A Day in the Life of a Sales and Marketing Manager

Hello! I’m Megan the Sales and Marketing Manager at Horizon Leeds. Ten years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to design this venue from the ground up. My mission is to ensure that as many people as possible know about our fantastic space. You’ll find me running around the Lake District with my three little girls when I’m not at work. Life is busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

No two days are ever the same in this role, which is one of the things I absolutely love about my job. Some mornings, you’ll find me at the venue, while others start bright and early at a 6 am breakfast networking event. I’ve become quite skilled at using my car as a mobile office, squeezing in work between meetings. As long as I have my phone and laptop, I’m good to go!

I’m extremely passionate about Horizon Leeds and what we offer, so I’ll talk to anyone who will listen about it. Networking events are where I thrive. I love being nosy, learning about what others do, and exploring opportunities for collaboration. There’s nothing better than walking into a room full of excited, pumped-up people ready to talk business.

On the days when I am not attending an event, I spend time seeking potential new business and catching up with current and past clients to discuss any upcoming events we can support them with.

After a morning of networking or client outreach, it’s crucial to follow up with the contacts I’ve made. Booking one-on-one meetings gives me a great opportunity to show people around our venue. While I’m out and about, our amazing Reservations Coordinator, Tracey, is holding down the fort. She answers the inbound enquiries and books site visits for me. After working together for the past 10 years we are very much on the same wavelength and often finish each other’s sentences! She is also my guru on how to be a working mum of three, having done it herself.

Grabbing a coffee and showing potential clients around the venue is one of my favourite parts of the job. It’s brilliant when I get to meet them at the very start of their event planning process. This means we can work closely with them to ensure they get the most out of what Horizon Leeds has to offer. Whether it’s using Create@ as split plenary and workshop space, the Broadcast Studio for international training or the screens in Meet@ to showcase their products, we tailor our services to fit their needs.

View our venue tour video below:

Lunchtime rolls around, and I must confess, I have a rather unhealthy addiction to jacket potatoes with cheese and beans. It’s my go-to comfort food and fuels me for the busy afternoon ahead.

The afternoon is usually spent catching up on emails, sending out contracts, and writing our larger event proposals. My favourites are multi-day conferences that incorporate an exhibition, multiple workshops, and a networking event. These often involve liaising with our fantastic suppliers to create bespoke menus or AV packages and allow me to use my creative side to come up with interesting concepts.

I also like to review the latest feedback we’ve received. Even after ten years, I’m proud to say that 100% of our clients have said they would return to Horizon Leeds. Sharing this feedback with the team and seeing their faces light up is incredibly rewarding. We never take this fantastic feedback for granted.

Once a week, I meet with our wonderful marketing team. These meetings are essential for us to shout about what we’re up to. We discuss what’s been successful, check out our website and social stats, share testimonials, plan for upcoming events, and map content for future months. It’s a collaborative effort that ensures we’re always on top of our game.

By the end of the day, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Whether I’ve been out networking, showing clients around, writing content, concentrating on prospecting or account management, each day brings its own set of challenges and rewards. And as I head home to my family, I’m already looking forward to what tomorrow will bring, well that’s if I am not popping into an evening event on the way to the train station!

Thanks for joining me on this little journey through my day. If you’re ever in Leeds, give me a shout as I would love to grab a cuppa and show you around Horizon Leeds.