Talent Buying Manager
MISSION
Lead the execution of our talent buying function for assigned events and/or lineup segments in planning and executing festivals with the goal of providing a world-class experience for guests and talent and their teams.
DESCRIPTORS
Leadership, Relationships, Strategy, Innovation, Communicator, Proactive, Creative, Action Oriented, Curator
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Own the talent buying function of up to 12 events per calendar year.
- Identify and engage talent that would be appropriate for Sixthman events, including emerging talent.
- Build the strategy with the Director of Talent Buying for each event lineup, ensuring adequate balance of acts for the events/venues and that the curation of the lineup matches the event vision—note that in some cases this will be done without any outside influences, but in some cases, this will need to be done in coordination with the host talent management team or partner, requiring balancing advocacy for the event vision and diplomacy for the relationships.
- Negotiate talent contracts ensuring best-in-class industry terms and modifying standard agency contracts to fit the nature of the events and venues.
- Evaluate for financial and cabin/room accuracy and edit, as necessary, all support talent contracts and distribute to all relevant SXM teams.
- Negotiate support talent and auxiliary talent offers and secure talent and auxiliary talent confirmations for Sixthman events in accordance with the talent budgets (both dollars and cabins) for each event, ensuring that any budget overages have appropriate approval from finance and from partners.
- Communicate the lineup strategy for each event to the launch team and keep the relevant parties apprised of the lineup status, as it is a key component of launch.
- Collaborate with SXM marketing to ensure support talent contracts are shown to hold a commitment to fully marketing the event.
- Coordinate post-launch talent announcements with Talent Relations and Event Management teams to maximize impact of talent.
- Build a relationship with the talent managers in addition to their agents so that talent want to return on events.
- Work with Event Managers and Production to identify schedule strategy once the event is confirmed.
- Build and maintain the event schedule for all events with the Event team.
- Proactively communicate status of line-ups with relevant internal SXM teams.
- Manage talent cabins within budget and notify Director of Talent Buying and Finance of any required changes and any recommendations to potentially go over budget on talent spend of cabins for events that are in revenue management.
- Encourage agent and manager connection with the Sixthman team.
- Serve as a consultant to the Talent Relations and Event Management teams to develop collaboration ideas to enhance guest experience.
- Evaluate responses to offers and make recommendations as needed to help convert passed offers to accepted offers (with creativity beyond just higher budgets).
- Serve as primary contact for support talent management during the contracting process and for any issues and opportunities that arise related to the event.
- Assist the Director of Talent Buying in the development of overall talent strategy and talent budgets for assigned events with the overall goal of maximizing the impact for the dollars spent and ensuring distinct talent lanes for the various events that might have overlap.
- Maintain an internal comprehensive talent database in Wheelhouse.
- Mine new concept leads from agent/manager contacts to share with Business Development Team.
- Recommend, develop, and implement process and procedure improvements to support scalability of growth of the company with focus on increased efficiency, accuracy, cost effectiveness as well as enhancing guest and talent experience.
- Work with internal teams to build materials that showcase the value of our events to agents and managers.
- Lead hiring, training, and performance reviews for direct reports, as applicable.
- Serve on an internal team that helps build new SXM festivals.
- Attend several of the Company's festivals annually and perform various duties onsite with the goal of providing a world-class experience to guests, talent, and partners.
- Serve as onboard CEO or Event Director on several events per year.
- Host and develop relationships with the support talent, support talent teams, and industry guests sailing.
- Attend relevant industry events, conferences, or festivals to build relationships and to monitor best practices and make appropriate recommendations to keep Sixthman on the leading edge of industry.
- Proactively build a relationship with the agency community, visiting key agencies throughout the year to lay the foundation for future offers.
- Serve as primary owner for at least one of the following areas: consulting with the Talent Relations and Event Management teams on guest-experience collaboration ideas; identifying potential talent collaboration strategy and assisting in the curation of events to implement those collaborations where applicable; building and evaluating new festival concepts with the Director of Talent Buying to enhance the SXM event portfolio; or establishing and developing the SXM presence with agents, managers, artists/talent, and local venues/promoters.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor's degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Minimum 8 years of relevant experience
- Previous talent buying experience required
- Experience with multi-stage music festivals preferred
- Contract negotiation experience required
- Must have good verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to manage one's own time and the time of others
- Excellent organization skills and ability to multitask
- Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changes or challenges
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Detail-oriented with high accuracy
- Computer proficiency (Email, Word, and strong Excel skills)
WHO LEADS YOU
- Director - Talent Buying and Festival Development
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