Commercial Sales Director – Luxury Entertainment Venue (Pre-Opening)
Overview
A new luxury cabaret and live entertainment destination backed by a globally renowned entertainment brand is preparing to open in Dubai in 2026. The venue will feature two nightly performances in a 200+ seat premium theatre on Palm Jumeirah, delivering a refined entertainment and hospitality experience. We are seeking a Commercial Director to lead the venue’s commercial strategy from pre-opening through live operations. This role will build the revenue architecture, oversee ticket sales performance, and develop strategic partnerships to ensure strong occupancy and premium positioning.Responsibilities
Commercial Strategy & Revenue Ownership
- Own the venue’s overall revenue performance and commercial strategy
- Develop pricing structures, seat tiers, and yield strategies to maximize revenue per show
- Monitor booking velocity and sales trends to maintain strong occupancy and ticket value
- Oversee premium seating, VIP experiences, private hire, and corporate bookings
- Lead the sales strategy for nightly theatre performances, including ticket pricing, seat-tier management, booking velocity, occupancy targets, group sales, and premium ticket conversion
Channel Strategy & Distribution
- Manage and optimise all booking channels including direct website sales, hotel and concierge partners, third-party ticketing platforms, corporate bookings, walk-ins, and online travel agencies
- Maintain a one-inventory architecture ensuring real-time availability across channels
- Drive growth of direct bookings as the highest-margin revenue source
- Negotiate and manage relationships with channel partners within approved commercial frameworks
- Develop and manage relationships with online travel agencies, tourism platforms, and destination sales partners to drive inbound leisure sales while protecting premium positioning, commission structure, inventory control, and brand value
Concierge & Hotel Activation
- Build and manage a structured concierge partner programme across Palm Jumeirah, Downtown, and DIFC hotels
- Conduct regular activation sessions with concierge contacts and hotel sales teams
- Train concierge teams on the venue proposition, pricing tiers, and booking process
- Track and incentivise concierge performance through a structured commission framework
CRM & Data
- Build the guest database from day one to support repeat visits and targeted marketing
- Oversee the ticketing platform and ensure data integrity across booking sources
- Use booking data and yield analytics to inform commercial decisions and performance trends
Pre-Opening Commercial Setup
- Establish commercial channels, partner agreements, and ticketing infrastructure ahead of opening
- Launch advance ticket sales to generate pre-opening momentum and early revenue
- Develop the commercial strategy and nightly yield mix framework with the leadership team
Qualifications
We are looking for a commercially driven leader with the sophistication to sell luxury and the discipline to manage yield in a premium entertainment environment.
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Proven revenue leadership experience in luxury hospitality, entertainment, or live events
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Strong yield management background, including pricing tiers, occupancy optimisation, and channel mix strategy
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Deep understanding of Dubai luxury hospitality & entertainment, concierge system and online travel agencies
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Commercially strategic with strong analytical ability, precision, and attention to detail
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Experience managing multi-channel ticket sales and distribution strategies
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Strong experience with CRM platforms and ticketing systems
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Excellent relationship-builder able to influence concierge partners, corporate clients, and internal stakeholders
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Fluent English required; Arabic is an asset
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Based in Dubai on a full-time, permanent basis