Discover Saskatoon is the city’s destination management and marketing organization. We are a passionate and cooperative team that celebrates the people, experiences, and businesses that make our city remarkable. We build community pride, attract visitors, and strengthen the local economy by sharing Saskatoon’s stories with the world. You will join a team that values innovation, accountability, and community.

We offer meaningful work, flexible arrangements, and the chance to make a lasting impact on Saskatoon’s visitor economy.

Position Summary

As the Specialist, Sport & Major Events, you own Discover Saskatoon's sport tourism and major event pipeline, from first contact through bid submission. You build and manage the relationships, with Provincial Sport Organizations, host clubs, and hotel partners, that generate qualified leads, and you bring the market intelligence needed to position Saskatoon as a competitive, sustainable host destination.

You will lead and support the development of sport and major event opportunities through strategic sales efforts, bid coordination, and stakeholder engagement, while contributing to initiatives such as Discover Saskatoon’s Legacy Project. Working collaboratively with internal teams, industry partners, and event stakeholders, your ability to build relationships, manage opportunities, and execute effectively will be critical in securing events and delivering long-term impact for Saskatoon’s visitor economy.

Mindset

- Customer-Centred Approach: Builds and maintains trusted, professional relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders, ensuring Saskatoon is positioned as a responsive and competitive host destination.
- Integrity and Accountability: Upholds transparency, professionalism, and responsibility in sales activities, data management, and stakeholder communication.
- Collaboration: Works proactively with internal teams, sport organizations, and community partners to align priorities and deliver coordinated event attraction efforts.
- Adaptability: Responds effectively to evolving industry trends, client needs, and event requirements while maintaining focus on outcomes.
- Continuous Improvement: Actively seeks opportunities to strengthen sales strategies, improve bid competitiveness, and enhance stakeholder engagement.
- Community Engagement: Represents Discover Saskatoon with professionalism and enthusiasm at industry events, strengthening relationships and destination visibility.
- Strategic Thinking: Aligns lead generation, bid development, and partnership efforts with Saskatoon’s sport tourism strategy and long-term growth objectives.

Skillset Sport Event Sales & Lead Development

- Lead Generation: Research, identify, and develop sport and cultural event opportunities aligned with Saskatoon’s facilities and sectors of strength.
- Opportunity Qualification: Assess and prioritize leads based on alignment, feasibility, and potential economic impact.
- Relationship Management: Build and maintain robust relationships with clients, sport organizations, and event rights holders to support ongoing engagement and successful event attraction.
- Market Representation: Represent Discover Saskatoon at industry events, tradeshows, and sales missions to generate awareness and demand.
- Host Club Relationships:



Cultivate direct relationships with local host clubs and organizing committees to surface hosting opportunities and rights-holder connections ahead of a formal bid process.

Bid Development & Prospect Management

- Bid Coordination: Lead and support the development of competitive bid submissions, including research, intelligence gathering, and stakeholder alignment.
- Proposal Development: Prepare proposals, presentations, and supporting materials tailored to client and event requirements.
- Pipeline Management: Track and manage leads, timelines, and communications within CRM systems to ensure progression and accountability.
- Competitive Positioning: Ensure Saskatoon is effectively positioned against competing destinations through strong value propositions.

Project Leadership & Event Hosting Support

- Legacy Project Leadership: Lead the implementation of Discover Saskatoon’s Legacy Project for sport and major events, building local ambassadorship and long-term hosting capacity.
- FAM & Site Visit Coordination: Plan and host familiarization tours, site visits, and client experiences to support conversion.
- In-Market Activation: Support sales missions, tradeshows, and client events to advance opportunities and strengthen relationships.
- Event Hosting Collaboration: Work with partners and host committees to support the planning and execution of confirmed events.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Development

- Strategic Partnerships: Build and maintain direct, ongoing relationships with Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs), national sport organizations, and host clubs, positioning Discover Saskatoon as their first call for hosting opportunities.
- Community Alignment: Engage stakeholders to secure support and participation in bid opportunities.
- Industry Collaboration: Participate in committees and industry groups to strengthen Saskatoon’s sport tourism presence.
- Cross-Team Integration: Collaborate with internal teams to align business development, marketing, and destination initiatives.

Market Intelligence & Reporting

- Industry Insight: Monitor sport tourism trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities to inform strategy.
- CRM Management: Maintain accurate records of leads, communications, and bid activity within Discover Saskatoon’s CRM system.
- Performance Reporting: Prepare and submit monthly sales, pipeline, and progress reports.
- Strategic Communication: Provide timely updates and insights on key opportunities, market intelligence, and potential economic impact.
- Hotel Intelligence: Maintain current knowledge of hotel partner capacity, room block availability, and rate positioning across Saskatoon's hotel inventory, and translate that intelligence into bid-ready recommendations.

Communication, Organization & Delivery

- Campaign Collaboration: Work with Marketing & Communications to support sports event campaigns and initiatives.
- Presentation Development: Contribute to presentations, proposals, and industry communications.
- Storytelling Support: Provide input to support destination positioning and sport tourism promotion.
- Communication & Organization: Demonstrate strong communication, presentation,



and organizational skills with careful attention to detail across stakeholder engagement, BID development, and reporting.
- Approach: Bring an entrepreneurial, proactive approach to business development, with a strong commitment to advancing sport tourism and event excellence.

Toolset

- CRM & Sales Systems: Proficient in CRM platforms such as Simpleview, CVENT, or similar systems for managing leads, tracking pipeline activity, and maintaining partner records.
- Bid, Proposal & Presentation Tools: Experienced with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF tools to develop proposals, presentations, and sales materials.
- Project & Pipeline Management Tools: Skilled in using project management tools, shared planners, and tracking systems to manage timelines, bids, and sales activities.
- Collaboration & Communication Platforms: Use Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint to support coordination and communication.
- Data, Reporting & Analysis Tools: Proficient in Excel and reporting tools to track performance, analyze data, and generate insights.
- Event & Sales Activation Tools: Familiar with event platforms, trade show systems, and travel coordination tools to support in-market activities and client engagement.

Qualifications

- Experience: Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in sales, business development, sport tourism, or event hosting, with a demonstrated track record in lead generation and bid coordination.
- Education: Post-secondary education in business, tourism, sport management, or a related field is considered an asset.
- Industry Knowledge: Strong understanding of sport tourism, event hosting, and destination development, including knowledge of Saskatoon's facilities and infrastructure. Existing relationships with Provincial Sport Organizations and national sport organizations are required; established host club contacts are a strong asset.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office applications, and database management.
- Mobility: Ability to travel locally, nationally, and internationally to support sales missions, trade shows, and client engagement.

What We Offer Discover Saskatoon offers a comprehensive and competitive total rewards package designed to support your well-being and professional growth. Our compensation is aligned with market standards and complemented by a range of benefits and perks, including:

- Comprehensive Benefits Plan
- Flexible Health & Wellness Spending Account
- Employee & Family Assistance Plan
- 5% Matching RRSP Contributions
- Paid Parking & Corporate Cell Phone
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Additional Paid Time Off
- Exclusive Perks

Applicants are encouraged to apply early. We appreciate all applicants' interest, but we will contact only those selected for an interview. Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits

- Company events
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Store discount
- Vision care

Experience:
- Established networks in business events & sport tourism: 3 years (preferred)
- sales: 3 years (preferred)
- communication and customer service: 3 years (preferred)
- specific knowledge of Saskatoon venues, hotels & facilities: 3 years (preferred)

Location:
- Saskatoon, SK S7K 1W6 (preferred)

Work Location: In person

📌 Business Development Specialist, Sport & Major Event (Saskatoon)
🏢 Discover Saskatoon
📍 Saskatoon