Description

Overview

The Premium Experiences Manager will be located in the New York metro region and is responsible for the design and execution of the PGA of America's most exclusive hospitality offerings at the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. Building on the success of the 2025 Program at the Ryder Cup, the first of its kind in PGA history, this individual will work with the National Sales Director to build and deliver an ultra-premium experience that defines the global standard for sporting hospitality.

The ideal candidate brings a combination of luxury event operations expertise, enterprise-level partnership sales experience, and the proven ability to build and convert a high-value client pipeline. They will lead with authority, operate with entrepreneurial ownership, and are accountable for revenue, guest experience, and end-to-end program excellence.

Experience Required

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree (B.A.) in business administration, communication, marketing or a related field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Three (3) years of premium hospitality and event sales experience.
• Excellent written and organizational skills.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

Working knowledge of Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Docs. Basic fluency in artificial intelligence (AI) tools and concepts. This includes using AI to enhance business operations and drive innovation, enabling us to better serve our Members and stakeholders.

Essential Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES (Specific areas of responsibility include but are not limited to):

Direct Sales and Client Acquisition

• Work with the National Sales Director to manage the end-to-end sales of the Premium Experiences Program from prospecting and pipeline development through proposal, negotiation and contracting.
• Work within the broader sales team to cross sell for all Championships and the Ryder Cup with packages beyond the Premium Experiences programs.
• Independently identify, cultivate, and convert high-net-worth individuals, C-suite executives, and premium corporate buyers as Premium Experiences ticket holders.
• Apply proven category research and proactive prospecting disciplines to secure introductory meetings and secure customer agreements.
• Develop highly personalized outreach strategies and best in class pitch materials for each prospective buyer, tailored to their brand priorities, affiliations, and hospitality expectations.
• Manage a multi-year sales timeline, sequencing outreach and conversion milestones to maximize early commitment and revenue certainty.
• Package multi-event opportunities and develop brand-specific narratives that drive commercial interest and position the Premium Experiences Program as a cornerstone of partner marketing strategies.
• Maintain detailed internal outreach trackers, pipeline reports, and sales roadmaps across the full Premium Experiences prospect universe.

Program Architecture and Financial Modeling

• Work with the National Sales Director to coordinate with Ryder Cup Europe for the unified program in the US and Europe.
• Lead the operational execution, sales initiatives, and prospecting strategy for the Wanamaker Club Premium Experiences Program at the PGA Championship.
• Partner with key PGA staff and external service providers, including tenting, décor, transportation, and other event vendors, to oversee the production and execution of bespoke hospitality venues.
• Develop the full Premium Experiences Program structure for 2029 and beyond, defining package tiers, guest capacities, pricing strategy, and exclusive entitlements from the ground up.
• Build comprehensive pro-forma financial models for each tier: projecting revenue targets, cost structures, margin analysis, and ROI to present to senior executive leadership for approval and budget allocation.
• Create detailed investment frameworks and event budgets encompassing transportation, accommodations, dining, gifting, venue production, staffing, and ancillary costs.
• Apply forward-looking financial discipline to maximize luxury standards while optimizing cost efficiency.
• Benchmark against competitive global luxury programs to position the PGA Premium Experiences Program as the premier offering in sports hospitality.

Package Design and Tiered Experience Development

• Develop and define Premium Experiences package tiers, from founding ultra-premium offerings to aspirational entry-level experiences.
• Develop strategic proposals, creative decks, and investment frameworks tailored to each tier, creating customized experiences.
• Curate bespoke, money-can't-buy elements for each tier.
• Source, negotiate, and contract hospitality vendors, including luxury hotels, Michelin-caliber restaurants, private aviation providers, transportation companies, and event production specialists.
• Manage hotel room blocks, accommodation allocations, and booking logistics for the full Premium Experiences guest cohort.
• Oversee dining reservations to include private dinner programming and curated culinary experiences aligned with each package tier.

Client Lifecycle and Experience Management

• Serve as the main point of contact for all Premium Experiences guests across contracting, payment collection, communications, pre-event planning, and on-site experience delivery.
• Design and manage all guest communications: welcome experiences, pre-event briefings, custom itineraries, and post-event follow-up.
• Coordinate credentialing, access management, and arrival logistics for the full Premium Experiences cohort.
• Deliver personalized, concierge-level service throughout the guest journey - ensuring every detail anticipates and exceeds expectations befitting the most exclusive offering in PGA history.

Operational Execution and Logistics

• Direct full-scale logistical execution across all Premium Experiences touchpoints to include private transportation, credential distribution, exclusive venue environments, dining and gifting.
• Oversee on-site operations during Ryder Cup week, personally managing the guest experience from arrival to departure.
• Develop and maintain detailed program trackers covering guest data, accommodations, transportation manifests, dining bookings, gifting inventory, and event schedules.
• Attending and hosting key events such as dinners and receptions to promote the program.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, hire, train, and manage a dedicated Premium Experiences hospitality staff team for on-site execution.
• Build team operating protocols and service standards that reflect the prestige and exclusivity of the program.
• Lead briefings, pre-event rehearsals, and on-site team management to ensure seamless, consistent delivery.

INCLUSION:

Employees are expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive team environment by welcoming and respecting others' beliefs, backgrounds, identities, abilities, and individuality to help ensure a supportive and engaging experience for Association Members, partners, customers, and guests. PGA of America respects the uniqueness of each employee and offers everyone the means to find their place and thrive.

SHARED VALUES:

Embody the organization's shared values and help ensure the organization's values-based culture thrives by proactively identifying and addressing any shared values challenges and opportunities impacting you and your team. Keep Leadership aware of the pulse of the workforce; recognizing, discussing, and addressing any cultural concerns.

SUPERVISION:

This position will oversee the recruitment, hiring and management of all staffing positions needed to execute the Premium Experiences programs at the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. This includes temporary paid positions, volunteers and industry professionals from other key hospitality brought in to help execute the program.

The position will work with the national sales director to build relationships across the industry to find key individuals who can work at each event in a temporary capacity. This includes future host sites, golf organizations and premium hospitality events.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

This position will work with the National Sales Director to achieve the Championship's sales revenue goals and to ensure that all advertising and promotional spending limits are not exceeded and will follow all financial policies established by The PGA of America.

The position will oversee and manage the budgets for each respective program at the Ryder Cup and PGA Championship (total revenue management of 50mm+ - (3) PGA's at a time and (1) domestic Ryder Cup). This to include revenue, vendors (decor, transportation, catering), staffing and ancillary expenses associated with the programs.