Position Summary
The Event & Business Development Manager is responsible for driving event revenue through strategic sales initiatives, business development, relationship management, and consistent execution of high-quality events. This position develops and maintains a qualified sales pipeline through DMCs, winery associations, tour operators, corporate planners, concierge networks, key accounts, private clients, and referral partners, ensuring that event activity supports estate utilization, wine sales, profitability, and brand visibility. This role provides leadership to the Events Team, oversees internal and external event inquiries, negotiates contracts, supports the development of menus and guest experiences, manages budgets, and ensures adherence to service and operational standards. Serving as a representative of the estate and Crimson Wine Group, the Event & Business Development Manager is expected to advance revenue objectives while maintaining operational excellence and luxury hospitality standards.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The following reflects management’s definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodations or other reasons.

Business Development & Event Sales
Develop and execute an event business development strategy to achieve annual revenue, wine sales, profitability, and estate utilization goals.
Prospect, solicit, and secure new business across corporate events, incentive travel, executive retreats, private celebrations, luxury hospitality experiences, virtual tastings, and incremental sales programs.
Build and maintain relationships with DMCs, winery associations, tour operators, hotel concierge teams, corporate planners, event agencies, community partners, and referral sources.
Manage a qualified sales pipeline, including lead generation, prospecting activity, referral productivity, conversion metrics, and forecast reporting.
Conduct site visits, client presentations, sales meetings, follow-up outreach, trade shows, networking events, and community or industry functions to generate and close qualified leads.
Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop promotional materials, sales tools, event concepts, menus, and campaigns.
Track market trends, competitive activity, customer demand, and partner performance to identify new sales opportunities and business expansion strategies.

Event Leadership & Team Management
Hire, train, schedule, coach, supervise, and develop the Events Team.
Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, training priorities, and development plans for event staff.
Conduct performance reviews, coaching conversations, and progressive discipline as needed; administer and approve payroll and incentives.
Create staffing plans and schedules that support events, floor coverage, manager-on-duty needs, and labor cost optimization.
Foster a culture of hospitality, professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Event Planning & Execution
Oversee event planning from inquiry through contract, planning, execution, billing, post-event follow-up, and debrief.
Develop event menus, experience offerings, timelines, staffing plans, and execution standards aligned with brand positioning and financial goals.
Serve as escalation point for complex client needs, VIP events, service recovery, and event-related challenges.
Ensure events meet service standards, contractual guidelines, timelines, safety requirements, compliance expectations, and budgets.
Manage vendor, supplier, entertainment, and service partner relationships.
Develop and maintain luxury service manuals, event playbooks, hospitality training programs, and Standard Operating Procedures that support elevated service delivery and operational consistency.
Ensure guest-facing event experiences reflect the winery’s luxury positioning, service ethic, and hospitality philosophy.
Coach teams on service etiquette, storytelling, personalization, sales initiatives, and guest engagement standards.
Identify opportunities to enhance guest and client experience through innovation, personalization, operational readiness, and service excellence.

Financial Management & Reporting
Manage event revenue, expenses, profitability, and P&L performance.
Prepare monthly budget, forecast, sales, inventory, and business performance reports.
Conduct post-event analysis to identify profitability, operational improvements, client retention strategies, and future revenue opportunities.
Ensure timely and accurate processing of contracts, deposits, invoicing, billing, and accounting reports.
Track and forecast event supplies, equipment, facility needs, and CAPEX items.

Qualifications
Minimum of five years of experience in event sales, business development, hospitality, luxury service, winery operations, or a related field.
Demonstrated success developing sales pipelines, securing new business, managing client relationships, and achieving revenue goals.
Prior experience leading, coaching, scheduling, and developing event, hospitality, or sales teams.
Strong knowledge of event planning, contract negotiation, budgeting, vendor management, and service execution.
Excellent communication, presentation, organizational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to represent the estate professionally with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and events while maintaining attention to detail and sound judgment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and reservation, CRM, POS, event management, or related hospitality systems.
Must be 21 or over, have valid CDL.
Ability to lift/carry up to 50 lbs., bend, reach, set up and break down events.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, on different surfaces, indoor/outdoors.