Convention and Tourism Representative II #JR-01011

The city of Virginia Beach’s Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking a dynamic and motivated sales manager to join its team. This Virginia Beach based sales position is ideal for individuals with successful experience selling to the association and government markets. As a Convention & Tourism Representative II (Sale Manager), you will:

• Work M-F 8am – 5pm on non-travel days
• Travel - which will require working outside of a normal work week that could include weekends and evenings
• Performs specialized sales work with duties to sell the City of Virginia Beach with the express purpose of increasing meeting and convention sales within the city
• Represents the City of Virginia Beach at travel industry trade shows and industry shows throughout key domestic market areas.
• Manage the Request for Proposal Process as it relates to the hospitality industry in conjunction with hotels, meeting venues, restaurants and attractions, etc. to deliver proposals to organizations in a timely manner.
• Prospects and generates new accounts, meetings and conventions producing sales leads primed for VA Beach Business
• Generate, plan and execute successful sales missions, site inspections, tradeshows (including FAMS)
• Work extensively within a CRM System (Simpleview)
• Work collaboratively with local stakeholders to support effective sales and marketing strategies
• Provides support to assigned state, regional, and country accounts and local hospitality stakeholders in developing meetings and conventions for the destination
• Coordinate citywide opportunities, rate negotiations, promotional specials, rebates, with the usage of other negotiating tools to develop business proposals and presentations
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal and persuasive communication skills to facilitate responses to leads, design and conduct site visits, coordinate and assist in closing contract negotiations and make impactful presentations to meeting planners, board of directors, c-suite executives, and/or government agencies
• Be capable of having strong problem-solving skills to reach desired outcomes for meeting business
• Serve as a liaison between country , state and/or regional clients and local hospitality stakeholders to coordinate, book business and generate trust on all sides
• Coordinate citywide opportunities, rate negotiations, promotional specials, rebates, and other negotiating tools to develop business proposals and presentations
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal and persuasive communication skills to facilitate leads, site visits, contract negotiations and make presentations to meeting planners, board of directors and/or c-suite/government agencies
• Be capable of having strong problem-solving skills to reach desired outcomes for meeting business
• Demonstrate strong customer relationship skills with the ability to serve and lead on a local level as well as on a state or country level with boards/committees
• Manage detailed finances and travel expenses through the city procurement process and administrative directives
• Assist the Vice President of Sales & Services, the Director of Convention & Meetings Sales, and other sales managers with developing ideas that will improve the sales mission and goals for the Meeting & Conventions division of the City of Virginia Beach
• Work effectively and efficiently both independently as well as with a team, to include teammates, stakeholders, senior leadership
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite so that you can create needed documents and reports

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in selling a 2nd or 3rd tier destination or large hotel/convention center within the Association and/or government markets showing measurable sales achievements, quota attainments and high conversion ratios.
• Experience selling a destination while coordinating citywide meeting opportunities that require the use of multiple hotels, large meeting venues and/or other facilities.

Additional desired skills:

• Experience driving group sales and achieving Key Performance Indicators (KPI) requirements
• Experience in facilitating and providing clear and concise oral, visual and written communication to all stakeholders
• Experience serving on industry boards or committees and/or obtaining Certification in the hospitality industry (i.e., CMP, CASE, CDME)
• Proficient experience using a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM), Simpleview preferred

As a city employee, you will enjoy a generous benefits package that includes paid time off, paid holidays, health, dental and vision insurance options, a wellness program, retirement, tuition reimbursement and more.

Additional requirements:

• DMV Transcript: Yes

• CDL: No

• Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse: No

• CPS Check: No

• Physical: No

• Respirator: No

• Psychological Screening: No

• Polygraph: No

• At Will: No

Minimum Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or business administration and three (3) years of experience years in fields related to destination group sales, venue group sales, hotel group sales, sports tourism group sales, or related industries utilizing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities as associated with such positions as group sales representative, hotel sales manager, sports group sales manager, or director of sales OR experience equivalent to seven (7) years in fields utilizing the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with this position.

Special Requirements: All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies. Must be available to work and travel outside of normal business hours, which may include nights, weekends, holidays, and hours in excess of normally scheduled hours, when required to meet operational needs. Positions within this class have been designated as Alpha I positions requiring employees to work during inclement weather, regardless of the City’s operational status. Must complete training and obtain certification in Defensive Driving; First Aid/CPR/AED by the end of the probationary period. Certifications must be maintained for the duration of employment in this classification.

The City of Virginia Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer.