Executive Meetings Manager

About the Company

VisitPITTSBURGH is a tourism development organization dedicated to expanding the tourism economy across Allegheny County. The organization generates positive economic impact across the tourism verticals of business events, sports, and leisure travel. VisitPITTSBURGH achieves its goals, including ensuring the region of certain economic benefits, through the combined efforts of all team members throughout the organization.

About the Role

The Executive Meetings Manager is responsible for implementing sales strategies to attract conventions and tradeshows to the Greater Pittsburgh area. This role involves conducting sales calls, site inspections, and formal presentations to promote Pittsburgh as a destination. The manager collaborates with local stakeholders, develops marketing plans, and maintains relationships with industry professionals.

Essential Functions

• Under the direction of the Director of Convention Sales, implement sales strategies and methods, research potential sales prospects, and solicit state, regional, national and international convention and tradeshow business for the Greater Pittsburgh area.
• Plan and conduct sales calls to sell the Greater Pittsburgh area as a destination site for conventions and tradeshows and related activities.
• Participates in familiarization tours and personally conducts site inspections for meeting planners to promote the Greater Pittsburgh area as a convention destination.
• Identifies, contacts, and motivates local key individuals associated with state, regional, national, or international organizations to gain their support in influencing these organizations to hold future conventions and/or tradeshows in Pittsburgh.
• Develops and delivers formal presentations to motivate decision makers to select the Greater Pittsburgh area as a meeting site.
• Attends various state, regional, national, and international industry meetings, and tradeshows for the purpose of promoting the Greater Pittsburgh area as a meeting site.
• Interacts with hotel and David L. Lawrence Convention Center personnel.
• Utilizes prospecting tools such as the MINT and IDSS databases as part of the sales process.
• Participates, along with the Chief Sales Officer and/or Director, Convention Sales, in collaboration with local stakeholders regarding economic development and community partnership development.
• Assists in the development of convention sales annual marketing plan.
• Records and documents the result of sales activities and, whenever appropriate, transfer the account to the convention services team for follow-up services.
• Maintains involvement in local, state, and national professional associations to generate awareness of the Greater Pittsburgh area as a convention site.
• Participates in local industry activities to improve and sustain strong working relationships between VisitPITTSBURGH, its partners, and the Greater Pittsburgh business and hospitality communities.
• Assists in developing promotional material and other sales tools for use in sales promotions, formal bids and presentations, and for distribution from VisitPITTSBURGH exhibit booth during special events.
• Performs other duties and participates in special projects as may be required.

Skills & Specifications

• An associate’s degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management, Business Management, or a related field, is also required.
• Broad sales experience, two years minimum, particularly in the convention or hospitality industry, is required.
• Outstanding time management, results-oriented, organizational, and analytical skills are required.
• Ability to research potential sales prospects and to effectively sell those prospects on conducting their meetings in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access and Excel).
• Individual must possess a valid U.S. Driver’s license and credentials for traveling by air both domestically and internationally.
• Willingness to occasionally work non-traditional hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

*This role is exempt and operates under a hybrid schedule, with a minimum of 3 days in-office required. However, flexibility to be in office or on-site in other locations more frequently is expected.