Event Manager
Job Description

Robert Young Estate Winery is a luxury, 448-acre family-owned estate in Alexander Valley just 15 minutes from Healdsburg, seeking an experienced and dynamic Event Manager to drive luxury event revenue on the estate. RYEW offers a unique opportunity for a seasoned Event professional – one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Sonoma County with a large, beautiful estate, established relationships with the area’s luxury hotels, resorts and a growing reputation with high end DMC’s for offering exceptional, creative and immersive experiences for luxury clientele. In this role, the Event Manager will work autonomously for prospecting, selling, booking contracts and tracking financial results. On the day of events, the Event Manager is fully supported by our in-house team for event execution, with frequent involvement of the family and winemaker to elevate the client experience. This candidate has experience in developing strategic partnerships with DMC and corporate connections, growing event revenue from inquiries through final contracts and executing exceptional events day of. The ideal candidate is creative, thinks outside the box, and is passionate about delivering unreasonable hospitality and a high-touch, luxury guest experience. This candidate is looking to work in an environment that is nimble, fast-paced, with a flat and responsive reporting structure.

This is a full-time role with the ability to work remotely, combined with the requirement to be on site for site visits, staff meetings and event execution. This job has a flexible schedule around event bookings, and requires the candidate to occasionally work weekends, evenings and holidays. A demonstrated ability to effectively manage their business needs with minimal oversite is required. This position reports to the Sales & Marketing Manager, with oversite by our General Manager.

Key Responsibilities
Event Sales and Execution
•  Manage the end-to-end sales cycle, including prospecting, site visits, tastings for potential clients, proposal creation, contract negotiation, closing and exceptional day of execution.
•  Drive event bookings through actively targeted outreach to event planners, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), corporate clients, and hospitality partners, while also nurturing relationships with existing customers, corporate event organizers, wedding planners and community leaders. Proactively explore new channels to further leverage the winery’s assets for event market growth.
•  Sell and secure corporate, trade, and consumer events to meet and exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets. Develop and oversee approximately 5 internal RYEW events for our members (ie pick-up parties, annual member dinner event, occasional after-hours events).
•  Prepare customized and detailed proposals for each event, including but not limited to design, schematics, timeline/itinerary, services, food and beverage, and staffing.
•  Maintain clear and timely communication with clients throughout the planning and execution process. Respond to business inquiries within 24 hours. Effectively handle concerns or last-minute changes with professionalism and efficiency.
•  Partner with the client’s Event Specialist to optimize events and ensure that client visions and expectations are fully captured and flawlessly executed, exceeding expectations. At RYEW, we love finding creative ways to say “yes” to a client’s desire for fresh, immersive, one-of-a-kind custom event experiences. As the largest family-owned grower in Alexander Valley, we also have a team and the equipment to support event builds and family ownership that fully support new ideas that generate revenue.
•  Communicate event bookings and details with internal team members.
•  Timely follow up with all clients’ post-event to ensure satisfaction and encourage repeat business and referrals.
•  Comfortable working with computer applications. Proficiency in Excel and Word is required. Experience with WineDirect Admin/POS, Red Chirp, and Tock (our reservation system

Strategic Planning, Budgeting & ROI
•  Develop annual event sales strategy including target market analysis, competitive positioning and growth forecasting. Proactively explore new channels to further leverage the winery’s assets for event market growth.
•  Develop, manage, and stay within the annual ROI goals for events.
•  Monitor event expenses, perform ROI analyses, and ensure events meet profitability goals.
•  Deliver monthly reporting to winery leadership, including event ROI, financial performance, sales pipeline status, and key trends, while identifying growth opportunities and tracking progress toward revenue goals.
Partnership Development
•  Proactively expand and strengthen high-value partnerships with luxury resorts, boutique hotels, transportation companies, DMCs, and corporate groups—working closely with the Events Specialist and DTC team to drive qualified referral business and complementary partnerships.
•  Create collaborative programs that drive high-value corporate and high-end group events to RYEW, including immersive experiences on the estate.
•  Develop strategic vendor partnerships and negotiate costs with preferred supplier agreements to optimize event profitability.
•  Represent RYEW at Meeting Industry events and community endeavors. Availability to attend off-site networking events.
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Qualifications
•  5+ years of proven success in corporate/group event sales and business development within luxury hospitality, wineries, or destination venues with a strong focus on high-end clientele.
•  Demonstrated track record of meeting/exceeding annual revenue targets and managing event budgets. Financial acumen for ROI tracking and profitability management.
•  Established network of Destination Management Companies, corporate event planners, and luxury resort contacts. Knowledgeable about Sonoma/Napa luxury resort