Overview

The Booking Manager reports to the Director of Booking. Overseeing all aspects of booking and scheduling ticketed and non-ticketed events at the venue. Responsible for delivering a superior level of content procurement, private and special events, customer service and effective relationships with clients, promoters, tenants, staff and guests.

This role will pay a salary of $55,000 to $70,000

Benefits for Full-Time roles: Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, 401(k) Savings Plan, 401(k) matching, and Paid Time Off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays)

This position will remain open until April 10, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for soliciting, contracting, and managing from start to finish, ticketed, non-ticketed, and special events at Rupp Arena, the Lexington Opera House, Gatton Park Amphitheatre at the Town Branch and any special events at the Convention Center that are national touring artists.
• Working in tandem with the Director of Booking, establish all booking guidelines, policies and procedures for the venue.
• Responsible for all services and activities of the booking department, including sales tools and materials, proposals and estimates, sales calls and contracts.
• Oversee and manage the venue booking calendar in a concise, consistent, and organized manner.
• Participate in the development and administration of the annual budget and event forecasting.
• Prepare written proposals and estimates; reevaluate potential business value of various events and clients; initiate contractual arrangements, finalize all booking arrangements, prepare contracts, and negotiate rental and other rates as required.
• Establish and enhance an expansive network of event producers, promoters, artist agents/managers, and other clients to bring more concerts, sports, and other events (both public and private) while exploring new and creative event opportunities for the venue.
• Coordinate show information between Box Office, Marketing, Events, Finance, and Operations Departments, and focus on details and consistency.  Disseminate necessary information in a concise, consistent, and organized way, communicating details to different departments, analyzing data, checking details, and thinking critically.
• produce creative ideas or ways to increase ticket sales and discuss potential new projects.
• Conduct facility tours for potential clients; answer questions and provide information regarding venue capabilities.
• Develop bid proposals for potential clients and draft pro formas and offers for artists based on projected ticket sales; and follow through on pending bookings.
• Negotiate various deal structures, including straight rentals, co-promotions, and direct buying, as related to your event booking load.
• Source and buy talent as needed.
• Assist in scalings for Rupp Arena, Gatton Park Amphitheatre and the Lexington Opera House, drawing out seating charts and determining capacities to maximize profit potential.
• Development of new in-house events at the venue focused on driving additional revenue, sponsorship opportunities, and economic impact.
• Assist the Director of Finance with settlements of events.
• Prepare statistics, reports, and budgets as needed for senior management and the client.
• Act as liaison between venue and all outside parties and provide a high level of service to key stakeholders such as LCC Board, Opera House Fund, tenants, tours, and promoters.
• Remain current on national events and music trends in the industry and local market changes that could impact the venue.  Research data through all available media channels – industry reports, social media, trades, touring databases, etc – to support the booking strategy.
• Represent OVG/Rupp in meetings, trade shows, conference calls for events, community outreach and other industry events and associations.
• Meets with the Director of Booking regularly to discuss all matters about booking and special event goals and activities.
• Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to: basic administration tasks, responding to inquiries, acting as a venue liaison between promoters, agents, and other industry professionals

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or better from an accredited college or university in Business/Hospitality Management or related field.
• A proven record of establishing and growing professional relationships that increased sales, revenues, portfolio, database, etc.
• Minimum of 3-5  years of booking, live event industry or related experience
• Experience in contract negotiation, development and execution.
• Experience with settlements and reconciliation of settlements for artists/shows
• The ability to research, develop and maintain relationships with artist agents and artist management as well as local, regional and national promoters.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Highly detail-oriented, able to multitask, and work in a fast-paced environment
• Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to build and cultivate relationships
• Computer savvy and skilled in MS Office and the Adobe Creative Cloud (Outlook, Word, Excel, Photoshop) and have the ability to learn required business systems
• Ability to work independently to perform a job, as well as in a team environment
• Ability to think critically, analyze information, and find mistakes
• Ability to prioritize workload and meet strict deadlines
• Must be a self-starter and can work under minimal supervision
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Has a strong track record of building relationships and generating new business.