SUMMARY

The Director of Events & Leisure Sales is responsible for guiding customers through event experiences, providing solutions that meet their goals and objectives to result in a compelling event or visitation experience. The Director of Events & Leisure Sales will set the overall strategies for the sales department, including event rentals, group, and tourism sales. It is the responsibility of the Director of Events & Leisure Sales to manage accounts and secure future business opportunities. They will also be responsible for implementing domestic and international strategies to drive third party bookings to meet and/or exceed financial goals through distribution channels including, but not limited to, online travel agencies, wholesale, and tour operators. Event contracts can range between a small group event 20+, up to a high-end event production 500+.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

• Responsible for all aspects of the organization’s facility rental program, group and tourism sales programs.
• Develop and execute standard operating procedures to ensure smooth departmental operations and event set up and breakdown.
• Attend site visits, pre-event planning meetings, and appropriate venue meetings as necessary to support the customer event experience.
• Develop and execute a sales plan to grow event revenue opportunities that aligns with the department and organizations objectives throughout the year.
• Responsible for identifying new and repeat business.
• Ensure all known opportunities are logged in CRM and updated at all times.

• Be the go-to contact person for internal and external collaborators for any event-related questions and queries.
• Schedule and organize internal events including all the logistics. Serve on internal event committees to further the organization’s goals and partnerships.
• Deliver World-Class Service by cultivating and maintaining relationships with customers, venue personnel and various departments.
• Serve as the face of the organization to the Wholesale Accounts. It is the primary responsibility of the Director of Events & Leisure Sales to implement strategies to manage the Tour and Travel program (domestic & international traditional tour operators, third party partners including online travel agencies).
• Prepare Sales Budget and monitor expense for facility rentals, group and catering sales.
• Develop an annual sales & marketing plan for facility rentals, group sales, and tourism sales in conjunction with other departments; monitor effectiveness of initiatives and initiate changes as needed.
• Meet regularly with catering manager to plan and review operational items including but not limited to menu, promotions.
• Advise senior management on logistical and operational issues, and opportunities surrounding revenue and operational efficiencies.
• Hold sales team accountable to maintain a healthy pipeline of leads that ensures achievement of established revenue targets.
• Create and present information and reports, as needed, to senior management related to performance, pipeline, forecasting, etc.
• Thoroughly research and understand customer history and previous experiences, in order to create more personalized customer experiences.
• Monitor and evaluate impact of trends in the industry, GMCVB reporting, and citywide trends and their impacts on meetings.
• Attend industry events
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, Marketing, Business Administration or equivalent education and experience.
• 6+ years of experience of event/sales experience/leisure
• Proven track record of event sales revenue
• Requires exacting attention to detail and excellent customer service, whether in person, or by other communication methods
• Ability to work with board of directors, major partners
• Experience managing a team and collaborating with others
• Must be highly organized with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and timelines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellence in the English and Spanish language (oral and written) required
• Experience with Delphi software (preferred)
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office and Excel
• Must be able to handle confidential/financial information

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Must be available to work evenings and weekends on a consistent basis
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, move quickly from space to space to quickly resolve issues and oversee events team members
• Must be able to work for extended periods of time in elements, sun, heat, wind, etc.
• Daily tasks require variety of physical activities, related to walking, standing, stooping, sitting, reaching, lifting (up to 50 lbs.)

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Background clearance
• Drug screening as part of the Drug Free Workplace Program.
• Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine(s) by date of hire to be considered for employment unless applicant is eligible for an exemption pursuant to all applicable laws.