Position: Event Sales Associate
Location: Palo Alto Event Center (4249 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Reports To: Director, Events and Catering
The Palo Alto Event Center is a 40,000-square-foot venue located near Stanford University, serving corporate, nonprofit, university, and social clients throughout the Bay Area. Our flexible indoor and outdoor spaces host everything from executive retreats, product launches, and company celebrations to weddings and community gatherings.
We are looking for an Event Sales Associate to grow our business by attracting new clients, converting inbound interest into bookings, and building relationships that generate repeat business.
This is a dedicated sales and relationship-management role. You will focus on prospecting, responding to inquiries, conducting venue tours, developing sales pitches, and nurturing client relationships.
What you won't have to do: Once a client is ready to book, our Event Operations team will take the lead on contract administration, detailed event planning, Banquet Event Orders, and day-of execution—allowing you to remain focused on building the pipeline and driving revenue.
The ideal candidate is proactive, personable, organized, and energized by connecting clients with the right event experience. You should be comfortable creating new business opportunities, managing multiple relationships, and following a structured sales process from first contact through booking and beyond.
Key Responsibilities
1. Finding New Clients & Inbound Leads
- Outreach: Reach out to local businesses, tech companies, university departments, and event planners to introduce them to our venue.
- Inbound Follow-Up: Respond quickly to incoming inquiries via our website and phone calls.
- Vendor Referral Networking: Build outbound relationships with local caterers, florists, and event planners to establish reciprocal business referral pipelines.
- Targeted Sales Campaigns: Pitch our space specifically to corporate retreat planners, tech companies, and wedding markets.
2. Showing the Venue & Client Consultation
- Venue Tours: Walk prospective clients through our meeting rooms and ballroom during the initial sales conversation to demonstrate venue capabilities. (Note: Post-booking planning walkthroughs will be conducted by the Event Operations team)
- Client and Budget Qualification: Ask clear questions to understand the client's budget, guest count, and goals early on to make sure we are a good fit.
- Sales Proposals & Pricing Estimates: Create high-level visual sales pitches and initial budget estimates to help prospective clients evaluate fit.
3. Maintaining Relationships (Repeat Business)
- Repeat Bookings: Stay in touch with past clients throughout the year.
- Sales Pipeline Tracking: Maintain accurate notes in our CRM regarding active sales leads, corporate account contact history, and prospective booking timelines.
- Post-Event Follow-up: Reach out after events to ask for feedback, encourage online reviews, and see if they would like to reserve dates for future events.
Qualifications
- Experience: 2+ years of experience in sales, hospitality, or client-facing roles.
- Communication: Comfortable and professional on the phone, in emails, and in person.
- Organization: Able to manage multiple client conversations at once without letting details slip through the cracks.
- Tech Skills: Comfortable learning and using CRM software (such as Tripleseat or Salesforce).
What We Offer
- Employment Type: Full-time; Non-exempt
- Competitive Base Salary: Range $70,000 - $90,000
- Commission Structure: Earn a percentage of the actual venue and rental revenue generated by your bookings, paid out upon successful completion and final payment of the event.
- Benefits: Full medical, dental, paid time off and complimentary access to onsite athletic facilities.
