POSITION OVERVIEW

RICHMOND REGION VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & SERVICES (Richmond, VA)

ABOUT RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Discover history, adventure and an easily accessible location in the Historic Richmond Region. Here, more than 400 years of American history live on through magnificent architecture, monument-lined cobblestone streets, and world- class museums – for an experience that's anything but text book.

Brave the gorgeous yet intense James River, which distinguishes the Richmond Region as the only urban setting with Class IV rapids. It's just one form of outdoor recreation for thrill seekers. Event planners will love the Greater Richmond Center, a prime destination for meetings and groups. See how the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is expanding its world-class offerings. And with more than 900 , diverse shopping and enticing events, the Region is ideal for weekend getaways and .

Tour the site of many of the nation's most significant moments in history. Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. The former capital of the Confederacy. The first American hospital and U.S. canal system. America's first African-American governor. All these milestones took place here, lending to the Region's highly distinguished historical profile.

But the full breadth of Richmond tourism extends far beyond historic sites and illustrious figures from the past. Today, the Region sets a modern precedent by blending upscale shopping, fabulous restaurants, world-renowned museums and action-packed fun for all ages. More than seven million visitors come to the Region each year. Join them. Click on the links below to learn more about Richmond Virginia tourism and . Explore the five distinct localities that form the Richmond Region, which together – each in their own way – make the area so easy to love.

Chesterfield County Hanover County Henrico County New Kent County Richmond City

Richmond Region Tourism represents the historical and hip Richmond Region. With over 18,000 rooms, a 700,000 gross / 258,000 net square foot , an international airport with over 200 flights per day and 900 restaurants the Richmond Region offers meetings and events an ideal location.

Use the links below to explore the Region's unique landscape:

Local Attractions Nature, Gardens & Parks Museums Events The Arts Sporting Events Spas Restaurants Bed & Breakfast Sports & Recreation NASCAR Shopping & Spas Local Tours Family Fun

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RICHMOND MEETING FACILITIES

Experience the state-of-the-art Greater Richmond Convention Center, where this city's 400-year past meets the cutting edge of modern technology and design. Learn how easy it is to get here, thanks to Richmond International Airport and our central setting, within a day's drive of half of the U.S. population. Discover what makes the Region so easy to love.

Meeting Facilities Greater Richmond Convention Center Area Information Testimonials & Local Buzz Hotels & Lodging Testimonials & Local Buzz Award-Winning Services from Richmond Region Tourism

ABOUT THE RICHMOND REGION TOURISM

Budget: $4.6m Total staff: 28 approx.

Once the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau – now Richmond Region Tourism.

The Richmond Region comprises the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and New Kent as well as the city of Richmond. Richmond Region Tourism's primary funding comes from a tax (transient lodging tax) that hotel guests pay on lodging in those five localities. Richmond Region Tourism receives 1.75 percent of the transient lodging sales in the Richmond Region and are also partially funded by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and receive funding from local partners and sponsors as well as through our nonprofit foundation.

Mission, Vision and Values About Richmond Region Tourism RMCVB Foundation

Trusted travel resource says, "While you weren't looking, Richmond got cool." What does the Richmond Region have in common with Bali, Rio de Janeiro and Santo Domingo? Each of these places was named in Frommer's list of Top Destinations for 2014 - and we're one of just three U.S. destinations listed. The highly respected travel guide attributes Richmond's high ranking to our historic attractions, world-class food and the roaring James River. In addition to a rich Civil War and Emancipation heritage, Frommer's states, "Richmond is coming into its own as a choice regional destination with a growing slate of breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, and even white-water river rapid activities cutting right through downtown." Sales and Services Overview: Richmond Region Tourism is charged with selling the Richmond Region as a unique travel destination and influencing meetings and conventions, tour groups, sporting events and to select our region. Richmond Region Tourism strives to increase demand in our Region for hotel rooms, attraction visits, packaged tours, and retail sales, local transportation, sports and event participation and other activities that positively affect the economic impact of the tourism industry and the Richmond Region as a whole.

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Strengths: . Largest convention center in Virginia . Location as the state capital . Accessibility off two major interstates within short travel time to half of the United States’ population, including Washington D.C., Raleigh, Atlanta and New York . Well-known for historic and cultural attractions . Emerging as a hip destination with a strong arts, dining, outdoors and sports scene.

Weaknesses: . Smaller budget compared to competitors . Richmond Coliseum is an older sports and entertainment venue . Limited public transportation options . Limited offering of hotel rooms within close proximity to the convention center.

Opportunities: . Increased awareness of outdoor activity and appeal to sports enthusiasts . Restaurants, wineries and craft breweries are hits with the media and meeting planners. . Concentration of higher education campuses in the region (J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, John Tyler Community College, Randolph Macon College, Union Presbyterian Seminary, University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Union University and Virginia State University) position us favorably with educational organizations including sporting events, religious and multicultural groups and associations. . New marketing campaign will grow top-of-mind awareness among meeting planners and rights holders.

Threats: . Development of entertainment and sporting venues offer more options for rights holders and event planners . Competing destinations within Virginia as well as regionally and nationally are building more hotels near their convention centers, sporting and entertainment venues. . Competing DMO’s budgets are increasing, enabling them to market to a wider scope of clientele and provide more financial resources to events. . Overall the pricing of the Richmond Region is competitive; however, we must ensure we do not become inflexible and make it too difficult and restrictive for our clients. . Norfolk is developing a new Hilton Conference Center which will add 300 rooms and 50,000 square feet of meeting space in downtown Norfolk.

To learn more about the Richmond Region and the CVB, please visit: http://www.visitrichmondva.com/

SUMMARY OF POSITION

Responsible for overseeing and managing the sales team to meet room night bookings targets. Enhancing and developing the convention service package and generating qualified lead sources for the sales team. Responsibilities include appropriate marketing and promotional activities to support the sales and services effort such as trade shows, sales missions, client events, and familiarization trips to promote the Richmond Region as a convention and meeting destination.

Position will have 11 direct reports and roughly 13 total within the department.

Reports To: President & CEO

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ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

. Manage the Sales Team to achieve targets for room night bookings: Oversees the directors and managers to develop and maintain relationships with meeting & event planners through a consistent and organized routine of contact and follow-up. Oversees activities to identify potential association, religious and sports clients through a variety of resources including research through industry databases such as EmpowerMINT and third parties. Manages sales mix and productivity of sales team with a sharp focus on clearly defined vertical and regional markets with greatest sales potential. . Manage account base to meet/exceed sales targets: Assist with development of leads for room night bookings while overseeing the Director of Sales & Services in managing the sales team and the Director of Sports Development. Develop and maintain relationships with annual accounts. . Promotional activities to support sales efforts: Oversees sales team attendance and personally attends suitable trade shows, balancing cost vs. returns measured in verified leads. Conduct sales missions to prime markets. Ensure effective arranging of Client Events by members of sales team to promote the destination. Oversee site visits to facilitate the closing of deals between meeting planners, hoteliers and convention center. Oversee meeting & convention/sports marketing campaigns. . Stakeholder Relations: Develop effective working relationships in the community with stakeholders and board of directors. Develop relationships with hotel management and hotel staff. Participate in community activities to create visibility for organization. Participate in professional associations for personal and professional development. . Manage Convention Services function: Oversee Convention Services function of coordinating registration services, housing services and ensuring successful conventions, meetings and events in the Richmond Region. . Manage Sales & Services Budget: Integrate budget planning with annual business planning to include setting objectives, action plans and goal settings of sales team. Manage expenditures against budget ensuring that promotional spending is productive and cost effective.

This position requires the following essential Physical, Mental, Sensory Abilities and Working Conditions:

. Maintain a stationary position at certain times during the workday. Move about inside and outside buildings. Ascend/descend stairs when offsite. . Operate computer and other office equipment, including grasping, fine manipulation, and repetitive motion. Lift up to 10 lbs. unassisted. . Observe and identify surroundings. Judge distances and spatial relationships so as to see objects where and as they actually are. . Distinguish sounds and recognize colors. Comprehend and exchange detailed information, including conveying it to others accurately, loudly, and/or quickly. . Concentrate, recognize, remember, reason, and make decisions. . Work is primarily performed indoors, climate-controlled environment and is nearly absent from disagreeable elements (like extreme noise, temperature, odors, heights and dust). . Subject to frequent interruptions and, on occasion, hostile or emotionally upset individuals. . May work, when necessary, beyond normal working hours, on weekends, and in other positions. . Will travel in local area during work day (including use of personal vehicle); may travel up to 25% of time out of town, including overnight.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY & SKILLS

. Requires thorough understanding of destination marketing and management with preferred background in DMO/tourism, hotel, attraction or other related travel industry environment. . Strong leadership skills, financial management and budgeting. Ability to perform consistently in a fast-paced multi-task environment. . Flexible and able to work outside traditional office hours. Ability to work strategically with community, business, industry and political leadership.

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. Ability to work in teams and individually. Skilled in professional and persuasive communication including verbal and written, as well as presentations and public speaking. . Management skills including motivation, monitoring and mentoring a team and contributing as a visionary/strategic thinker.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

. Sales leadership experience managing and mentoring a sales team is mandatory. . Level of Education, Experience and Professional Licenses/Certifications required: . BA/BS degree or equivalent vocational/technical training (4 years formal education) . 8 years or more (extensive and varied experience). Experience must include demonstrated success in a senior- level sales and marketing management position. Experience working with a board of directors and managing a committee. Previous DMO and/or travel/tourism industry experience strongly preferred. Certified Destination Marketing Executive (CDME) designation preferred. . Primary contacts are with top management top representatives of other organizations.

SUPERVISION

. Expected to perform independently and exercise good judgment. Supervises, directs, and reviews the work of other employees, conducts performance appraisals, and takes disciplinary action. Provide strategic oversight, budgeting and resource issues of managing other supervisors.

Position is a top-level senior executive role and as such, requires overnight travel, after-hours work, access by CEO and staff at any time, monitoring email and online activity after hours and on weekends. Requires use of personal vehicle and a valid drivers license. Position is critical in crisis communications plan execution if needed. Position must exercise decorum and represent the organization with the utmost integrity at all times.

TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS

. Mentor existing staff, assess market segmentation and level of presence in key customer markets and adjust activity and team deployment accordingly. . Establish sales goals and service goals and then apply metrics and systems that foster accountability and client retention. . Assess the destinations strengths and weaknesses relative to convention business, including the competitive set. Develop a progressive relationship with facilities, hotels and other stakeholders to overcome challenges. . Understand the CVB’s mission and strategic partnerships with Visit Sacramento, Experience Grand Rapids and Richmond Region Tourism. . Immediately establish relationships with hotel community, convention center and coliseum leaders, Sports Backers (www.sportsbackers.org), chambers and county and city political leadership.

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If you are interested in this position, please respond via e-mail with cover letter, resume, and compensation information to the following SearchWide™ Executive:

Mark Gnatovic, Senior Vice President, SearchWide™ Email: [email protected] or Phone: 817-251-9118 www.searchwide.com

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