Salary: USD 55000.00 - 65000.00 annually

Category: Venues/Promoters/Festivals

The Rail | Lexington, Kentucky
Position Title: Marketing & Community Engagement Manager
Location: Lexington, KY
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Summary
The Marketing & Community Engagement Manager is responsible for building The Rail's brand presence throughout Central Kentucky through grassroots marketing, community partnerships, strategic promotions, and audience development initiatives. This role serves as the public face of The Rail in the community and is responsible for driving ticket sales, increasing venue awareness, and creating meaningful relationships with local businesses, organizations, influencers, media outlets, and community leaders.
This is not a desk job. The ideal candidate is highly outgoing, relationship-driven, and passionate about being actively involved in the community. They thrive on networking, attending events, building partnerships, and finding creative ways to connect The Rail with new audiences.
Key Responsibilities
**Show & Tour Marketing **
• Own the marketing strategy and execution for all shows and tours at The Rail, from initial announcement through show day and post-show.
• Develop individual marketing plans based on artist, genre, audience, market, ticket sales, timing, and budget.
• Build comprehensive marketing campaigns utilizing digital advertising, social media, email, radio, television, print, outdoor, grassroots, partnerships, promotions, influencers, and other relevant channels.
• Work closely with corporate marketing, ticketing, production, and talent teams to ensure campaigns are executed effectively and on schedule.
• Conduct post-show analysis and identify opportunities to improve future campaigns.

Community Engagement & Relationship Building
• Serve as an ambassador for The Rail throughout Lexington and surrounding communities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local businesses, chambers of commerce, universities, nonprofits, tourism organizations, sports organizations, and community leaders.
• Attend community events, networking functions, festivals, trade shows, and public gatherings on behalf of The Rail.
• Identify partnership opportunities that increase awareness and drive attendance.
Grassroots Marketing
• Develop and execute street-team and grassroots marketing campaigns.
• Coordinate flyer distribution, poster placement, table promotions, and community outreach efforts.
• Organize promotional appearances and ticket giveaways.
• Create unique marketing activations that generate buzz and engagement.
• Build partnerships with local retailers, restaurants, bars, gyms, coffee shops, etc.
Ticket Sales & Audience Development
• Drive ticket sales through local partnerships and promotional campaigns.
• Develop group sales opportunities and community ticket programs.
• Build relationships with local employers and organizations to create bulk ticket opportunities.
• Identify new audiences and market segments for venue programming.
• Monitor sales trends and recommend marketing initiatives to increase attendance.
Brand Awareness & Public Relations
• Increase visibility of The Rail throughout Central Kentucky.
• Manage local media relationships and community outreach efforts.
• Coordinate interviews, media opportunities, and public appearances.
• Represent The Rail at community meetings and industry events.
• Build relationships with influencers, content creators, and local personalities.
Digital & Social Media Support
• Run venue social media 
• Capture photos, videos, and community-focused content while attending events.
• Assist in promoting concerts, private events, sponsorships, and venue initiatives.
• Identify local social media opportunities and partnerships.
• Help amplify venue messaging across community channels.
Sponsorship & Partnership Development
• Assist in securing local sponsorships and promotional partners.
• Develop mutually beneficial marketing relationships with community organizations.
• Create partnership packages that provide value to both The Rail and partner organizations.
• Track partnership performance and ROI.
Event Presence & Venue Promotion
• Attend concerts, private events, and community functions as a venue representative.
• Engage with guests, artists, sponsors, and community partners.
• Ensure The Rail maintains a visible and positive presence throughout the region.
• Support promotional efforts before, during, and after events.
Qualifications
Required
• Experience in show marketing, community relations, public relations, sales, partnerships, or event promotion.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong networking and relationship-building abilities.
• Self-motivated and comfortable working independently.
• Ability to attend evening and weekend events as needed.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
Preferred
• Experience in entertainment, hospitality, tourism, sports, event promotion, or community engagement.
• Existing network within Lexington and Central Kentucky.
• Experience with social media marketing and content creation.
• Experience working with local businesses, chambers, nonprofits, or community organizations.
Key Competencies
• Show Marketing
• Community networking
• Public speaking
• Event promotion
• Sales and partnership development
• Creativity and problem solving
• Communication and professionalism
• Self-starter mentality
• Brand advocacy
Performance Metrics
Success in this role will be measured by:
• Growth in ticket sales attributable to community partnerships.
• Number and quality of community partnerships established.
• Brand awareness throughout Central Kentucky.
• Sponsorship and promotional partnership revenue generated.
• Attendance at community events and networking functions.
• Growth of The Rail's local audience and customer database.
• Social media engagement and community reach.
• Positive reputation and visibility within the market.
The Rail Culture Statement
At The Rail, we operate with an Artist First, Guest Obsessed, and Community Driven mindset. The Director of Marketing & Community Engagement is responsible for making The Rail a recognizable and respected brand throughout Kentucky by building authentic relationships, creating memorable community connections, and ensuring that when people think of live entertainment, private events, and unforgettable experiences, they think of The Rail.