Job Description

 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.

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 1000+ members.

This role is based in Destination Vancouver’s corporate office with proximity to transit and downtown amenities. Site inspections, FAMs and hosting industry events may take place on weekends and evenings. Business travel is a requirement of the position. Work is also affected by travel and time zones. Working hours will vary due to the nature of the tourism industry. Destination Vancouver believes in and supports work/life balance and hybrid working opportunities.

What do we offer?
We are proud to offer a competitive total rewards program including 3 weeks’ vacation (15 days) to start, an annual recognition plan, extended health care, health spending account, personal spending account, matching Group RRSP program, transit reimbursement, Team Member Referral program, training and development opportunities, and a flexible work environment.

Expected starting salary range: $7
Destination Vancouver believes in and provides a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.
How do we connect?
If this sounds like you because you have the knowledge, experience and drive, and describe yourself as enthusiastic and fun, collaborative and focused on building positive and long-term relationships, we invite you to apply for this exciting position.
Please send your resume and cover letter to careers@destinationvancouver.com. Applications without an accompanying cover letter will not be considered.
For more information, please visit http://destinationvancouver.com

Responsibilities & Qualifications

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:
• Lead 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 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:

• Generates qualified Meeting and Convention group business leads primarily out of both, the Canadian & International Association markets, 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 both Canada & International markets. 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, 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.
• 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.
• Prepares and delivers destination presentations to decision makers, influential clients, members, industry partners and suppliers.
• Maintains current in-market relationships and opportunities with a focus on strengthening existing client bonds, converting pending business, and assisting accounts that are meeting in Vancouver with facilitating the appropriate relationships within Destination Vancouver and the Vancouver hospitality community at large.
• Where appropriate, maintain active membership in the appropriate industry associations such as MPI, PCMA, CSAE and more, this also includes potential volunteer leadership roles.
• 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.
• Assist 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.
• Supports attendance building activities for “definite” conventions.
• 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 knowledge (ie. Life Sciences, Natural Resources, Digital Industries) is also a strong asset. Experience in/with leading industry organizations and their events such as IMEX Frankfurt, MPI, PCMA, CSAE is also an asset.
• Ability to make and articulate sound business decisions and recommendations, meet project deadlines, take direction as well as initiative. Fiscally responsible, socially engaging, and diplomatic professional demeanour.
• Passionate about Vancouver as a meeting and convention destination.
•Experience in performance management of a direct report.
•Strong working knowledge of all office desktop software. Strong willingness to learn and adapt to new opportunities and technologies. Post-secondary education in a related discipline and/or relevant experience.

Salary/Wage

80,000 - 95,000

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