Commercial Sales Director

Sales Director - Flagship International Exhibition
London | -80,000 + Commission + Excellent Benefits

I am recruiting on behalf of my client for an and experienced Sales Director to lead the commercial strategy for a flagship Pan-African defence and security exhibition and conference.

This high-profile role is responsible for driving exhibitor and sponsorship sales, building strategic partnerships, and ensuring revenue growth across African and international markets. The successful candidate will play a critical role in delivering a world-class event that attracts government, military and industry stakeholders from across the globe.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy to achieve revenue targets

• Drive exhibitor and sponsorship acquisition across defence, aerospace, security, and related sectors

• Build and manage strong relationships with defence contractors, government officials, international delegations, and trade associations

• Lead and mentor a small but high-performing sales team, monitoring performance and KPIs

• Collaborate with marketing, content, and operations teams to ensure consistent messaging and delivery

• Oversee international agents and country pavilions to maximise participation

• Monitor global defence market trends, identifying new opportunities for growth

• 7-10+ years of B2B sales experience, ideally within large-scale international exhibitions (experience in defence, aerospace or security strongly preferred)

• Proven track record of exceeding commercial targets and growing revenues

• Strong network within the African and global defence/security industries (experience with events such as IDEX, AAD, DSEI is an advantage)

• Degree educated with excellent commercial and strategic leadership skills

• Confident communicator and negotiator with senior-level stakeholders

• Experience managing and motivating sales teams

• Comfortable working across diverse geographies and cultures

• Willingness to travel extensively across Africa and internationally

• Strong CRM skills (Salesforce desirable)

• -80,000 base salary + commission

• Excellent benefits

• International travel opportunities

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially astute sales leader who thrives on building global partnerships and delivering growth on a high-profile international stage.

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