Exhibition Event Strategist

The role of Business Development Manager is a key position at Grant Thornton Bahrain, responsible for leading business development efforts in the exhibitions and international events sector.

This dynamic professional will drive the full sales cycle, from prospecting to post-event evaluation, and play a crucial role in attracting international exhibitions to Bahrain.

The successful candidate will work closely with high-level stakeholders, represent Bahrain at global events, and contribute to the growth of the country's events industry in alignment with national strategic priorities.

• Lead the end-to-end sales cycle for attracting first-time exhibitions and international events.
• Deliver on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): revenue, sqm occupancy, conversion rate, event days, visitor impact.
• Map and analyse global business event trends and align with Bahrain's priority sectors.
• Build strategic pipelines of organisers and events.
• Coordinate with relevant authorities to remove market-entry barriers.
• Provide leadership in preparing high-quality proposals, negotiations, and contracts.
• Manage client relations from prospecting to post-event evaluation.
• Lead site inspections with international organisers.
• Ensure CRM usage, compliance, and accurate reporting.
• Represent the organisation at international exhibitions and sales missions.
• Support senior management in planning, reporting, and capability building.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, or related field.
• Professional certification in sales/business development/exhibitions (an added advantage).
• Fluency in Arabic with native level proficiency is mandatory. The candidate must be currently based in Bahrain.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in sales, business development, or exhibitions with a proven track record of securing international exhibitions and events.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to secure international exhibitions.
• Strong pipeline development and lead conversion experience.
• Time management, planning, and multitasking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce).
• Ability to mentor and collaborate with support staff.

• Customer & Market Orientation: Strong exhibition and business events sales experience, global organiser engagement.
• Strategic & Commercial Acumen: Ability to build ROI-driven business cases, sector-focused strategies.
• Innovation & Agility: Ability to adapt to shifting market trends, design creative proposals.
• Operational Excellence & Accountability: Strong execution, CRM discipline, ISO compliance.
• Stakeholder Influence & Collaboration: Skilled at engaging government/industry stakeholders.

• Seniority level: Not Applicable
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Business Development and Sales
• Industries: Accounting