Booking Manager | Full-Time | Rupp Arena

Oak View Group•Lexington, KY

1d•$55,000 - $70,000

About The Position

Oak View Group Oak View Group is the global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services for the live event industry. Offering an unmatched, 360-degree solution set for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster that includes the most influential, highest attended arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions on the planet . Position Summary 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. About the Venue Lexington is an active and thriving market, craving an active and welcoming venue for events. The heart of any thriving community is its downtown—and Lexington Center and the historic Rupp Arena are truly the heart of downtown Lexington and one of the most widely-recognized entertainment venues in North America. Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, is fast becoming THE must-play venue. The 20,000-seat arena, affectionately referred to by some as “the Cathedral of College Basketball”, is home to the National Champion University of Kentucky men’s basketball program and has played host to some of the most talented and award-winning musicians/artists in the world, including U2, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, and many others. Central Bank Center is our convention side, with over 99k sf of exhibition space, 24k sf each of meeting and ballroom space, 50k of hospitality space, 10k sf of flexible space, and over 2500 covered and uncovered parking spaces. Both venues are additionally joined in entertaining this area by the Lexington Opera House, showcasing Broadway talent through collaborative bookings of Broadway shows, small venue concerts, and local arts. CommonSpirit Health Stage at Gatton Park is a 5,000-capacity outdoor venue located in the center of Lexington. From live music and stand-up comedy to unforgettable experiences set against a stunning park backdrop in the center of the city. Founded in 2021, Lexington Sporting Club is an American professional soccer team based in Lexington, KY. The soccer complex off Athens-Boonesboro Road near I-75 opened in August 2024 in time for the organization’s first USL Super League season. Our Purpose We are building an organization that serves our fans, community, and partners through world-class entertainment, sports, and events. We believe in being authentically Kentucky. This means staying true to what makes Kentucky, Kentucky, by rolling up our sleeves to get things done, valuing hospitality and gathering together, being a pillar in our community, teamwork over the individual, celebrating our wins, taking risks, and stretching our potential. As part of Oak View Group we embrace a positive disRUPPtion.

Requirements

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.

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