Explore St. Louis Sales Positions

SALES POSITIONS

Are you a highly successful destination sales professional looking to contribute to a dynamic and growing team in the Top 25 market with a top-tier convention center, stadium, and hotels all within a short distance of the city center? Our St. Louis destination is rich in history, sports, art, culinary vibrancy, leading edge technology and iconic sights. If you're ready to elevate your Sales career, these roles could be the opportunity you're looking for.

DIRECTOR OF SPORTS SALES

Are you a dynamic and talented sales professional with a passion for promoting and selling St. Louis as a powerhouse top tier sports and entertainment destination? With its legendary sports culture and central location, St. Louis is at the heart of it all. Explore St. Louis is seeking an experienced and results-oriented Director of Sports Sales to lead efforts in attracting and retaining high-impact sporting events. This role is focused on generating measurable economic impact, increasing hotel occupancy, and enhancing the visibility of St. Louis as a top-tier destination.

Essential Duties:

• Develop and implement strategies to attract sporting events that align with destination goals, leveraging St. Louis’ premier downtown facilities including Busch Stadium, Enterprise Center, CITYPARK, the Dome at America’s Center, and the America’s Center Convention Complex with flexible exhibit halls and event spaces.
• Identify, qualify and close new business opportunities through calls, emails, sales trips, tradeshows, networking events and presentations.
• Evaluate potential sports related business opportunities to generate direct spending, hotel room nights, align with existing facilities and destination priorities as well as potential exposure and benefits for the St. Louis region.
• Collaborate with local stakeholders including venues, hotels, universities, sports organizations and service providers to ensure event success.
• Represent the organization at conferences, tradeshows, and sales missions to position St. Louis as a leading sports and entertainment destination.
• Proactively prospect and recruit new business through targeted sales calls and participation in sports, industry conferences and sales calls.
• Prepare compelling proposals and conduct professional client presentations.
•  Coordinate and host client site visits by showcasing St. Louis hotels, venues and attractions.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of area facilities, attractions and services.
• Collaborate with local community partners at venues, facilities, hotels, universities, sports organizations and service providers to ensure event success.
•  Contribute to planning efforts for sales programs, blitzes, and familiarization tours designed to showcase St. Louis’ competitive advantages.
• Effectively communicate the city’s strengths by including its major sports teams (Cardinals, Blues, CITY SC, Battlehawks), excellent venues and passionate fan base.

Qualifications:

• 5 years of progressive experience in sports sales, destination marketing, hospitality or closely related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, hospitality or related discipline is preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• Proven success in driving revenue growth, consistently exceeding sales goals, and closing high-value accounts.
•  Strong business acumen with expertise in strategic planning, negotiations, and delivering persuasive presentations.
• Relationship builder with a demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain long-term partnerships with clients and stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM platforms. Experience with SimpleView and Momentus Elite software is highly desirable.
• Local market expertise with knowledge of the St. Louis sports and hospitality industry is critical.

Skills and Attributes

• Self-motivated and goal-oriented with persuasive sales abilities.
• Strong sales and strategic skills with a passion for St. Louis plus an in-depth knowledge of the sports industry to position the city as a premier destination.
• Exceptional networking skills with an ability to work independently while collaborating across internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in closing business and exceeding sales targets.
• Knowledge of local sports and entertainment facilities, venues and amenities (including contacts) is key.
• Familiarity with the St. Louis area and its event hospitality landscape.

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS (ASSOCIATION)

Explore St. Louis is seeking an energetic, highly motivated and goal driven self-starter with proven sales success to join our team as a Director of National Accounts, specializing in the Association market. This position is responsible for aggressively researching and qualifying potential customers that bring city-wide and convention business to the America's Center complex and hotels in St. Louis MO. this position may be based in the St. Louis, Chicago, or Washington DC areas. Travel is required. The Director of National Accounts will actively work to contact potential customers through sales leads, prospecting calls/emails, site visits, trade events, sales trips and appointments. In this role, you will establish a client base from associations for the purpose of security business for St. Louis to ensure that predetermined sales expectations are met and exceeded. Our sales team is supported by an in-house team of marketing, event & convention service professionals and leadership keen on driving and maximizing the greatest economic impact on the St. Louis region.

A demonstrated track record of success in sales is critical. Basic proficiency of MS Excel, Word, and utilization of a CRM system is required. Experience with Simpleview and Momentus Elite software is highly desirable. Knowledge of the St. Louis area, hospitality industry and convention tourism business is preferred. Effective decision-making plus excellent presentation and communication skills are essential.

Our ideal candidate for this position will have a minimum of 5 years' experience selling to large group accounts in the convention, hospitality or related industries. A Bachelors Degree or relevant certifications is beneficial but not required.

SALES DIRECTOR (NATIONAL ACCOUNTS)

Explore St. Louis is seeking an energetic, highly motivated and goal driven self-starter with proven sales success to join our team as a Director of National Accounts. This position is responsible for aggressively researching and qualifying potential customers that bring city-wide and convention business to the America’s Center complex and hotels in St. Louis MO. Strong preference will be given to St. Louis area residents, but this position may be based remotely. Travel is required. The Director of National Accounts will actively work to contact potential customers through sales leads, prospecting calls/emails, site visits, trade events, sales trips and appointments. This position will establish a client base from organizations, associations, and corporate businesses for the purpose of securing business for St. Louis to ensure the predetermined sales expectations are met or exceeded. The sales team is supported by an in-house team of marketing professionals, event and convention services, and leadership keen on having the greatest possible economic impact on the region.

A demonstrated track record of success in sales is critical. Proficiency in MS Excel, Word and utilization of a CRM system is required. Experience with Simpleview and Momentus Elite software is highly desirable. Knowledge of the St. Louis area, hospitality industry, and convention / tourism business is preferred. Effective decision-making plus excellent presentation & communication skills are essential.

Our ideal candidate will have 5 years’ minimum experience in selling large group accounts in the convention, hospitality, or related industries. A Bachelor’s Degree or relevant certifications are beneficial but not required. 

Additional Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success in closing new business and exceeding sales targets.
• Strong prospecting and networking skills with an ability to uncover and act independently on new business opportunities.
• Ability to analyze market data to inform strategic decisions and drive sales growth.

Skills and Attributes:

• Energetic, self-motivated and goal oriented
• comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with short sales cycles
• Passionate about events and delivering outstanding client experiences
• Familiarity with the St. Louis area and its event/hospitality landscape is beneficial

Compensation for these positions includes a competitive salary and incentive plan. A robust benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance as well as pension, paid holidays and PTO is included. Apply on our Explore St. Louis Careers URL or email a resume and cover letter to jobs@explorestlouis.com. Please include your cover letter and resume when applying online. NO PHONE CALLS! EOE.

Explore St. Louis is the sales and marketing organization responsible for selling and promoting St. Louis as a convention, meeting site, and leisure travel destination. Explore St. Louis manages and operates the America’s Center Complex which includes the Cervantes Convention Center, the Dome at America’s Center, the Ferrara Theatre, and the St. Louis Executive Conference Center.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement: Explore St. Louis values diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, past or present military service, marital status, gender identification or expression, medical condition or any other protected characteristic as established by law.