Jobs
Vice President of Convention Sales
The VP of Convention Sales creates a vision and strategies for a forward thinking department and leads the team to execute the vision, optimize results, and drives performance to ensure the fulfillment of Travel Portland’s contractual obligations while working with the hospitality community to maximize bookings. Tasked with continual team development, the VP of Sales must have a commitment to a strong leadership culture within the department and organization. This position is responsible for all financial aspects of the Convention Sales Department including budget and reporting requirements. Applicants should have sales and management success in a major group oriented hotel, convention or visitors bureau. Application deadline: 5:00 pm PDT Wednesday, October 19th.
Full Job Description
Vice President of Convention Sales
Summary:
Lead convention sales department to optimize results in both the short and long term. Drive performance to ensure the implementation of contract obligations, while working with the hospitality community to maximize bookings. Create vision and strategies for a forward thinking department, and ensure execution with team. Administrate all financial aspects of the position, including budget and reporting requirements. Continual team development, and a commitment to a strong leadership culture within the department and organization.
Reasonable Accommodations:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and physical demands satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Essential Functions:
- Lead short term and long term strategic planning for convention sales.
- Supervise convention sales staff with respect to day-to-day management, salary and incentive issues, discipline, programs, and required paperwork.
- Create and maintain outstanding relationships with Portland hospitality community, the national DMO community, and national convention-related organizations (third-party planning organizations, TAP, DMAI, Cvent, PCMA, ASAE, etc.).
- Participate in tradeshows, sales trips, site visits, Familiarization trips, Customer Advisory Boards, and local meetings with national meeting planners regarding the selection of Portland as a meeting site.
- Prepare, manage, and evaluate annual program of work and budget.
- Collaborate with Research Manager position to capitalize on analytical resources available.
- Lead Multi-Cultural efforts within department, as well as maximizing sales opportunities.
- Partner with Convention Services Department regarding convention clients.
- Engage with Travel Portland marketing and public relations teams regarding development of annual convention sales marketing programs (media placement, direct mail, etc.), and for convention sales-related media requests.
- Other related duties which may be necessary or desirable to support Travel Portland’s success.
Secondary Functions:
- Monitor budget on a monthly basis.
- Prepare reports documenting progress toward convention sales goals, historical data, and special requests. Review and edit VDF grants.
- Review and authorize expense reports for all convention sales staff.
- Lead contact/liaison for Travel Portland convention sales committees and subcommittees.
- Lead for oversight and coordination of all industry-related conventions and familiarization trips (e.g., SGMP, Collaborate, SmithBucklin).
- Coordinate partnership programs with convention-related organizations (ASAE, HelmsBriscoe, etc.).
- Prepare registration paperwork for trade shows; prepare billings for co-op partners.
- Distribute leads and inquiries to appropriate sales managers, by market.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Senior Management
This position achieves success through subordinates, by ensuring that they have the necessary leadership and tools to achieve success. The incumbent is responsible to carry out the full spectrum of management responsibilities in accordance with the agency’s policies and applicable laws, and to ensure subordinates also carry out duties appropriately. Responsibilities include hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Education and/or Experience; Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:
- Bachelor’s Degree with major course work in Marketing, Tourism/Hospitality, or Sales, and
- A minimum of 10 years of sales and management success in a major group oriented hotel, convention or visitors bureau, or
- An equivalent combination of education, experience and training that would provide the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the successful performance of the essential job duties.
- Must possess a current and valid Driver’s License.
Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Advanced knowledge of Portland and region wide attractions, meeting venues, culture, dining, and lodging
- Knowledge of the convention, meeting and hospitality industry policies and procedures as they relate to group sales
- Knowledge of the role of Convention Visitor Bureau (CVB) in the hospitality industry
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and general knowledge of office equipment
- Knowledge of information management systems
- Advanced skills in sales relationship building
- Advanced skills in professional communication including verbal, written and telephone
- Skilled in personal and professional organization and time management
- Skilled in high level, professional customer service
- Skilled in presentation and public speaking
- Skilled in analyzing complex reports
- Ability to work effectively with a diverse cross section of people
- Ability to successfully and appropriately represent Travel Portland
- Ability to perform consistently in a fast-paced, multi task environment with frequent interruptions
- Ability to achieve goals in high pressure situations
- Ability to appropriately handle confidential information
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to drive a vehicle safely while communicating to and educating clients
- Ability to travel independently via commercial transportation
- Ability to attend approximately 8-10 tradeshows, conventions or sales trips per year
- Ability to conduct approximately 3 familiarization tours to include evenings and weekends per year.
- Ability to attend client dinners approximately 1-2 times per week
Physical Demands / Work Environment:
General office environment: Majority of work is completed in a general office environment with exposure to moderate levels of noise in a well-lit, well-ventilated and moderately paced environment. Continuously required to see and/or respond to visual cues, hear and/or respond to verbal/audio cues. Frequently required to walk, sit, and perform repetitive motions of hands and wrists. Occasionally required to stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, twist, bend, or reach with hands and arms. Continuously required to lift, push, pull and/or carry objects up to 10 pounds; frequently required to lift, push, pull and/or carry objects up to 25 pounds; rarely required to lift, push, pull and/or carry objects up to 50 pounds.
Rarely required to work near moving mechanical parts or be exposed to outdoor weather conditions.
Travel Portland believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our overall success. That contribution should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this Job Description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications and job scope, but not limit the incumbent or Travel Portland, to just the specific work identified. It is our expectation that each employee will offer his or her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors.
Application deadline: 5:00 pm PDT Wednesday, October 19th.
Volunteering
If you know and love Portland, the perfect volunteer opportunity awaits you with the Visitor Information Center located in Pioneer Courthouse Square. This is a chance for you to share your knowledge and passion for Portland’s sites, history and culture, while also learning more through ongoing training programs, newsletter updates and educational site tours covering area attractions, hotels, restaurants and events.
As a volunteer, you will serve as an integral part of the Travel Portland team by greeting visitors and providing them with directions or suggestions on key points of interest, dining options and more.
Conveniently located in downtown Portland — on both the MAX line and Tri-Met bus routes — the Visitor Information Center is easy to access from anywhere in the Portland area. During each four-hour volunteer shift, you will interact with local, regional, national and international visitors to Portland, making new friends and learning along the way.
Please fill out our volunteer application to learn about current available volunteer opportunities.
