Group Sales Manage; Remote​/Midwest

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"Our leaders have always encouraged us to try new approaches and learn by experimentation. The biggest learning through this was that persistence and calculated risks, pay off."

Alila Mayakoba is seeking a strategic and commercially driven Group Sales Manager based in the Midwest USA with deep expertise in the incentive market. This individual will increase the resort’s share of the luxury incentive group market by developing new accounts, deepening existing relationships, and converting programs currently placed with competing resorts and destinations. The role requires a sophisticated understanding of incentive houses, third-party meeting and incentive companies, corporate reward programs, client qualification cycles, and the operational details that make a high-value incentive program successful.

The strongest candidate is a true incentive-market seller and market creator, not only an account caretaker. They understand the difference between a traditional meeting, an incentive program, and a luxury reward experience. They know how to influence a program before an RFP exists, translate client objectives into destination and resort value, navigate complex decision‑making, and create confidence with incentive professionals and senior corporate stakeholders.

They are resilient through long sales cycles, highly organized, commercially disciplined, creative in their approach, and skilled at turning relationships into measurable production.

Midwest Market Scope

The seller will build a focused territory strategy across major Midwest business centers, including Chicago, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, and other priority markets identified through account potential. The territory includes corporate incentive buyers, incentive travel agencies, DMC and event partners, meeting and procurement professionals, and high‑value accounts in industries such as financial services, insurance, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, technology, and professional services.

Key Responsibilities

Own the Midwest incentive strategy:
Create and execute annual and quarterly plans to grow incentive room nights, total group revenue, ADR, banquet and catering revenue, ancillary spend, and profit contribution from the Midwest territory.

Build an incentive‑market account map:
Identify the most influential incentive houses, third‑party planners, corporate reward‑program owners, procurement contacts, national accounts, and referral partners. Map decision‑makers, influencers, program calendars, historical destinations, incumbent resorts, and upcoming qualification periods.

Shift share from competing destinations:
Win programs currently using competing resorts in Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida, Arizona, California, and other incentive destinations. Understand the client’s current program, satisfaction gaps, budget, qualifying period, business objectives, participant profile, and barriers to switching, then create a compelling conversion strategy.

Create demand before the RFP:
Generate early‑stage opportunity by engaging buyers during program design, destination research, budget planning, and qualification‑calendar development. Build relationships before a formal RFP is released.

Understand incentive program economics:
Evaluate participant profile, room‑night pattern, pre‑ and post‑stays, airlift considerations, meeting‑space needs, food and beverage expectations, activities, exclusivity, VIP requirements, attrition, cancellation, concessions, and total program profitability.

Manage the complete sales cycle:
Lead opportunities from account targeting and prospecting through…