Oak View Group is the global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services for the live event industry. Offering an unmatched, 360-degree solution set for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster that includes the most influential, highest attended arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions on the planet.

The Senior Director of Programming is a senior member of the leadership team acting as the primary contact for all facility usage requests and maintains / distributes the booking calendar to both internal and external clients as needed. The Senior Director of Programming acts as liaison between the assigned event manager and clients/promoters producing events at XL Center and ensures that all booking systems, policies, and general communication with all parties involved is accurate, clear, and consistent.

The position will also act as a regional point of contact of information for all Oak View Group owned and operated facilities in the Northeast region. Responsibilities include direct interaction with agents, managers, promoters, and event producers of all event types, both public and private with the goal of driving content into all the OVG O&O facilities.

This role pays an annual salary of $140,000 to $150,000 and is bonus eligible.

Benefits for FT roles: Benefits: Health, Dental and Vision insurance, 401(k) savings plan, 401(k) matching, and paid time off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays).

This position will remain open until May 22, 2025.

The XL Center is Connecticut’s premier destination for sports & entertainment.
The 15,000+ seat downtown arena is home to the eleventh-time National Champion UConn Women's Basketball team and the six-time National Champion UConn Men's Basketball team. Led by Hall of Fame basketball Head Coach Geno Auriemma and Dan Hurley, the Men's & Women's basketball programs have established themselves as national powerhouses.

The XL Center is also home to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, the primary developmental affiliate of the New York Rangers.

The XL Center entertains millions of visitors annually with a variety of concerts, family shows, ice-skating spectaculars, consumer events, and trade shows throughout the season. The venue has played host to an extraordinary roster of world-renowned artists, including Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Pearl Jam, Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Drake, and many others.

The XL Center will continue to be the center of sports and entertainment for Hartford and the State of Connecticut for years to come.

• Responsible for soliciting, contracting, and managing from start to finish, ticketed, non-ticketed and special events at XL Center.
• Working in tandem with the General Manager and Assistant General Manager, establish all booking guidelines, policies and procedures for the arena.
• Act as regional hub for all Northeast owned and operated arenas including direct communication with the respective programmers at each of the facilities, organizing and distributing regular reporting on opportunities, and actively soliciting agents, managers, promoters, and event producers on behalf of all the venues to secure incremental business at the arenas
• Responsible for all services and activities of the programming department including sales tools and materials, proposals and estimates, sales calls and contracts.
• Oversee and manage the venues booking calendar.
• Establish arena rental rate card as well as catering minimums for all private event spaces at the venue.
• Participate in the development and administration of the annual budget and event forecasting.
• Prepare written proposals and estimates; reevaluate potential business value of various events and clients; initiate contractual arrangements, finalize all booking arrangements, prepare contracts, negotiate rental and other rates as required.
• Initiate, develop and maintain new relationships with promoters, agents and other event producers/organizers while exploring new and creative event opportunities for the venue.
• Establish and enhance an expansive network of event producers, promoters, artist agents / managers and other clients to bring more concerts, sports and other events (both public and private) to the venue.
• Conduct facility tours for potential clients; answer questions and provide information regarding venue capabilities.
• Develop and deliver presentations to clients, associations, corporations and others interested in renting the facilities.
• Develop bid proposals for potential clients and follow through on pending bookings.
• Negotiate various deal structures including straight rentals, co-promotions, and direct buying.
• Pursue new rental and co-promotional opportunities with potential corporate and community clients.
• Source and buy talent as needed.
• Identify low-usage periods and formulate strategies to increase facility usage and revenue production during these periods.
• Development of new in-house events at the venue focused on driving additional revenue, sponsorship opportunities and economic impact.
• Collaborate with General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Director of Marketing & PR to secure new events for the venue
• Coordinate event communication with a Client-First focus and be the primary point of contact for event inquiries and customer service issues from initial client contact, through contracting phase and settlement of the event.
• Assist the Director of Finance with settlements of events.
• Prepare statistics, reports, budgets as needed for senior management and client.
• Represent XL Center and Oak View Group in meetings, trade shows, conference calls for events, community outreach and other industry events and associations.
• Meets with General Manager, Assistant General Manager, and OVG Regional Head on regular basis to discuss all matters pertaining to booking and special event goals and activities.
• Other duties as assigned, including but not limited to admin task and responding to inquiries, etc.

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent training and experience
• 5-7 years’ experience in programming and producing events, working with promoters and venues, across a wide-range of functions in a fast-paced environment in sports & entertainment industry. 
• Experience in contract negotiation, development and execution
• Experience with settlements and reconciliation of settlements for artists/shows
• The ability to research, develop and maintain relationships with artist agents and artist management as well as local, regional and national promoters
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Highly detail oriented, able to multi-task, and work in a fast-paced environment
• Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to build and cultivate relationships
• Computer savvy and skilled in MS Office and the Adobe Creative Cloud (Outlook, Word, Excel, Photoshop) and ability to learn required business systems
• Ability to work independently to perform job, as well as in a team environment
• Ability to think critically, analyze information, and find mistakes
• Ability to prioritize workload and meet strict deadlines
• Must be a self-starter and have ability to work under minimal supervision
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays
• Has a strong track record of building relationships and generating new business

At OVG, we understand that to continue positively disrupting the sports and live entertainment industry, we need a diverse team to help us do it. We also believe that inclusivity drives innovation, strengthens our people, improves our service, and raises our excellence. Our success is rooted in creating environments that reflect and celebrate the diverse communities in which we operate and serve, and this is the reason we are committed to amplifying voices from all different backgrounds.

Oak View Group is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”) including, but not limited to veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.