Senior Business Development Manager

Informa Festivals marks an exciting new chapter in B2B events, bringing some of the world's most influential creative, technology and business festivals together. We’re combining prestigious brands like Cannes Lions, Black Hat, Money20/20 and London Tech Week with cutting-edge marketing intelligence platforms and advisory services to deliver unmissable experiences and insights.

Our festival-led approach reimagines traditional B2B events, creating powerful, immersive experiences that drive innovation and industry advancement. Building on decades of expertise and powered by Informa's international reach, we're shaping the next generation of business festivals.

We’re part of Informa, a global business with a network of trusted brands in specialist markets across more than 30 countries, and a member of the FTSE 100 who are #3 in Glassdoor's Best Places to Work 2025 UK list. 

Join our growing team in London as part of our Sales function at the LIONS Division, where we showcase global best practices in creativity and effective marketing through Contagious, LIONS, and WARC.

About Us:

We set the global benchmark in creative and effective marketing, enabling brands and their partners to reach and exceed it through our insight and advisory services. Our suite of solutions connects, informs, and unlocks potential for people and businesses through events, intelligence, training, and advisory services. Our five-day Festival in Cannes, France, is the meeting place for the global marketing community and a celebration of the world's most excellent and effective work.

Your Role:

As a Senior Business Development Manager, you'll target and sell our e-learning courses for marketing specialists to a specific sector and agency patch, growing our current customer base within these areas. You'll report directly to the LIONS Learning Head of Commercial.

What You'll Bring:

• A clear understanding of what makes a course valuable and engaging
• A strong track record of achieving sales targets, ideally in an e-learning setting
• Consultative-selling experience with a solution-led approach
• Persuasiveness, executive presence, and outstanding communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written
• The ability to identify, strategize, and build new business opportunities
• Collaborative skills to work effectively across all time zones
• Flexibility and dependability to thrive in dynamic working environments
• Experience working alongside and presenting to senior management, business leads, stakeholders, and renowned industry experts

Your Key Accountabilities:

• Revenue Growth: You'll achieve your personal revenue target by delivering against activity levels and pipeline build. You'll also ensure your team is supported in delivering their personal targets.
• Client Retention: You'll build and maintain strong relationships with clients to enhance loyalty, reduce churn, and increase repeat business, aiming for an 85%+ completion rate.
• Numbers Obsession: You'll provide effective, accurate forecasting of prospects and opportunities through to close for yourself and your team.
• Stakeholder Engagement: You'll build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior management and industry experts, to align goals and drive success.

In this role, you'll be credible, well-connected, process-driven, personable, fair, and quick to identify key partnerships across the market. You'll excel at building long-term partnerships across trade bodies and other key organizations.

Join us in equipping our core audiences with the tools to supercharge their careers through LIONS Learning, our in-person academies and accelerators, and our brand new suite of digital courses.
 

Commercial Acumen: demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategies that
drive revenue growth and profitability, with a deep understanding of sales and
retention.

● Stakeholder Management: exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with
the ability to manage relationships with senior stakeholders and clients effectively.

● Sales & Negotiation Skills: strong sales acumen and the ability to develop
compelling proposals, negotiate effectively, and close deals with corporate clients.

● Analytical Thinking: proficiency in analysing market trends, customer feedback, and
performance data to inform decisions and improve strategies.

● Organisational Skills: excellent multitasking and prioritisation abilities, capable of
managing multiple programmes simultaneously in a dynamic
environment.

● Customer-Centric Approach: deep commitment to understanding client needs
and delivering solutions that exceed expectations, fostering loyalty and long-term
partnerships.

● Presentation & Communication Skills: confidence in presenting to senior
stakeholders and industry experts, with the ability to articulate ideas and strategies
clearly and persuasively.

We work hard to make sure Life at Informa is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone. Here’s some of what you can expect when you join us. But don’t just take our word for it – see what our colleagues have to say LifeAt.Informa.com

Our benefits include:

• Freedom & flexibility: colleagues rate us highly for the flexibility and trust they receive and most of us balance time in the office with time working remotely
• Great community: a welcoming culture with in-person and online social events, our fantastic Walk the World charity day and active diversity and inclusion networks
• Broader impact: take up to four days per year to volunteer, with charity match funding available too
• Career opportunity: the opportunity to develop your career with bespoke training and learning, mentoring platforms and on-demand access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning. When it’s time for the next step, we encourage and support internal job moves
• Time out: 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after two years, plus a birthday leave day and the chance to work from (almost!) anywhere for up to four weeks a year
• A flexible range of personal benefits to choose from, plus company funded private medical cover
• A ShareMatch scheme that allows you to become an Informa shareholder with free matching shares
• Strong wellbeing support through EAP assistance, mental health first aiders, a healthy living subsidy, access to health apps and more
• Recognition for great work, with global awards and kudos programmes
• As an international company, the chance to collaborate with teams around the world

We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. If it sounds like a match and you have most – although not all – of the skills and experience listed, we welcome your application.

At Informa, you'll find inclusive experiences and environments where all perspectives and backgrounds are welcomed. As part of this approach and our diversity and inclusion commitments, we are also formally an Equal Opportunities Employer. This means we base decisions on relevant qualifications and merit and do not discriminate on the basis of key characteristics and statuses, including all of those protected by law. Ask us or see our website for full information.

See how Informa handles your personal data when you apply for a job  here.