Manager, Destination Events

• Are you motivated by promoting Vancouver as a top events destination?
• Are you passionate about the opportunity to represent our incredibly diverse, sustainable, vibrant city and community?
• Do you have a strong innovative and creative outlook to bring events to Vancouver?

If so, Destination Vancouver's Manager, Destination Events, could be the right match for you.

Reporting to the Director of Sales, Meetings, Convention & Events, the Manager, Destination Events will play a key role in Destination Vancouver's event strategy with a focus on attracting, developing and growing a portfolio of sport, cultural events & festivals, which positively impact Vancouver's visitor economy while delivering on people, planet, and prosperity outcomes.

The Manager, Destination Events is an effective communicator who will play a key role in orchestrating the coordination and maximization of Vancouver's event opportunities to continue to build and leverage Vancouver's global reputation as a desired event destination.

The Manager is responsible for innovative ways of partnering with and supporting Vancouver's existing community of cultural events & festivals and identifying new cultural event opportunities that add depth to Vancouver's offerings.
The Manager provides leadership and coaching to Team Members/direct report(s) and collaborates with the Destination Vancouver team and external stakeholders to deliver results according to the organizational mandate and business plan.

Strategic Accountabilities:

• Execute an event strategy that aligns and improves macro sector (Meetings, Conventions & Events) coordination to maximize city capacity, seasonality, and existing and new event opportunities that represent a diverse global destination brand offering.
  
• Support development and engagement with new event organizers, and existing producers that are part of Vancouver's events ecosystem.
  
• Liaise with Destination Vancouver's internal team, and external stakeholders, for example, the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association (VHDA), City of Vancouver, and venue & hotel partners to build and leverage a 'Team Vancouver' approach to events.
  
• Maintain best practices for tracking, performance, and reporting on events.
  

Responsibilities:

• Supports and implements event sales strategies to attract, develop, and grow a portfolio of cultural events, and festivals that contribute to Vancouver's visitor economy.
  
• Researches and identifies new event opportunities with potential to complement and add to Vancouver's event calendar prioritizing non-peak season events between October to April.
  
• Supports, prepares, and delivers competitive destination bid presentations to event influencers and decision makers to secure events for Vancouver
• Assesses, evaluates and recommends new or existing events eligible for strategic investments and partnerships through the Cultural Tourism Event Fund in partnership with the VHDA and City of Vancouver.
  
• Manages and negotiates partnership rights & benefits in consideration of event investments, to maximize event hosting opportunities for Destination Vancouver and its partners.
  

Sales & Service Delivery

• Collaborates with internal teams (marketing, media, PR) to ensure cohesive delivery of events aligned with the organization's mandate and key target markets.
  
• Leverages event partnerships and associated marketing assets and other rights & benefits to raise Vancouver profile as a global destination.
  
• Analyzes event performance and metrics to assess success, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies.
  
• Develops proficient use of Destination Vancouver's sales tools - Simpleview (CRM), for account generation and management, lead development and trace follow up, and Marq for preparing high quality bid documents.
  

Measurement and Reporting

• Ensures tracking, reporting and measurement of Destination Events, including development of economic impact reports, destination marketing benefits, and social & sustainable impacts to support strategic investments in cultural events & festivals.
  
• Monitors event performance against objectives and attendance targets, preparing detailed reports, and wider organizational requirements.
  
• Recommends adjustments and improvements based on event evaluations and outcomes.
  

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develops and maintains positive working relationships with Destination Vancouver members and tourism industry partners including VHDA, City of Vancouver, hotel & venue partners, business improvement associations.
  
• Represents Destination Vancouver nationally or internationally at appropriate industry associations, events, and public and private sector forums specific to event development, and strategic partnerships.
  
• Ensures effective communication with clients and stakeholders, managing outreach and follow up in a timely, proactive and accurate manner.
  

Other Responsibilities

• Provides leadership, training, coaching and feedback to Team Members/direct report(s).
  
• Keeps informed on city level developments, policy, practices, trends and events.
  
• Facilitates regular site inspections with clients and sales personnel, and meets with key members and industry partners active in the city and event industry.
  
• Keeps informed on worldwide competition regarding sales and marketing trends related to the event industry; competitive DMO activities and new and expanded facilities.
  

What are we looking for?

• Minimum three years of experience in a similar role.
  
• Event, meeting and convention sales related knowledge of Metro Vancouver and Canada.
  
• A thorough knowledge of the event industry locally, nationally and at the international level.
  
• Experience in partnership/sponsorship strategy and sales.
  
• Proven track record of achieving measurable results in sales and marketing.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills, high self-motivation, positive attitude, and the ability to motivate others.
  
• Highly curious with ability to take initiative.
  
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, strong presentations skills (in-person and digital/virtual).
  
• Excellent organization, coordinating, planning and time management skills, detail-oriented with strong multi-tasking abilities including project management skills.
  
• Possess a high level of professionalism, maturity, diplomacy, and judgment regarding decision-making and fostering positive interpersonal relationships.
  
• Able to work well independently and collaboratively; committed to individual, team, corporate and industry service excellence.
  
• Passionate about Vancouver as a place to live, work, play, experience and explore.
  
• Strong technology skills including social media for business.
  Good working knowledge of database management, Microsoft Office applications, CRM technology and AI.
  
• Post-secondary education in business, event or partnership management, tourism, or related disciplines and/or related experience.
  

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