Manager, Meeting & Conventions, Canada & International, Association

Manager, Meetings & Conventions, Canada & International Association

• Are you motivated by promoting Vancouver as a top Meeting and Convention destination in Canadian and international markets?
• 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 for sales and business development for Canadian and international markets?

If so, Destination Vancouver's Manager, Meetings & Conventions, Canada & International, Association, could be the right match for you.
Reporting to the Director of Sales, Meetings, Conventions & Events, 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.
Essential to success is effective communication with team members, clients, members, and partners as well as managing and motivating internally and externally.

The Manager, Meeting & Conventions, Canada & International, Association, is responsible for supporting Vancouver's destination sales and marketing efforts in two important markets, the Canadian and International Association markets.
The main purpose of the position is to generate high yield, quality leads and convert them to definite business.
To generate and close business, the work may include support for the strategic activation of Destination Vancouver's local ambassador Meeting and Innovation Network of Distinction (MIND) Partnership.

Strategic Accountabilities:

• Manage the Vancouver tourism, hospitality community and industry in the Canada and International Association markets.
  
• Initiate, plan, lead and execute Vancouver's in-market sales activities, sales trips and events, sales missions, conference and tradeshow presence, industry organization representation.
  
• Initiate, plan, lead and execute Vancouver's in-destination sales activities, qualified individual client site inspections, targeted group familiarization (FAM) visits and hosting of high priority, client rich industry organization events.
  
• Build strong strategic relationships with colleagues, clients, members, and partners while delivering a high level of customer sales and service.
  
• Generate qualified Canada and International Association leads and convert them to definite business.
  

Key Responsibilities:

Planning & Strategy Development:

• Assists in developing, preparing and managing the annual business plan strategy, content and budget.
  
• Assists with the ongoing identification and development of Destination Vancouver's M&C sales and marketing goals and objectives and the delivery of market-specific meeting and convention strategies and tactics.
  
• Collaborates with Destination Vancouver's local ambassador MIND Partnership to develop qualified future leads, and engage with ambassadors through the entire sales/bid cycle.
  

Sales and Service Delivery:

• Generates qualified Meeting and Convention group business leads primarily out of both, the Canadian & International Association markets, and converting to definite business for Vancouver.
  
• Prepares and delivers destination bid presentations to decision makers, influential clients, members, industry partners and suppliers.
  
• Initiates, plans, executes and leads qualified individual client site inspections as well as familiarization group visits in destination, all sales activities in-market, trade shows, conferences, sales missions, special promotion and client events.
  
• 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.
  
• Maintains current in-market relationships and opportunities with a focus on strengthening existing client relations, converting pending business, and assisting accounts that are meeting in Vancouver, while facilitating the appropriate relationships within Destination Vancouver and the Vancouver hospitality community at large.
  
• Supports attendance building activities for definite meetings and conventions.
  

Business Development & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Leadership role on behalf of, not only Destination Vancouver, but the entire Vancouver meeting and convention tourism community active in both Canada & International markets.
  This position is to be well known and recognized as the industry expert for this market.
  
• Build strong working relationships with the sales team at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Destination Vancouver PCO members, and member hotels.
  
• Develops and maintains good working relationships with all local members and partners active in the Canadian and International Association market, as well in-market industry partners and representatives such as Destination Canada Business Events, BestCities Global Alliance, hotel global, national, and regional sellers, competitive DMO's.
  
• Where appropriate, maintain active membership in the appropriate industry associations such as MPI, PCMA, CSAE and more, this also includes potential volunteer leadership roles.
  
• Provides information and/or guidance to Destination Vancouver local members and partners requesting market intelligence, convention statistics and sale and marketing activity information.
  

Other Responsibilities

• Keeps informed on city of Vancouver development, construction, trends, and events as well as competitive intelligence regarding business practices, convention centre and major hotel development, competitive DMO activities and budgets.
  
• Leads teams including hiring, training, coaching and provide regular performance management feedback to direct reports

What are we looking for?

• Minimum 5 years' experience working in destination marketing, hotel or convention industry sales, ideally with market segment knowledge related to association business.
  This includes an understanding of third parties and intermediaries.
  
• Strong innovative and creative outlook for sales and business development.
  
• Proven track record of attaining measurable goals/results/targets in a sales & marketing capacity.
  
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team as well as lead teams is fundamental (sales missions, conferences and tradeshows, project groups)
• Demonstrated high level of oral speaking abilities, writing skills and business presentation skills.
  
• Experience in both the Canadian & International Association markets is an asset.
  Strong market segment .