated according to the profile, a meal ticket card, promotional offers thanks to our partners UTMB World Series & Dacia UTMB Mont-Blanc
- A thirteen-month (including in the package)
- Company pension plus 21 days holiday per year in addition to bank holidays.