Reports To: President & CEO Status: Full time, Non-Exempt Base: $40-$45k Bonus / Commission Potential: $10-$20k (uncapped)
The Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association (WHLA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of Wisconsin lodging properties since 1896. WHLA connects our members with information, resources, and each other to create a unified voice for the hotel and lodging industry. As such, membership recruitment and retention are top priorities for us - not only to balance our budget, but also to have the impact we need to serve our industry. The Membership & Partnership Manager will be responsible for selling memberships to the lodging facilities in Wisconsin, along with valuable advertising offerings. Additionally, this person will work with our associate vendors to help them promote the products and services needed to operate hotel and lodging establishments.
We're a small team office, and our culture is very important to us. We love to work hard and have fun doing it. The best candidate will be a self starter who thrives in a small office environment, who is passionate about servant leadership, and who knows how to build relationships for the long term. You’ll have the opportunity to grow in this role by learning about best practices in association management while helping to develop our sales plans and identifying new opportunities for our members.
Benefits include:
Flexible work schedule and hybrid work from home option after probationary period
401k after the first 6 months of employment. We match 100% of contributions on the first 3% deferred, then 50% of contributions from 3% to 5%.
9 Paid Holidays
2 weeks vacation
1 week personal time
$25,000 Life & AD&D insurance policy eligibility on the first of the month after 60 days of employment
Membership Responsibilities
Develop annual membership recruitment and retention plan with guidance from the President & CEO.
Actively recruit hotel and lodging property members, associate vendor members and Chambers of Commerce/CVB members using both inbound leads and prospecting strategies including cold calling and occasional in-person visits.
Track reasons for non-renewal for analysis, providing any recommendations for improvement.
Track objections to joining for future value proposition development
Pursue expansion of group memberships (hotel brands, management companies, etc.) that will succeed in improving our market penetration.
Work with lodging property and chamber/CVB members to sell them targeted marketing and advertising opportunities including:
Lodging Directory advertising, including Co-Op ads in the Directory
Targeted Marketing offerings (discounted 3rd party advertising opportunities)
Website, social media and email marketing promotions
Collect materials and artwork for all advertising programs in accordance with deadlines
Serve as the staff liaison to the Membership Committee and other committees/task forces as assigned.
Partnership Responsibilities
Work with Associate Vendor members and prospects to upgrade membership to Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.
Sell advertising, sponsorship and event opportunities to industry vendors, including:
Digital, print and web advertising
Trade Show booths
Sponsorships for the conference, webinars, projects, and events
Website and WHLA Insider e-newsletter sponsorships, and any online ads or sponsorships.
Recommend pricing and changes for all items for sale
Trade Show Management:
Plan & implement traffic-generating show activities
Service exhibitor needs before, during and after the show
Manage and oversee set-ups, exhibitor registrations, break-downs and security of show area on-site
Evaluate show successes and failures, making recommendations to the CEO for improvements for the next Show.
General Responsibilities
Provide all related sales support services, including:
Submission of information for development of marketing pieces
Generate and maintain sales leads
Proof ads and placements to ensure inclusion of all sales
Serve as the liaison with current and potential members
Enter and update accurate sales status spreadsheets, monitor payment status, and collect past-due payments
Generate new ideas for revenue-generating programs, including expanded Targeted Marketing Programs, to grow overall association revenue, providing proposals to the CEO for consideration.
Prepare reports and proposals assigned by the CEO for WHLA board and committee meetings.
When assigned by the CEO, attend board and committee meetings, give reports or proposals as needed.
Other duties assigned by the President, CEO
Qualifications
At least two years experience selling on behalf of a membership based association or the hotel and lodging industry OR five years in a B2B sales environment
Professional presence and strong interpersonal skills
Must possess valid driver’s license and provide own transportation
College degree preferred
Skills & Abilities
Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally
Ability to work independently
Ability to generate and follow up on leads, scheduled appointments
Knowledge and overview of all association member benefits, opportunities, events and activities
Excellent organizational and problem solving skills
Flexibility and ability to work under changing priorities and workloads while managing multiple projects
Ability to deliver exceptional customer service to members, prospective members, and community partners
Ability connect with diverse group of members/potential members
Ability to successfully contribute/thrive in a small team environment
The Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association (WHLA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of Wisconsin lodging properties since 1896. WHLA connects our members with information, resources, and each other to create a unified voice for the hotel and lodging industry.
