Manager, Meeting & Convention Sales, Eastern US

Are you motivated to promote Vancouver as a top Meeting and Convention destination in the Eastern US, Corporate markets?

Are you a leader who is inspired by the opportunity to represent our incredibly diverse and vibrant destination?

Do you thrive on a 'Team Vancouver' approach to winning business for the destination?

If so, Destination Vancouver's Manager, Meeting & Convention Sales, Eastern US, Corporate opportunity could be for you.

This is an independent contractor opportunity based in-market in eastern US, preferably the New York area.

The opportunity is responsible for leading Vancouver's destination sales and marketing efforts in one of our most important markets.
The key purpose of the position is to generate high yield, quality leads and convert them to definite business.
This is done by researching, identifying, developing, and targeting convention business, corporate meetings, incentive programs and all other related group business travel opportunities for Destination Vancouver member businesses, Metro Vancouver, and the surrounding region.

Reporting to the Director of Sales, Meetings & Conventions, Corporate, the Manager provides leadership in the development and implementation of the meetings and conventions portion of the Destination Vancouver annual sales and marketing operational plan and the two-year Business Sprint business plan.
This is done through overall meeting and convention sales and marketing strategies as they apply in the Chicago and Midwest US markets as well as specific market driven sales activities and tactics.
Essential to success is effective communication with team members, clients, members, and partners as well as managing and motivating internally and externally.

Strategic Accountabilities

1. Leadership role on behalf of, not only Destination Vancouver, but the entire Vancouver tourism and hospitality community and industry active in the Eastern US markets.
   
2. Initiate, plan, lead and execute Vancouver's in-market sales activities, sales trips and events, sales missions, conference and tradeshow presence, industry organization representation.
   
3. Initiate, plan, lead and execute Vancouver's in-destination sales activities, qualified individual client site inspections, targeted group familiarization visits and hosting of high priority, client rich industry organization events.
   
4. Build strong strategic relationships with colleagues, clients, members, and partners while delivering a high level of customer sales and service.
   
5. Generate qualified M&C leads and convert them to definite business.
   

Responsibilities

• Generates qualified Meeting and Convention group business leads out of the Eastern US market and converting to definite business for Vancouver.
  

• Leadership role on behalf of, not only Destination Vancouver, but the entire Metro Vancouver meeting and convention tourism community active in the Eastern US market.
  This position is to be well known and recognized as the industry expert M&C leader for this market.
  

• Understanding and highly efficient use of Destination Vancouver's CRM - account database management software - Simpleview.
  For account/lead generation and management as well as a communication and information system for all groups requiring follow-up or action (i.
  e.
  trace for a decision on Vancouver as a meeting site).
  Ability to run and analyze reports and searches.
  

• Manages lead system policies and procedures in referring business to Destination Vancouver members in a fair and equitable manner.
  

• Strong working relationship with the sales team at the Vancouver Convention Centre including a base level of understanding of convention centre operations.
  

• Strong working relationship with Destination Vancouver DMC members, including a base level of understanding of DMC sales and operations.
  

• Strong working relationship with the sales team at Destination Vancouver member hotels, including a base level of understanding of hotel operations.
  

• Keeps informed with members' personnel changes, product renovations, changes in management, regular hotel site inspections, visits with sales personnel and property tours, regular contact/meetings with key members and industry partners active in the market.
  

• Develops and maintains good working relationships with all local members and partners active in the Eastern US market as well in-market industry partners and representatives such as Destination Canada Business Events, hotel global, national, and regional sellers, competitive DMO's.
  

• Initiates, plans, executes and leads qualified individual client site inspections as well as familiarization group visits in destination.
  

• Initiates, plans, executes, and leads all sales activities in-market including trade shows, conferences, sales missions, special promotions and client events.
  

• Prepares and delivers destination presentations to decision makers, influential clients, members, industry partners and suppliers.
  

• Maintains active membership in the appropriate industry associations such as MPI, PCMA, SITE, CEMA and more, this also includes potential volunteer leadership roles.
  

• Keeps informed on city of Vancouver development, construction, trends, and events.
  

• Keeps informed on competitive intelligence regarding business practices, convention centre and major hotel development, competitive DMO activities and budgets.
  

• Assists the VP in preparation of annual sales and marketing operational plan, including budget preparation.
  

• Provides information and/or guidance to Destination Vancouver local members and partners requesting market intelligence, convention statistics and sale and marketing activity information.
  

Who are we?

Destination Vancouver is one of the world's most dynamic Destination Organizations, delivering on a mandate for destination development and promotion that makes Vancouver a must visit global destination.
It responsibly strives for a triple bottom line approach to measuring destination success through people, planet, and prosperity.
As a

private, not for profit business association, continued relevancy equals success by supporting the industry and building a competitive global destination brand.

Destination Vancouver has a fabulous product and a powerful brand.
Its brand promise, Vancouver is a place that connects people and inspires them to live with passion, underpins how it communicates with potential customers, engages with stakeholders, and services its 800+ members.

What do we offer?

We are proud to offer competitive fees, monthly allowance and annual incentive/recognition program.
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