Manager of Groups & Programs in Windsor

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, this Manager role is responsible for advancing Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island’s (TWEPI) priorities through:

• Group Programs – coordinate and support the attraction and servicing of meetings, conferences, sporting events and group travel opportunities through bid and proposal development, hotel and industry liaison, group services, performance tracking and industry engagement.
• Partnership Engagement & Program Management – lead the growth and management of TWEPI’s partnership programs through partner engagement and retention, prospecting and lead generation, stakeholder working groups, revenue development and the supervision of the Partnership Specialist.
• Consumer & Industry Show Engagement – lead the planning and execution of TWEPI’s participation at consumer and industry tradeshows and events, including partner engagement, show logistics, creative activations, destination representation, lead generation and performance reporting.

Principal Responsibilities

• Support group travel, meetings and sport tourism initiatives through liaising with hotels, venues and industry stakeholders.
• Assist with bid preparation and proposal development for meetings, conferences, tournaments and events.
• Liaise with local hoteliers regarding group business opportunities, hotel performance indicators and tourism intelligence.
• Coordinate group services and respond to incoming sport, meeting and group travel inquiries.
• Track, evaluate, and report annually on group, meeting and sport activity.
• Maintain a comprehensive inventory of venues within the region.
• Assist industry partners in the development of responses to bids and proposals to attract conferences, tournaments, and meetings to the region.

Partnership Engagement & Program Management

• Provide day-to-day direction and supervision to the Partnership Specialist, establishing priorities and overseeing their work in support of partnership engagement, prospecting, program administration and partner communications.
• Manage and maintain partner participation levels across assigned TWEPI programs, ensuring strong communication, engagement and retention.
• Lead the identification and prospecting of new businesses and organizations for program participation, working with the Partnership Specialist to generate leads and follow up with prospective partners.
• Lead partnership participation and revenue monitoring for TWEPI’s Official Visitor Guide and other revenue-generating programs and tools, overseeing partner outreach, tracking participation and identifying opportunities to grow annual revenues.
• Work collaboratively with the Destination Development team to identify new tourism businesses and experiences that align with tourism programs and digital passport programs, including Bandwango.
• Generate and qualify partnership leads, conducting outreach and follow-up to convert prospects into participating partners.
• Identify opportunities to grow participation and revenue within existing programs through enhanced partnerships and sponsorships.
• Facilitate partner working groups and maintain regular engagement with participating businesses, including programs such as Barrels Bottles & Brews and EPIC Wineries.
• Establish and work toward annual partnership participation and revenue goals, overseeing the tracking and reporting of partner activity, prospecting and results through TWEPI’s CRM (Tempest/IDSS).

Consumer & Industry Show Engagement

• Plan and coordinate TWEPI participation at consumer and industry tradeshows, conferences and tourism events.
• Coordinate logistics for exhibitions, collateral materials, booth concepts, staffing and stakeholder involvement.
• Attend and represent Tourism Windsor Essex at consumer travel shows, outdoor adventure shows, wine and culinary events, sport and meetings industry tradeshows and other tourism-related activations as required.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams and external suppliers on creative concepts, promotional materials and visitor engagement strategies.
• Coordinate post-show follow-up, lead tracking and reporting to evaluate performance and identify future opportunities.
• Maintain tradeshow inventory, displays and promotional assets.

Position Qualifications

• A minimum of three to five (3-5) years of managerial experience within a relevant marketing and communications environment, hotel, tourism organization or related sector.
• A university or college diploma in tourism, communications, marketing, business or related discipline.
• Strong communication skills in digital, verbal, written and presentation formats.
• Excellent team-oriented skills and capacities.
• An understanding of research and evaluation techniques and their applications.
• Ability to work with people in multiple and varied forms, involving senior, intermediate and junior staff levels, as well as the public, community leaders and others.
• Ability to coordinate complex projects and activities simultaneously.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends on a periodic basis including outbound provincial travel.
• Ability to deal with confidential information.
• A positive attitude, lots of energy, confidence; open mind, and high personal standards of integrity and professionalism.
• Computer skills, including Microsoft 365, are essential.
• Valid G license with reliable vehicle.
• Must provide a Level 1: Criminal Record Check (CRC).