Location: Vancouver or Ottawa (hybrid) / Elsewhere in Canada (remote)
Department: Business Events
Employment Type: Full Time / Term (3-year fixed term contract)
Language Designation: English Essential
Posting Close Date: July 2, 2025
About Destination Canada
Tourism is the heartbeat of communities from coast to coast to coast. At Destination Canada, our aspiration for the tourism industry is to generate wealth and wellbeing for all of Canada and enrich the lives of our guests. Our mission is to influence supply and build demand for the benefit of locals, communities and visitors through leading research, alignment with public and private sectors, and marketing Canada nationally and abroad. We seek diverse, ingenious thinkers teeming with intellectual curiosity and a deep desire to grow Canada’s tourism industry – strengthening the socio-cultural, environmental and economic vitality tourism brings to Canada.
About the role:
Reporting to the Executive Director, Business Events, the Senior Director, Client Engagement, Business Events, is responsible for leading, managing and implementing the development of the Business Events team’s client engagement strategy and developing tactics to execute on strategy.
The goal of the strategy is to increase overnight visitation to Canada by attracting business events from international markets in alignment with the economic sectors identified in Canada’s international trade priorities and supporting our bold initiatives and values. You will be the main liaison with Canadian industry partners and the international client target audience.
You will work with these partners to increase direct multi-million dollar business event bookings into Canadian destinations. You will lead and manage the team of managers responsible for the business development and client engagement to attract those priority business events.
You will serve as the principal advisor to the Executive Director, Business Events, on international business event opportunities in Meetings, Conventions, and Incentive Travel (MC&IT), aligning with Canada’s key economic sectors, values, and related international entities.
Key accountabilities
Client Engagement
- Define and implement business events client engagement strategies, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and resonating with target audiences.
- Lead and mentor a client engagement team across key economic sectors, setting clear expectations and providing strategic guidance.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for the client engagement team, monitoring performance and providing regular feedback to ensure goals are met.
- Oversee the implementation of client engagement strategies, optimizing approaches and addressing challenges as they arise.
- Conduct regular performance reviews with team members, identifying areas for improvement and providing necessary training and support.
- Foster collaboration and coordination within the client engagement team and across other departments to maximize synergy and alignment of efforts in the execution of client engagement initiatives.
- Support content marketing and research to align with client engagement strategies to enhance partnership deliverables.
- Drive negotiation processes and lead discussions to shape the strategic direction of partnerships to ensure that partnerships contribute to overall DC business success and growth.
- Collaborate closely with the Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives Business Events to align sector marketing, and brand ambassadorship in collaboration with partners, developing and promoting compelling content that positions the country as a thought leader in and to highlight bold initiatives like sustainability, event Legacy & Impact and other initiatives.
Canadian Partner Engagement
- Establish and nurture strong relationships with industry partners, fostering regular communication and outreach
- Collaborate with industry partners to identify and implement innovative ideas and initiatives enhancing business development opportunities.
- Lead discussions and brainstorming sessions to leverage insights from industry partners and experts, identifying growth and improvement opportunities.
- Continuously seek feedback from industry partners to ensure alignment with their needs and priorities, fostering a collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship.
Strategic Partnerships
- Formulate and implement a comprehensive strategic partnerships strategy, including identifying potential collaboration opportunities and clearly defining partnership goals to ensure alignment with company objectives.
- Continuously evaluate and adjust the strategy based on evolving market dynamics and emerging trends to optimize partnership effectiveness and drive mutual growth and innovation.
- Oversee the comprehensive assessment of partnership fulfillment, ensuring alignment with contractual agreements and obligations.
- Monitor partner commitments and ensure compliance with agreed-upon terms, working closely with internal teams to track progress and analyze performance metrics.
- Ensure transparency and accountability in all partnership engagements, fostering trust and long-term collaboration.
- Act as a key representative and ambassador for the company at industry events, actively engaging with stakeholders to explore potential collaboration opportunities and promote the company’s interests and values.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with industry partners, leveraging interactions to gather valuable market intelligence and insights that inform strategic decision-making.
- Support content marketing and research to align with client engagement strategies to enhance partnership deliverables.
- Drive negotiation processes and lead discussions to shape the strategic direction of partnerships to ensure that partnerships contribute to overall DC business success and growth.
Tradeshows and Marketplaces
- Lead Team Canada at international events to deliver the business events message and support partnerships with Canadian tourism partners.
- Oversee internal team to ensure partner communication, booth planning, onsite activations are executed successfully.
- Represent Canada at international events and engage with potential clients and partners to showcase Canada’s strengths in the business events industry.
- Ensure the Destination Canada Brand is effectively implemented at industry trade shows, ensuring that Canada’s unique identity and value proposition are effectively communicated to attendees.
- Lead Innovate and Incentive Canada, Destination Canada’s annual signature events, by leading strategic goals in securing target client audience, securing keynote speakers, working with vendors and host partners to ensure its overall success.
Strategic Initiatives
- Formal keynote speaking, panel moderation, or conference session leadership.
- Collaborate with the marketing team who develop high-impact storytelling and strategic content (e.g., articles, briefs, sector insights, speaker briefs) that position Canada as the natural choice for transformative global business events.
- Ensure consistent, cross-channel alignment across client engagement, marketing, and Destination Canada efforts to amplify Canada’s marketing efforts.
- Collaborate with Canadian thought leaders through the Canadian Visionaries Network (CVN) to showcase Canada’s sectoral expertise, thought leadership, and innovation to international decision-makers.
- Drive the effective use of the International Convention Attraction Fund (ICAF) to support compelling bids that position Canada as the host destination of choice for major international conferences.
What you need
- Education: Post-secondary degree in business, commerce, economic development, politics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience: 7-10 years of progressive experience in business events or related field
- Industry Expertise: In-depth knowledge of the global Meetings, Conventions, and Incentive Travel (MC&IT) industry, with a strong understanding of Canada’s MCIT landscape, tourism infrastructure, and key destinations.
- Client & Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional networking and communication skills, with the ability to engage with top-level executives across sectors and a proven track record in community networking or membership/influencer activities
- Inspirational Leadership: A track record of inspiring and leading high-performing, collaborative teams toward ambitious goals.
- Strategic Planning: A strategic, innovative thinker with demonstrated success in long-term planning and developing creative sales strategies.
- Business Development & Research: Skilled in prospecting, research, and identifying business development opportunities.
- Presentation Skills: Outstanding public speaking and presentation abilities
- Project Management: Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex projects
- Technology Proficiency: Highly proficient with Microsoft Office, CRM platforms, database management, and adaptable to emerging technologies and tools, including social media.
Compensation
Salary range: $110,375 – $143,488
Within the range, the base pay offered is determined by multiple factors, including job-related skills and relevant education/experience. Please note starting salaries for new hires typically fall between the minimum and mid-point of the range, to support internal equity and allow room for progression as employees grow and excel in their roles. The range above reflects base pay only and does not include the competitive at-risk pay program and benefits that we offer!
Other components of our total rewards offerings include:
- Extended health and dental benefits
- Minimum 3 weeks of accrued vacation plus other paid time off
- Employee assistance program
- Defined contribution pension plan
- Generous parenthood top-up
- Flexible working options like compressed workweek and hybrid model
- Support towards your professional growth with learning and development opportunities, mentorship and more.
Things you should know:
- This role requires extensive travel, including international travel. A valid passport and willingness and ability to travel internationally is required.
- This is a three-year term role, with a fixed end date.
- This role is remote for candidates based outside Vancouver or Ottawa. If fully remote, occasional travel to our headquarters in Vancouver, BC, may be required. Candidates located in Vancouver or Ottawa will follow a hybrid work model.
At Destination Canada, we believe that Canada’s diversity is its greatest asset and is what touches travellers’ hearts most deeply. To that end, we are committed to inclusive leadership within our workplace, workforce, and interactions with partners and travellers alike. Destination Canada is an equal opportunity employer committed to reflecting Canada’s diversity through fair and accessible hiring and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. If you require accommodations at any point in the recruitment process, please reach out to accessibility@destinationcanada.com.
We know that applying for a new job can be both exciting and intimidating, and we sincerely appreciate your interest and effort. Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted.
Privacy Policy Acknowledgement
Personal information collected in relation to your application is collected pursuant to the Canadian Tourism Commission Act and under the Privacy Act. It will be used to evaluate your application and maintain an inventory of candidates for work opportunities and staffing pursuant to Destination Canada’s personal information banks PSU 911 and PSE 902. Information will be retained for a minimum of 2 years.
By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy.