Senior Manager, Events

Who We Are:

IMG is a leading global sports marketing agency, specializing in media rights management and sales, multi-channel content production and distribution, brand partnerships, strategic consulting, digital services, and event management. It powers growth of revenues, fanbases and IP for more than 250 federations, associations, events, and teams, including the National Football League, English Premier League, International Olympic Committee, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, ATP and WTA Tours, the AELTC (Wimbledon), Euroleague Basketball, CONMEBOL, World Rugby, DP World Tour, and The R&A, as well as UFC, WWE, and PBR. IMG is a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company. TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) is a premium sports and entertainment company. TKO owns iconic properties including UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization; WWE, the global leader in sports entertainment; and PBR, the world’s premier bull riding organization. Together, these properties reach 1 billion households across 210 countries and territories and organize more than 500 live events year-round, attracting more than three million fans. TKO also services and partners with major sports rights holders through IMG, an industry-leading global sports marketing agency; and On Location, a global leader in premium experiential hospitality.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Event Business Responsibilities

• Conceiving events
  • Being a part of the business development group, conducting feasibility studies (financial modeling) of new event-related businesses
  • Conducting preliminary negotiations with potential stakeholders (venues, talents, sponsors, cities, rightsholders)
  • Creating concepts for new events, new businesses
  • Building relationships with new clients (rightsholders, talents), to build new event businesses
• Building events
  • Booking venues, and necessary vendors
  • Working with municipalities
  • Identifying & casting appropriate talent for events
  • Negotiating appearance contracts with talent
  • Creating operation manual for events
• Marketing events
  • Overseeing creative decisions relating to marketing materials (posters, websites, television advertisements, etc.) for IMG events
  • Setting strategies for ticket sales, advertising campaigns, website & SNS updates, etc. and working with respective vendors
  • Managing merchandising process (portfolio management, designing, pricing, etc.)
• Operating events
  • Directing venue operation, logistic plans with appropriate vendors and talents
• Sponsorship sales
  • Creating sponsorship sales presentations. This includes working with IMG's creative team
  • Identifying sponsor prospects, making approaches & presenting the ideas to them
  • Contracting & invoicing sponsors
  • Executing sponsorship deliberables & building trust with the sponsors for long-term relationships
• Accounting for events
  • Keeping track of each event’s P/L
  • Preparing and submitting purchase orders (hacchusho) for vendors invoice requests and payment requests related to IMG events
  • Achieving profit targets
  • undefined

Knowledge and Experience

• At least five years of experience in event management or operations, preferably within the sports, entertainment, or live events industry
• Experience in talent management
• Experience coordinating event logistics
• Experience in marketing activities, especially around ticketing & sponsorship
• Experience managing event budgets, purchase orders, invoices & payment requests
• Experience working in international or multicultural environments

Skills and Abilities

• Strong event planning, project management, and organisational skills
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder-management skills
• Good financial awareness and attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to remain calm and resolve problems effectively during live events

•       Excellent communication skills in both Japanese and English

In addition, success at IMG is driven by four core competencies that apply to all employees:

Business Acumen – Understanding financial drivers, interpreting business data, aligning decisions to strategic outcomes

Operational Excellence – Driving efficiency, governance, and continuous improvement in delivery & operations

Innovation Mindset – Cultivating curiosity, experimentation, and forward-looking capability development

Leadership & Collaboration – Inspiring others, building trust, and enabling collaboration across teams

Working Conditions

 

• This role is based at the IMG office in Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan, and requires attendance at event venues as necessary.
• This position is classified as non-exempt. The monthly salary includes a fixed overtime allowance equivalent to 35 hours of ordinary overtime work per month.
• Any additional overtime compensation will be paid in accordance with applicable Japanese laws and Company policy.
• Due to the nature of the role, evening, weekend, and public holiday work, as well as domestic and international travel, may be required depending on the event schedule.

TKO EEO Statement:

TKO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding non-discrimination in employment. TKO makes employment decisions based on merit and qualifications, without considering an employee’s or applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited under federal, state or local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the Company has facilities. TKO also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state or local laws. For information about Privacy and Information Security for TKO employment candidates, please review our Privacy Policy. For information regarding Terms of Use for this and other TKO websites, please review our Terms of Use.