Vice President, Business Development and Sales

Please note that we prefer applicants from: NY, NJ, CT, DC, VA, RI, MA, PA, MD.

The salary range provided is specific to the NYC market. Compensation for this role may vary depending on the candidate's actual work location.

Position Summary
The Vice President, Business Development and Sales leads the execution of exhibit and sponsorship revenue strategies for the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire, and related SFA initiatives. Reporting to the SVP,Tradeshows, this role is responsible for driving sales performance, expanding sponsorship and partnership revenue, and managing the sales team responsible for exhibitor and sponsor engagement.

The Vice President, Business Development and Sales works closely with the SVP, Tradeshows to implement multi-year revenue strategies and ensure disciplined sales execution that supports the long-term growth of SFA’s events.

Key Responsibilities
1. Strategy Development and Revenue Management

Lead the execution of exhibit and sponsorship sales strategies established in partnership with the SVP of Tradeshows to achieve revenue and growth targets.

Own revenue targets across exhibit sales and sponsorships.

Build and manage a disciplined sales pipeline and forecasting process across all events.

Identify and develop new revenue streams including year-round sponsorships, strategic partnerships, and branded programs.

Expand sponsorship participation from international exhibitors, emerging brands, and new industry segments.

Evaluate pricing strategy for exhibits and sponsorships to maximize long-term revenue growth.

Identify and pursue non-endemic sponsorship opportunities from brands and service providers outside the traditional specialty food industry.

Build relationships with key sponsors while partnering with the SVP of Tradeshows on strategic industry relationships.

Identify opportunities to integrate sponsorship into education, awards, research, and industry programming.

Partner closely with Marketing & Communications, Membership, and Finance teams to align revenue strategies with attendee growth, exhibitor engagement, and program development.

Implement sales processes, reporting structures, and accountability mechanisms that drive consistent performance across the sales team.

Provide regular revenue performance reporting and forecasts to the SVP, Tradeshows.

Establish clear strategic plans for new business, international sales, sponsorships, and non-endemic opportunities.

Analyze market trends, customer insights, and competitive dynamics to identify growth opportunities.

Ensure portfolio sales strategies are fully aligned with company goals and long-term business priorities.

Ensure detailed sales plans (including targets and budgets) are in place a minimum of 12 months prior to SFFS and WFF.

Provide actionable and corrective actions to optimize performance and mitigate risk against targets.

Partner closely with the Leadership Team, Marketing and Membership to ensure that strategic and business planning goals are met.

Develop growth strategy for international exhibitor participation at SFF and WFF.

Team Leadership and Development

Lead, mentor, and performance-manage SFA sales managers across the portfolio.

Ensure alignment of individual and team objectives with portfolio strategy and revenue priorities.

Foster a high-performance culture built on accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Identify skill gaps within the sales team and implement targeted training and development programs.

Establish clear revenue targets and performance metrics for all sales team members.

Implement consistent sales processes including pipeline tracking, forecasting, and account management.

Regularly review sales performance and implement corrective strategies when targets are at risk.

Recruit and develop top-performing sales talent.

Performance Metrics

International exhibitor participation

Sales pipeline health and forecasting accuracy

Return rates for exhibitors and sponsors

New year-round revenue programs launched

Position Qualifications

10+ years of proven senior sales leadership experience, preferably within trade show or B2B environments.

Proven success growing booth and sponsorship sales through strategic, data-driven approaches.

Excellent strategic planning and data-driven decision-making capabilities.

Demonstrated success leading and developing senior sales leaders.

Exceptional stakeholder management and executive-level communication skills.

Sets a clear vision and holds teams accountable for disciplined execution.

Demonstrated success developing and executing revenue growth strategies for large-scale events, trade shows, or B2B platforms.

Experience building and scaling sponsorship programs and strategic partnerships.

Strong business development instincts with the ability to identify new revenue opportunities.

Experience managing complex sales pipelines and forecasting multi-million-dollar revenue targets.

Strong network within trade shows, media, retail, food industry, or B2B event sectors preferred.

Experience using CRM systems and sales analytics to manage pipeline performance and forecasting.

Physical Demands & Work Environment
The Association's workforce is home-based. This position is primarily remote but will require your presence in person at various times. Being a remote position, a high-speed internet connection and presentable work environment is required for this role. Regardless of location, job demands may require long periods of sitting; telephone work and/or computer work, as well as interactions with other staff members, external vendors and SFA external constituents. There will be periodic travel required both to industry events and for team and department meetings. Occasional lifting of heavy boxes up to 40 pounds may be required, particularly around events.

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