Manager, Business Development — National (East) Manager, Business Development — National (East) Full-Time | Independent Contractor | Greater Toronto/Ottawa, Ontario Discover Saskatoon is a non-profit Destination Management and Marketing Organization in Saskatoon. We work to grow Saskatoon’s visitor economy by attracting meetings, conventions, sport events, cultural experiences, and leisure visitation that generate economic impact and social wealth for our city and our industry partners. We are a collaborative and ambitious organization that believes in the power of destination development, sales, relationships, and community.

We are positioning Saskatoon nationally and internationally as a vibrant, growing, and competitive destination for business events and major experiences. The Manager, Business Development — National East serves as Discover Saskatoon’s lead representative in Eastern Canada, focused on generating and converting national business event opportunities for Saskatoon. Based in Ottawa or Toronto (area), this role exists to ensure Saskatoon remains visible, relevant, and competitive in a highly relationship-driven market where most national associations, organizations, and decision-makers are headquartered.

You are expected to actively build and manage a pipeline of national meetings, conventions, sport events, and major event opportunities through strategic prospecting, industry engagement, relationship management, and full bid cycle leadership. building trusted relationships, hosting site visits, and positioning Saskatoon as a destination capable of delivering meaningful event experiences and strong business outcomes. You will serve as Saskatoon’s voice in the Eastern Canadian market and play a direct role in driving room nights, economic impact, and destination growth. This role requires a highly entrepreneurial and self-directed individual who thrives in relationship-based sales environments, understands complex stakeholder management, and is motivated by winning business and creating long-term impact.

Business

Development & Sales Leadership Generate, qualify,



and advance national business event, convention, and sport tourism leads aligned with Discover Saskatoon’s strategic priorities. Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of future opportunities that support long-term room night growth and economic impact.

Relationship

Management & Industry Presence National association executives Corporate meeting planners Third-party planners Maintain a strong and consistent presence within the national business events industry through active participation in networking events, conferences, tradeshows, and client engagement opportunities.

Ensure

Saskatoon is consistently represented in national conversations and considered alongside larger competing destinations. Support in-market activations, client hosting, FAM tours, and site visits designed to strengthen relationships and drive conversion. Maintain accurate reporting and pipeline management within Discover Saskatoon’s CRM platform (Simpleview). market intelligence, Work collaboratively with Discover Saskatoon’s Business Development, Marketing & Communications, Sport & Major Events, and industry partners to align strategy and maximize conversion opportunities.

The Manager, Business Development — National East is expected to confidently work within the following tools and systems: CRM & Pipeline Management Systems Experience using Simpleview or comparable CRM platforms to manage leads, contacts, opportunities, reporting, and conversion tracking.

Microsoft Office Suite

Strong working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for client communication, reporting, proposal development, presentations, and sales tracking.

Virtual





Meeting & Presentation Platforms Ability to confidently host and participate in client meetings, presentations, and industry discussions using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and related virtual platforms.

Sales

Prospecting & Relationship Management Tools Experience leveraging LinkedIn Sales Navigator, industry directories, association databases, and market intelligence tools to identify and qualify new business opportunities. Comfort working within shared document environments and cloud-based collaboration systems, including SharePoint and board management platforms where applicable. Reporting & Performance Tracking Ability to manage reporting dashboards, pipeline updates, expense tracking, and KPI reporting with accuracy and consistency.

Travel & Remote Work Management Ability to operate effectively within a remote, travel-intensive environment, including managing schedules, travel logistics, client hosting, and multi-market coordination independently. Minimum 7–10 years of experience in destination sales, business events, sport tourism, hospitality sales, or a related business development environment. Existing relationships within the Canadian meetings, conventions, and/or sport tourism industries are considered a strong asset.

Proven ability to develop business, manage long sales cycles, and close complex opportunities. Robust communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills. Ability to work independently while remaining highly collaborative with a remote team.

Robust organizational and pipeline management skills. Willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout Canada. This role operates independently within a fast-moving, relationship-driven sales environment.

The successful candidate must be highly organized, responsive, and comfortable managing a national pipeline remotely while remaining deeply connected to the Discover Saskatoon team. Room nights contracted Industry relationship development Most importantly, success means ensuring Saskatoon is consistently present, competitive, and winning in one of the country’s most important business events markets. #

📌 Business Development Manager, National, East (Independent Contractor) (Ottawa)
🏢 Discover Saskatoon
📍 Ottawa