Director of Sales for Convention Center

DoubleTree•Miami, FL

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center seeks a highly motivated, results-driven Director of Sales for Convention Services. This proactive outside-sales and business-development position generates and converts hotel business associated with tradeshows, conventions, exhibitions, corporate events, and meetings at and around the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC). The role identifies new opportunities, builds relationships with exhibitors, show managers, associations, meeting planners, and corporate decision-makers, and converts those relationships into room nights, meeting space, banquet, catering, food and beverage, and overall hotel revenue. The hotel is near Miami International Airport and the Blue Lagoon Business District. It has 334 guestrooms, onsite dining, a fitness room, an outdoor pool, a business center, complimentary high-speed internet access, 24,000 square feet of retail space, 20,000 square feet of hotel meeting and function space, and a convention center with 152,000 square feet of meeting, event, and exhibit space. The hiring range is $110,000–$120,000. The position reports to the General Manager.

Requirements

At least 3 years of hotel sales, convention, meeting, event, or related hospitality experience preferred.
Proven success in business development and prospecting.
Strong understanding of the tradeshow, convention, and meetings market.
Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and closing skills.
Comfort making cold calls and developing new business.
Highly organized, with strong follow-up skills and the ability to manage multiple opportunities.
Energetic and outgoing, and comfortable networking with executives, planners, exhibitors, and event professionals.
Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with Sales, Revenue Management, Catering, and Operations.
Prior roles must be a Convention Senior Sales/Operations Leadership Role.

Nice To Haves

Strong knowledge of the Miami corporate and convention market.
Experience with Hilton systems and/or hotel CRM platforms.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for tradeshows and conventions using MACC and the surrounding Miami market.
Identify upcoming tradeshows, conventions, exhibitions, association meetings, and corporate events that can generate hotel room nights and ancillary revenue.
Research show exhibitors and create targeted prospecting lists before each event.
Develop and maintain relationships with tradeshow organizers, show management companies, exhibitors, meeting planners, associations, and corporate decision-makers.
Conduct pre-show outreach to exhibitors and attendees to secure room blocks, individual reservations, meetings, receptions, dinners, and other hotel services.
Attend tradeshows and industry events as the hotel's sales representative, including booth visits, networking, client appointments, and post-show follow-up.
Convert tradeshow leads into definite business and maintain an active sales pipeline.
Develop new local, regional, and national accounts connected to MACC and the Miami convention market.
Prospect companies exhibiting at MACC and other major Miami convention venues and establish preferred-hotel relationships with repeat exhibitors and organizations.
Maintain relationships with existing accounts while identifying additional-revenue and future-business opportunities.
Create account-specific sales strategies based on production potential and future business opportunities.
Drive room-night production, occupancy, ADR, meeting-room rental, banquet revenue, and food and beverage revenue.
Partner with Revenue Management to maximize rate and availability during high-demand tradeshow periods.
Monitor booking pace and communicate opportunities, risks, and need periods to leadership.
Maintain a consistent schedule of outside sales calls and appointments with prospective accounts, corporate offices, exhibitors, agencies, and event planners.
Participate in industry networking events, association meetings, client entertainment, and sales missions.
Represent the hotel professionally in the Miami business community and build a referral network within the convention, meeting, and events industry.
Respond promptly and professionally to sales leads and inquiries, maintain accurate CRM information, document sales activity, and follow up until business is converted or formally closed/lost.