National Accounts & Sales Lead

Visit Saint Paul is a private 501(c)6 nonprofit, membership-based organization with a mission to market the greater Saint Paul area to out-of-town convention and leisure travelers, help meet their needs as visitors, and create partnerships and opportunities for the local businesses that serve them.

We are dedicated to telling Saint Paul’s story, from its beauty and history to its energy, openness, and opportunities.

Visit Saint Paul is seeking a National Account Executive to promote Saint Paul as a premier meetings and convention destination and generate business for Saint Paul River Centre and member hotel properties.

This position serves as a sales leader and ambassador for Saint Paul, developing regional and national accounts and building relationships with meeting professionals to bring meetings, conventions, and events to the city. The National Account Executive plays an important role in generating hotel room nights, supporting Saint Paul’s hospitality community, and creating meaningful economic impact.

Success in this role means developing new business, connecting meeting planners with Saint Paul’s hotels, venues, attractions, and hospitality partners, and confidently bringing Saint Paul’s story to life throughout the sales process.

Drive New Business

• Market and sell Saint Paul’s hotel community, Saint Paul River Centre, and destination assets to generate tentative and definite convention, meeting, and event business across assigned market segments.
• Develop and manage regional and national accounts through consistent prospecting, relationship-building, and account management.
• Meet or exceed established individual and team sales goals, including definite bookings, room nights, conversion goals, prospecting activity, and site visits.
• Identify, develop, and respond to qualified leads through phone, email, presentations, written proposals, site inspections, trade shows, sales missions, networking, and other sales activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with meeting professionals, industry organizations, hotel partners, Saint Paul River Centre, attractions, venues, and service providers to maximize sales opportunities and generate repeat business.

• Prepare compelling bid proposals and destination presentations by coordinating hotel availability and rates, convention center costs, incentives, and other information necessary to meet client requirements.
• Maintain timely and effective communication with meeting planners throughout the sales process, ensuring client needs, deadlines, and follow-up expectations are met.
• Develop and execute sales strategies and account plans that support Visit Saint Paul’s overall sales goals and strengthen Saint Paul’s position within key association, corporate, sports, and other assigned markets.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and current account, contact, lead, activity, and booking information in iDSS (CRM).

• Represent Visit Saint Paul at national trade shows, sales missions, industry events, networking opportunities, and client‑facing functions.
• Conduct pre‑show planning, identify target accounts, schedule appointments, complete timely follow‑up, and coordinate other sales activities associated with industry events.
• Coordinate and conduct destination site visits for qualified meeting planners, showcasing Saint Paul hotels, venues, attractions, and other destination assets.
• Identify and invite qualified meeting planners to participate in Visit Saint Paul familiarization programs (FAMs) and assist in developing customized itineraries designed to convert prospective business.
• Travel approximately 4–7 times per year for business, including trade shows, sales missions,…