Sales Director

Director of Sales Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB)State College, PAOn-siteAbout The Happy Valley Adventure BureauThe Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) is the official destination marketing organization for Centre County, Pennsylvania. HVAB promotes Happy Valley as a premier travel destination to drive visitation, overnight stays, and economic impact, while supporting local businesses and enhancing residents' quality of life.Mission StatementThe Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) is the official destination marketing organization for Centre County, Pennsylvania. HVAB promotes Happy Valley as a premier travel destination to drive visitation, overnight stays, and economic impact, while supporting local businesses and enhancing residents' quality of life.Position OverviewThe Director of Sales is responsible for developing and executing HVAB’s sales strategy in direct support of the Bureau’s mission and positioning HVAB as a regional and national meeting destination. This role promotes Happy Valley as a premier meeting and convention destination through direct sales efforts, client engagement, and participation in industry trade shows and promotional events. This senior-level position focuses on driving group, meeting, and sports tourism business, resulting in measurable overnight stays and visitor spending. The position is based in State College, Pennsylvania.The Sales Director position reports to the President and CEO, has frequent visibility with the board, senior ownership, and staff of constituent businesses, and is often called upon to represent the organization publicly.  Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy aligned with HVAB’s mission and economic impact goalsLead sales efforts for meetings, conventions, sports tourism, tournaments, and special events, including lead distributionIdentify, solicit, and secure new sports events and group business that generate overnight demandBuild and maintain strong relationships with hotel partners, venues, community stakeholders (including Penn State), and event organizersRepresent HVAB at trade shows, sales missions, client presentations, and site visitsTrack, analyze, and report room nights, economic impact, and performance metricsAccurately update and manage client information, correspondence, and activity within the CRM systemOther duties as assignedTourism KPIsEconomic impact generated from events, including room nightsReturn on investment (ROI) for trade shows and sales initiativesEvent retention and repeat bookingsBid and RFP conversion rates and timely lead distributionPartner and stakeholder satisfactionEducation, Experience & QualificationsBachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Tourism, Hospitality, or a related field preferredMinimum of 5–7 years of destination marketing organization (DMO) experience or similar equivalent requiredStrong communication, presentation, and customer service skillsAbility to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines efficientlyProficiency with presentation software and customer relationship management (CRM) systemsHighly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivatedAbility to work on-site at the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau officeAvailability to work occasional evenings and weekendsWillingness to travel for industry events and client presentationsCompensation and BenefitsCompetitive salary commensurate with experienceIncentive compensation tied to goal completionCompany-paid benefits, including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insuranceCompany-matched 401(k) plan eligibility after 90 days of employment10+ paid holidays per year and paid vacation time commensurate with experienceOngoing professional training and career development opportunitiesCompany-paid downtown parkingHow to ApplyPlease submit a resume and cover letter highlighting relevant experience and alignment with HVAB’s mission, and send to jstahl@centrehotel.com