POSITION: Visit Billings Group Sales Manager
 
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:
Visit Billings is the leading brand compromised of the Billings Tourism Business Improvement District (BTBID) and the Billings Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) and is managed by the Billings Chamber of Commerce. The mission is to generate room nights for lodging facilities in the city of Billings by effectively marketing the region as a preferred travel destination. As a destination leadership organization (DLO), Visit Billings is charged with growing visitation to Billings, Montana. Strategies include tourism marketing and sales while supporting programs and projects that lead to destination development to better position Billings for success.
 
POSITION SUMMARY:
To market and sell Billings, Montana as a destination to international and domestic tour operators, travel agents, and other travel professionals; and to market and sell the destination as a convention, meeting, and reunion destination to state, regional, and national markets. 
 
This position offers direct management and execution of day-to-day activities of group sales for Visit Billings. This individual must be an energetic, creative, knowledgeable, revenue driven, strong sales professional who is accountable to mission to promote and sell the destination to increase visitor growth while maximizing the impact to the visitor economy in Billings, Montana. This person must demonstrate an elevated level of interpersonal skills and possess a results-focused approach to going the extra mile.
 
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Represent Billings, Montana and Visit Billings as the group sales manager for the destination.
• Manage all aspects related to selling Billings, Montana as a meeting, convention, reunion, and leisure group tour (domestic and international) destination to state, regional, national, and international organizations, partners, and companies.
• Actively engage sales leaders of hotels and other key hospitality and venue partners to understand sales strategies and needs while communicating Visit Billings opportunities to assist with sales and bookings, as necessary.
• Submit leads, requests, and opportunities to appropriate partners.
• Solicit planners and organizers of meetings, conventions, trade shows, seminars, and training sessions in a variety of industry sectors including (but not limited to) associations, government, and niche markets including the SMERF (social, military, education, religious, fraternal) markets.
• Research and solicit business in a variety of tourism market segments.
• Responsible for the development and processing of sales accounts from identification of prospects to generation of leads, definite booking notices, development, and use of an automated sales account system, and tracking of all sales accounts/clients and maintain clear and descriptive electronic records in database.
• Maintain strong partner relations with local hotels, facilities, venues, attractions, and other related hospitality and city representatives.
• Cultivate and foster strong relationships with tour operators and tour companies for domestic and international industry opportunities while ensuring representatives currently working in the market are content with creative product options.
• Collaborate with Visitor Services Manager for proper transition of booking to servicing needs of planner or operator.
• Research and contact local individuals who are members of, or are affiliated with state, national, and/or regional organizations, to gain information on and garner support of bidding for future meetings.
• Prospect, prepare, and present formal bid presentations to organizations when applicable.
• Verify group bookings with formal communications and record keeping.
• Plan and assist in overall coordination and execution of meeting planner familiarization (FAM) tours and site inspections and execution of tour operator familiarization (FAM) tours and site inspections; Organize, manage, and conduct site inspections of hotels, venues, and other product options with/for planners and operators.
• Represent Billings, Montana at industry trade shows and sales missions to distribute information to future convention participants.
• Attend tradeshows, sales missions, client events, networking meetings and local meetings as needed to support and augment the sales team soliciting convention business.
• Build relationships and work well with regional and state colleagues for the greater success of Montana tourism.
• Nurture relationships with community leadership and elected officials.
• Work with fellow Visit Billings team to complete activities and programs that fulfill the mission and sales goals of sales and marketing roles and the organization.
• Attend local and statewide events and community activities to increase awareness of the organization, as well as the tourism efforts for solicitation opportunities.
• Keep on top of destination news, as well as new developments, industry trends and local news, including active involvement in local and national professional organizations to represent Visit Billings and Billings in targeted markets.
• Lead group sales efforts to meet definite, tentative room night, and need period goals.

• College degree in business, marketing, communications, advertising, hospitality/tourism, or minimum of five years’ work experience necessary to accomplish the job duties/responsibilities; sales and/or marketing experience key.
• Must have good interpersonal communication and presentation skills.
• Must be a polished communicator including the ability to develop and draft effective reports and business correspondence.
• Must be willing and able to work with a diverse group of individuals.
• Must have a high customer service standard along with strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Must have general knowledge of tourism, travel, and hospitality industries and related organizations and associations.

• Outstanding verbal and interpersonal skills for frequent interaction with customers, vendors, stakeholders, and suppliers.
• Understanding of Billings, Montana, Montana, and regional attractions, tourism partners, lodging community, and special event venues.
• Experience working with creative agencies.
• Successful experience with management of projects and programming for sales efforts.
• High attention to detail with the ability to manage and work simultaneously on multiple projects with conflicting demands for multiple people, and to organize and meet tight deadlines in a demanding environment.
• Ability to think creatively, strategically, and work within budget.
• A strong team orientation is important but needs to be successful working independently.
• Energetic, initiative-taker, and resourceful problem solver.
• A high degree of confidentiality, discretion, and sound judgment.

• This position has a busy travel schedule that includes 7-9 industry and sales-focused events annually.
• Ability to perform work utilizing a computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to sit, walk, and/or stand for extended periods of time.
• Ability to travel by ground or air transportation (includes personal and public transportation).
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed for travel or for hosting colleagues for business exchanges, or tradeshows, meetings, and events.

• An employee in this class of work performs activities requiring the occasional lifting of objects weighing sixty (60) pounds or less.
• This person must possess the ability to prepare booth pieces for shipment and set up at tradeshows and events.
• The position also demands the ability to lead walking or driving tours. Activities including horseback riding and boat tours may also be required occasionally.
• Office is housed in the Billings Chamber of Commerce building.

• Must appreciate Billings, Montana as a tourism destination.