Director – Enterprise Hospitality & Event Ticketing

Overview

The Director, Enterprise Hospitality & Event Ticketing will lead hospitality strategy, planning, and execution across MLS and SUM properties while overseeing hospitality ticketing management for tentpole events. This role is responsible for delivering premium experiences for executives, partners, prospects, clients, Clubs, and key stakeholders, ensuring hospitality and ticketing programs align with Enterprise priorities, business objectives, and guest experience standards.

The Director will manage a broad portfolio of hospitality programs, partner closely with internal departments, Clubs, venues, and external stakeholders, and lead ticket sourcing, allocation, fulfillment, tracking, and reconciliation for assigned tentpole events.  The role will also oversee contractor support for international event hospitality across properties such as Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, and MexTour, ensuring workstreams are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with MLS/SUM standards.

Responsibilities

Enterprise Hospitality Strategy & Execution

• Lead planning and execution of assigned MLS/SUM hospitality programs, including marquee events, partner/client hospitality, B2B programming, fan hospitality, internal events, and other strategic initiatives.
• Develop hospitality plans that support Enterprise priorities, stakeholder engagement, premium guest experience, and business objectives.
• Oversee core event elements including venues, catering, production, décor, branding, gifting, transportation, hotels, guest communications, staffing, and onsite execution.
• Develop event briefs, timelines, budgets, planning documents, leadership updates, and post-event recaps.
• Lead site visits, venue recommendations, and hospitality experience planning in alignment with event goals, budget, brand standards, and guest needs

Tentpole Event Ticketing Management

• Manage hospitality ticketing across all tentpole events, including MLS/SUM marquee events, international properties, partner programs, executive needs, internal requests, and B2B opportunities.
• Partner with MLS/SUM Ticketing, Clubs, venues, and internal stakeholders to source, track, allocate, distribute, and reconcile tickets.
• Oversee ticket inventory, request intake, allocation planning, approvals, fulfillment, transfers, guest lists, event-day support, and postevent reporting.
• Maintain accurate ticketing trackers and timely communication with internal teams, partners, clients, guests, and other stakeholders.
• Identify and implement process improvements to support a seamless ticketing and guest experience.

International Event Oversight

• Oversee contractor support for hospitality across international event properties, including Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, MexTour, and other assigned events.
• Ensure contractor-led hospitality plans align with MLS/SUM standards, budgets, timelines, stakeholder expectations, and guest experience goals.
• Provide direction, feedback, and quality control for contractor deliverables, including planning documents, staffing plans, onsite execution, and post-event reporting.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to integrate contractor-supported hospitality into broader event, partner, executive, and ticketing plans.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Management

• Serve as a key hospitality and event ticketing resource for internal departments, Clubs, external partners, vendors, clients, and event stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional planning meetings and ensure roles, responsibilities, timelines, and deliverables are clearly communicated.
• Partner with Partnership Marketing, Creative Services, Ticketing, Transportation, Hotels, Operations, Competition, Communications, Clubs, and other teams to deliver integrated hospitality programs.
• Support internal departments in developing hospitality and ticketing solutions that advance their business goals.

Agency, Vendor & Staffing Management

• Manage agencies, vendors, contractors, staffing partners, and event support resources across assigned programs.
• Develop scopes of work, RFP materials, event briefs, onboarding materials, and vendor/staffing plans.
• Negotiate vendor and venue agreements in partnership with Legal and manage ongoing vendor performance.
• Provide leadership for full-time staff, contractors, agencies, part-time staff, event staff, and interns as needed.

Guest Experience, Communications & Gifting

• Oversee guest experience for executives, partners, clients, players, delegations, VIPs, and other key stakeholders.
• Manage CRM, invitation, RSVP, guest list, ticketing communication, and event communication processes.
• Develop guest communication timelines, invitation copy, ticketing instructions, and onsite communication plans.
• Lead gifting strategy and execution in partnership with Consumer Products, Creative Services, external partners, licensees, and vendors.

Budgeting, Planning & Reporting

• Develop and manage event budgets, expenses, purchase orders, invoices, billbacks, and financial reconciliation.
• Track planning status, ticketing status, budgets, risks, decisions, and key milestones.
• Provide leadership updates, post-event recaps, ticketing reconciliation, and recommendations for future improvements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 8+ years of relevant event production, ticketing, and B2B experience

Required Skills

• Strong event management, hospitality, and ticketing experience, including large-scale events, premium guest experiences, CRM/invitation processes, guest communications, ticket allocation, fulfillment, tracking, and reconciliation.
• Experience managing hospitality programming in major venues with an understanding of ticketing operations, venue operations, and event-day execution.
• Proven ability to manage contractors, agencies, vendors, staffing partners, budgets, contracts, and cross-functional workstreams.
• Experience developing and managing large event budgets, including programs in excess of $2M.
• Strong executive presence and experience working directly with senior leaders, partners, and clients.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, flexible, solutions-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong judgment and commitment to quality, integrity, ethics, and compliance.
• Knowledge of B2B hospitality, gifting trends, premium experiences, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to travel and work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to support physical event setup and breakdown as needed.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Desired Skills

• Business proficiency in the Spanish Language
• Knowledge of the sport of soccer

Total Rewards

Major League Soccer offers a competitive starting base salary of $120,000 - $155,000, based on individual qualifications, market financials, and operational business needs. We are committed to providing a Total Rewards package that attracts, supports, engages, and retains talent. Our benefits package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a $500 wellness reimbursement, and generous Holiday and PTO schedule to promote work-life balance.We also prioritize career and professional development, offering on-the-job training, feedback, and ongoing educational opportunities.

Major League Soccer believes in the value of in-person collaboration to support teamwork, creativity, and connection. Employees in this role are expected towork a four (4) day in-office schedule, with the flexibility to work remotely one (1) day each week, based on business and department needs.

Major League Soccer is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Major League Soccer is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process, as well as during employment. Applicants who require an accommodation may contact Human Resources to request assistance.

Join our team and help support the growth and success of Major League Soccer.