From Venue Sales to Venue Agent: Navigating the Transition and Shared Challenges
Adam Quigley
The Events Consultant | Match My Venue | Board Trustee for Sisters Grimm | Guest University Lecturer | Mentor for Elevate | Mentor for Manchester Metropolitan University
Making the switch from venue sales to becoming a venue agent can feel like stepping into a new world, but there are many similarities and transferable skills that ease the transition. While both roles revolve around the events industry and focus on securing bookings, the way you approach clients, manage relationships, and tackle challenges differs significantly. Let’s take a closer look at the key differences, shared pinch points, and what you can expect from this career change.
Key Differences Between Venue Sales and Venue Agents
As a venue sales manager, your focus is typically on one venue, positioning it as the ideal location for a client’s event. You work to highlight the strengths and unique features of your space, tailoring your pitch to meet the client’s specific needs. Your goal is to sell the venue and secure bookings for that particular location.
As a venue agent, however, your focus is much broader. You are working for the client, not a specific venue. Your role is to understand the client’s event needs and provide a selection of venues that could work. Instead of promoting one space, you match the client with the best venue for their event, offering options across a range of locations.
In venue sales, you are very much a part of the venue's internal team, responsible for hitting your booking targets and ensuring the venue is fully booked throughout the year. This often involves ongoing promotions and cultivating relationships with repeat clients to encourage future bookings.
As a venue agent, your approach is more consultative. Rather than focusing on booking a specific venue, you are working to understand the wider needs of the client and guide them through various venue options. The sales aspect is still there, but it’s more about relationship-building with both clients and venues, acting as a trusted intermediary.
Working in venue sales often means you’re tied to the success of one venue. Your efforts are directed towards filling that specific space and maintaining a good balance of events throughout the calendar year.
In contrast, as a venue agent, you have much more flexibility. You’re not restricted to one venue; instead, you can explore a wide array of locations and recommend the best fit for your client. This broader perspective allows for more freedom and creativity in finding the perfect space, whether it’s a historic venue, a modern event space, or a unique location.
Frustrations
When working within a venue, you can often feel frustrated with agents because you may not always receive a clear understanding of the event or its requirements, leading to quoting without all the necessary details. It can feel like you’re working blind at times.
However, when you become a venue agent, a new set of challenges arise. One of the most common frustrations is dealing with venues that don't respond promptly. Delayed communication can throw off your entire venue search timeline, creating unnecessary stress for both you and your client. Even when you do receive responses, the information is often incomplete or confusing, leaving you with more questions than answers.
Another major issue is the lack of transparency around pricing—venues aren’t always upfront about hidden fees or additional charges, which can lead to unexpected budget overruns. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect is when venues fail to pay attention to the event brief and instead send proposals for spaces that don’t meet the client’s needs, just because they want to push a specific venue. This lack of attention wastes time and can complicate the process of finding the right solution for your client.
Shared Pinch Points
Despite the different approaches, venue sales and venue agents face several shared challenges:
Whether selling a venue or acting as an agent, the core of the job remains the same: understanding exactly what your client wants and needs. Miscommunication or lack of clarity can lead to a mismatch, disappointment, and lost business, so attention to detail is critical in both roles.
Both roles rely heavily on relationship-building. In venue sales, you need to maintain strong ties with clients and event organisers to encourage repeat bookings. As a venue agent, you’re also fostering relationships, not just with clients but with venue managers, ensuring you’re always able to offer the best options.
Last-minute changes and curveballs are part and parcel of the events industry, regardless of your role. Both venue sales managers and venue agents need to be adaptable, responsive, and capable of finding quick solutions when things don’t go according to plan.
How Venue Agents Get Paid
One of the most significant differences between venue sales and being a venue agent is how you get paid. In venue sales, you’re typically employed by the venue, and your role is to fill that space. As a venue agent, however, you operate on a commission basis. This means venues pay agents a 10% commission on bookings secured, making the service free for clients. This commission-based model aligns agents with the best interests of their clients, as your goal is to find them the best possible venue without any additional cost to them.
Making the Transition
If you’re considering a move from venue sales to becoming a venue agent, you’ll find that many of the core skills you’ve honed over the years—client relationships, negotiation, and a deep understanding of venue logistics—remain highly relevant. However, the broader scope, increased flexibility, and consultative nature of venue finding make the role distinct and rewarding in new ways.
In both roles, your ability to create strong, trusting relationships and deliver excellent service will ensure success, whether you’re selling a venue or finding the perfect space for a client.