Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Selling or Influencing Others Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

The Work

Marketing executives in the racing industry are typically responsible for increasing the overall sales and to promote race days and the establishment.

As the marketing executive, you need to be able to promote the racecourse, not just for racing events, but also as a venue for other activities, such as conferences, music festivals and fairs.

You develop and implement advertising and promotional plans, which often include online and social media marketing. You may also monitor market trends and activities of key competitors. The responsibilities of the Marketing executive can also include maintaining and updating the business website, ensuring effective communications.

Attending meetings to keep the general management team informed would also be central to the work of a Racecourse Marketing Executive and you would also attend race days to network with existing and potential sponsors.

The larger racecourses may have marketing departments with sales and marketing staff and a marketing manager, while the smaller ones may have just one marketing executive reporting to the racecourse manager. You may need to meet, or support sales staff to meet sales targets.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Identify, develop, or evaluate marketing strategy, based on knowledge of establishment objectives, market characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
• Formulate, direct, or coordinate marketing activities or policies to promote products or services, working with advertising or promotion managers.
• Evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
• Develop pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction.
• Compile lists describing product or service offerings.
• Direct the hiring, training, or performance evaluations of marketing or sales staff and oversee their daily activities.
• Consult with product development personnel on product specifications, such as design, color, or packaging.
• Use sales forecasting or strategic planning to ensure the sale and profitability of products, lines, or services, analysing business developments and monitoring market trends.
• Negotiate contracts with vendors or distributors to manage product distribution, establishing distribution networks or developing distribution strategies.
• Coordinate or participate in promotional activities or trade shows, working with developers, advertisers, or production managers, to market products or services.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Linguistic

The Linguistic's interests are usually focused on ideas and information exchange. They tend to like reading a lot, and enjoy discussion about what has been said. Some will want to write about their own ideas and may follow a path towards journalism, story writing or editing. Others will develop skills in other languages, perhaps finding work as a translator or interpreter. Most Linguistic types will enjoy the opportunity to teach or instruct people in a topic they are interested in.

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

You will generally need some relevant work experience in marketing to be considered for a racecourse marketing executive position.

Although a business and marketing qualification can boost your chances of getting the job, it is not always required. Typically, Sales & Marketing Managers have an undergraduate degree in business and marketing in addition to having some sales/marketing work experience.

Training & Development  

FET Centre Traineeship: Business Admin, Customer service, Project & Supervisory Management in centres around Ireland at NFQ Levels 5-6 Search FET Courses

FET PLC Courses: Business Management, Sales, Marketing, Commerce, and PR at NFQ Levels 5-6 Search FET PLC Courses

Apprenticeship: Sales Apprenticeship NFQ levels 6 Search Apprenticeships

Higher Education CAO Entry: Business, Commerce, Marketing & PR NFQ Levels 6-8 Search CAO courses

Professional Development 

Postgraduate Study Options Sales, Business, Management, and PR courses at NFQ level 9

As a marketing executive in the racing industry, you need to keep yourself up-to-date with what’s going on in both the racing industry and marketing, through organisations such as Horse Racing Ireland or the Marketing Institute of Ireland for example.

You can develop your career further by progressing to positions of even more responsibility. In some larger racecourses, there may be a sales/marketing director position for example, or after building up sufficient experience you could progress to a racecourse manager role.

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €35k - €65k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
Morgan McKinley / CPL/ Equuip/ Indeed/ Lincoln/ Sigmar/ Excel

Last Updated: July, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Despite a strong employment growth rate for this occupation, employment levels fell between 2021 and 2022. Employment is spread across a number of roles including marketing associate professionals, buyers & procurement officers, conference/expo managers and estate agents. Employment permits issued in 2022 were primarily for roles in the ICT sector such as digital marketing and accounts managers with language skills required for some.

The Recruitment Agency Survey highlighted issues in sourcing candidates for procurement roles. The number of job adverts for this role grew in 2022, driven by increases for buyers/procurement officers and conference organisers etc. In addition, procurement/tendering documentation skills were not confined to this occupation, but were also in demand outside of sales roles, albeit in small numbers.

Horse Racing Ireland: Social & Economic impacts report 2023

The Irish Breeding and Racing industry supports 30,350 full time equivalent (FTE) staff in total. This includes 9,400 jobs directly related to the industry. Over 40% of these (c.3,950 FTEs) work in breeding operations, closely followed by c.3,000 FTE stable-staff, trainers and point-topoint handlers (c.800), caterers (c.350), jockeys, agents and valets (c.300) and racecourse staff (c.300). A further c.7,000 jobs are attributable to directly related employment. This includes individuals in equine-related roles like veterinarians and farriers, as well as those working in related agricultural, and leisure roles. Total non-betting employment was 24,800 in 2022, up c.8% when compared to the 22,900 supported by the industry in 2016.

Secondary employment is estimated to total c.8,400 and includes roles that are supported by further spending in the Irish economy (the ‘ripple effect’). This supports jobs in the likes of the travel and accommodation sectors and the bar and restaurant trade. Furthermore, the betting sector in Ireland is intrinsically linked to Irish racing, and many fewer individuals would be employed should racing cease to exist.

The sector is estimated to employ c.5,550 FTEs, across individuals working in LBOs and the Head Offices of betting operators.Given that Ireland has a large proportion of its population residing in rural communities, agriculture holds a high level of significance, with the Breeding and Racing industry being a significant  contributor to agricultural employment. It also supports jobs in farriery, horse transport and veterinary/equine health.

Directly related employment relates to those jobs that whilst being heavily reliant on the Breeding and Racing industry, also serve other industry sectors and sub-sectors. These can include equine-related roles such as veterinarians and farriers, as well as roles in agriculture, leisure, and hospitality. This is estimated to total c.7,000 in 2022.

• Horse Racing Ireland (HRI)

  • Ballymany, The Curragh, Co. Kildare, Ireland, R56 XE37
  • (045) 455 455
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Marketing Institute of Ireland (MII)

  • Marketing House, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18
  • (01) 295 2355
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• The Marketing Society of Ireland

  • Click Here

• The Association of Irish Racecourses GLG

  • 63 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2.
  • (01)-6760911
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here