Event Planning Manager

POSITION PURPOSE

As a Catering Sales Manager, you will be responsible for developing new accounts, maintaining existing accounts, implementing sales and marketing strategies to maximize profits of the hotel while maintaining customer satisfaction, and meeting and exceeding forecasted and budgeted revenue goals.

Essential Responsibilities

• Manage group and catering accounts to maximize business potential.
• Negotiate group and catering business and contracts that meet or exceed hotel revenue goals.
• Negotiate contracts, ensuring that all pertinent aspects of solicitation and closing are complete and documented.
• Make on-site and field presentations to prospective clients.
• Identify opportunities to up sell customer through food & beverage offerings, room upgrades, AV and lighting upgrades and spa services, if applicable.
• Drive strategies to develop long term business relationships and repeat business.
• Enthusiastically and proactively sell the Hotel concept to group and catering prospects in a way that best illustrates the identity of the brand as innovative and new.
• Prospect for new catering business using a wide variety of methods including phone calls, outside sales calls, trade shows, attending community functions, blitzes, internet prospecting, supplier partnerships, etc.
• Develop long term business relationships and consistently book repeat business.
• Conduct unique site inspections that create a WOW experience for the customer.
• Create customized Wedding Packages, Menus, and proposals, etc.
• Respond to all customer inquiries within 24 hours or sooner
• Maintain accurate information on all bookings, specifically program details, client correspondence, traces, and to-do lists.
• Follow proper event management procedures for event execution to include but not limited to BEO creation, F&B forecasting, resume communication, amenity/VIP designation and room block management.
• Produce and distribute accurate banquet/catering event orders, timelines, diagrams, and resumes within timeframe set by hotel.
• Coordinate, plan and implement wedding related marketing tactics and events.
• Produce and distribute 10-day Event Schedule and BEO Packet, as well as Daily Events Schedule.
• Lead weekly 10-day BEO, and daily 3-day BEO readings.
• Provide client support to include processing client leads, investigating hotel and preferred guest program issues, and acquiring or sending collateral materials.
• Provide hotel support to include following up on outstanding responses, calling, faxing, and emailing clients with responses and answering requests.
• Report generation as needed.
• Maintains liaison with other hotel departments to facilitate services agreed upon by the sales office and prospective clients.
• Be an active part of the property team supporting and developing the desired Azul Hospitality culture.
• Drive product quality and a unique guest experience at every opportunity.
• Take pride in the overall look and feel of the hotel never walking past something out of place.
• Maintain a refreshing attitude focused on positive friendly interactions with guests and staff.
• Develop and maintain strong interdepartmental relationships and open communication lines to assure efficient transfer of information.
• Schedule meetings and business group activities at the hotel.
• Be familiar with all company policies and benefits.
  
  

Supportive Functions

In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the manager based upon the particular requirements of the hotel:

• Assist with any property or owner inquiry.
• Follow all company and safety and security policies and procedures.
• Report maintenance problems, safety hazards, accidents, or injuries.
• Complete safety training and certifications.
• Ensure uniform and personal appearance are clean and professional, maintain confidentiality of proprietary information, and protect company assets.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with others and listen and respond appropriately to the concerns of other employees.
• Ensure adherence to quality expectations and standards; and identify, recommend, develop, and implement new ways to increase organizational efficiency, productivity, quality, safety, and/or cost-savings.
• Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by direct and indirect Supervisors.
  
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Environmental conditions are inside, a job is considered inside if staff spends approximately 75 percent or more of the time inside. Temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel environmental systems.
• Must be able to sit at a desk for up to four (8) hours per day. Walking and standing are required the rest of the working day. Length of time of these tasks may vary from day to day and task to task.
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for up to four (4) hours in length.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space and to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Must be able to lift up to 45 lbs. as needed.
• Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 250 lbs.
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening, and hearing ability and visual acuity.
• Hearing, smelling, tasting, and visual ability to observe and distinguish product quality and detect signs of emergency situations.
• Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with other staff, guests, and supervisors.
• Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near and color vision and depth perception.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat and stretch to fulfill cleaning tasks occasionally.
• Must have finger dexterity to be able to operate office equipment such as computers, printers, 10-key adding machine, multi-line touch tone phone, filing cabinets, FAX machines, photocopiers, dolly, and other office equipment as needed.
• Ability to work primarily with fingers to pick, pinch, type and carry out substantial movements (motions) of the wrists and hands as well.
  
  

Specific Job Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Must be able to travel on occasion, as needed.
• Must be able to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language used in the workplace.
• Requires good communication skills, verbal, written and electronic.
• Considerable knowledge of complex mathematical calculations and computer programs.
• Must have excellent leadership capability and customer relations skills.
• Must be detail oriented with outstanding organizational and communication skills.
• Must possess intermediate computer skills.
• Must Possess basic computational skills.
• Knowledge of computer programs, math skills as well as budgetary analysis capabilities required.
• Ability to analyze, foresee user needs, and makes judgments to ensure proper tools are provided at property level.
• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy and collect accurate information to resolve conflicts.
• Knowledgeable about basic function of Windows OS, MS Office, PMS, PBX, Key system, and POS.
• Self-driven and able to work independently
• Exceptionally strong in issue resolution and proven analytical skills with a strong attention to detail
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state and local laws governing equal employment opportunity and civil rights, occupational safety and health, wage and hour issues, and labor relations, including, but not limited to the following statutes and their state and local analogues (where applicable): Title VII, ADEA, Equal Pay Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, FLSA, ADA, OSHA, FMLA, and NLRA.
  
  

EDUCATION

• High school or equivalent education required.
• Bachelors degree and/or equivalent level of education.
  
  

Experience

• One to two years experience in Sales and/or Catering in hospitality industry preferred.
  
  

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS

Ability to provide and maintain a valid drivers license as the position may require the operation of motorized and electric vehicles.

GROOMING

All Staff Members must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance per Azul Hospitality standards. Refer to the property specific required grooming and uniform standards policy.

ATTENDANCE

Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established by Azul Hospitality, from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position. Staff with irregular attendance / tardiness will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Upon employment, all staff is required to fully comply with Azul Hospitality rules and regulations for the safe and effective operation of the hotels facilities. Staff members who violate hotel rules and regulations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, staff members may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the hotel. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required. This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that a staff member in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.