Senior VIP Relations Manager, Asia

Senior VIP Relations Manager, Asia (Frieze)

About MARI Group
MARI is a global events and experiences company powering world-defining live experiences. Our portfolio of premium live properties spans sports, art, and entertainment — including the Madrid and Miami Open tennis tournaments, Frieze (a leading voice in contemporary art), and Barrett-Jackson (the premium U.S. collector car auction company). MARI also includes TodayTix Group, the global e-commerce leader for cultural experiences, connecting millions of customers with the best in live entertainment. 

MARI is reshaping the live events landscape — building a growing portfolio of category-defining events and brands that set the standard for what's next, across sports, entertainment, art, and lifestyle. 

At MARI, you'll work alongside people who are passionate, curious, and driven — people who believe that live experiences have the power to shape culture, and who care about the work, the mission, and each other. We welcome outstanding applicants of all backgrounds and encourage everyone to apply..

About the Role:
Frieze is a leading platform for modern and contemporary art, comprising Frieze magazine and the international art fairs Frieze London, Frieze Masters, Frieze New York, Frieze Los Angeles and Frieze Seoul. Frieze brings together the world's leading galleries, artists, curators and collectors, and connects global audiences with the most exciting art and ideas of our time.

As Senior VIP Relations Manager, Asia, you'll play a key role in the success of Frieze fairs globally by engaging the region's top collectors and art advisors, securing their participation and shaping an exceptional experience at our events. Reporting to the Head of VIP, Asia, and working closely with the Director of Frieze Seoul, you'll help build and deliver the cultivation strategy for VIPs across Asia. You'll be the dedicated relationship lead for many of our most important guests — travelling across the region, opening doors with galleries, and bringing new collector communities into the Frieze world. This is a highly visible, relationship-driven role for someone who knows the Asian art market and its key players.

This is a full-time role and qualified candidates must be based in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul is home to Frieze Seoul and one of the most dynamic art scenes in the world, so you'll be right at the centre of the collectors, galleries and institutions shaping contemporary art in Asia.

What Success Looks Like:

• A clear VIP cultivation strategy for Asia, agreed with the Head of VIP and in active delivery, including outreach to new collector groups across demographics and industries.
• Every top collector and advisor in your portfolio has a dedicated contact, a personal outreach plan and regular engagement, with strong attendance from the region at Frieze fairs.
• A year-round programme of cultivation events and tailor-made VIP itineraries delivered with the Events team, consistently well received by guests.
• Trusted relationships with Frieze galleries in the region, reflected in regular intel sharing and VIP introductions at the fairs and throughout the year.
• Accurate, up-to-date VIP data and trip reports in the database, and the Asia VIP budget managed and reported on in line with Frieze processes.

What You'll Own:

• Cultivation strategy: Work with the Head of VIP to build and implement a cultivation strategy for VIPs in the region, target new VIP groups across demographics and industries, and identify new in-person and digital initiatives that respond to VIP audience needs.
• Audience development: Travel extensively across the region and attend key art events to build relationships with collectors and advisors, ensuring each has a dedicated contact and regular engagement, and securing their attendance at the fairs.
• VIP experiences: Partner with the Events team to deliver year-round cultivation events, some in collaboration with Frieze VIP consultants, and coordinate tailor-made itineraries for top VIPs.
• Gallery relationships: Build deep knowledge of Frieze galleries and their programmes, attend openings in the region, gather intel on active institutions and patron groups, facilitate onsite tours with fair directors and curators, and deliver VIP introductions for galleries at the fair and year-round.
• Data and communications: Own guest lists for events and VIP lists for fairs in the region, liaising with VIP managers across all regions; work with the central VIP and data teams to keep data accurate; manage personal outreach plans for top collectors; and report on every trip and meeting.
• Team and processes: Support onsite operations during fairs, share pre-fair attendance updates, coordinate post-fair reports and debriefs, and track improvements year on year.
• Budget: Oversee the Asia VIP budget, ensuring compliance with the Head of VIP and reporting regularly to the Head of VIP Operations and the Finance team.

What You Bring:

• Significant senior-level experience in a client-facing role in an environment such as a commercial gallery, museum, auction house or international art event
• A strong network of existing relationships with collectors and advisors in Asia
• In-depth understanding of the art world and its key players in Asia
• Proven ability to build and sustain both external and internal relationships
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work under pressure and collaborate as part of a global team
• Experience managing budgets and working with a CRM or database
• Willingness to travel extensively across the region

Our Diversity & Inclusion Statement
Frieze unites people in our love of the arts. We understand this can only be accomplished when we harness the entirety of our company and lead with a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. As a global company that drives culture, we are committed to practicing anti-discrimination including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability, together with artists, writers, and cultural practitioners from all backgrounds. There is still much work to be done to address systemic inequality and discrimination within the arts and culture industry, and we are dedicated to making progress both within our own organization and the art world at large.