The David Rubenstein Forum is a University-wide facility for scholarly and academic discourse on campus. The venue supports and promotes inquiry, the open exchange of ideas, and the power of academic, interdisciplinary convening. The Forum is located at the intersection of East 60th Street and Woodlawn Avenue. It serves as a place where scholars gather and exchange ideas through activities that range from talks and workshops to multi-day conferences that span academic disciplines. The facility provides spaces and amenities that are not currently available on campus, including highly collaborative, well-appointed meeting and event rooms commensurate with the types of conferences, special events, workshops, and meetings that University faculty and academic departments host. The building has a sustainable design target of LEED Gold.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Understand all aspects of Benchmark’s Be the Difference culture
• Set the example
• Lead and inspire all employees to Be the Difference
• Hold each team accountable for delivering the experience

• Know the business
• Set a positive direction
• Be a Role Model
• Uphold philosophy and values of owner and Benchmark
• Lead and inspire all employees to work to their highest capabilities to achieve the highest possible standards
• Provides day to day leadership to peers to achieve property sales objectives with overall responsibility for achieving team booking goals and property revenues
• Promote a team environment

• Negotiate local hotel agreements and maintain positive relationships with the local hotel community.
• Analyze and estimate total value of proposed business and optimize revenue while ensuring excellent customer service
• Execute the sales/marketing plan to acquire new and potential business
• Actively participates in the sales account management process
• Direct solicitation efforts through effective oral and written communication while overseeing rate, date and space commitments for sales within the conference center
• Participate in sales strategy meetings to provide input on weekly focus and overall sales strategy
• Identify University public relations opportunities and coordinate activities to augment the overall marketing communication strategy
• Building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of the property sales objectives
• Maximize group space for meetings and events using Delphi schedule function diary
• Understand and manage group details to operational needs for optimal execution
• Create and distribute BEO’s for all group event order details within standard established timelines
• Maintain clean system management, such as Delphi, to record historical group data and report efficiently through event orders to all operating departments
• Maintain on-site group changes through change-log communication while partnering with the event concierge
• Work with Executive Chef to assist in menu creation for custom event needs to meet client objectives
• Detail reports for weekly distribution of group activities to communicate daily business to all operators and owners
• Attend BEO meeting when applicable

• Ensure accuracy for forecasting of revenues with most updated information
• Maintains successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses and providing a return on investment for the owner
• Achieve and exceed revenue goals annually

• Professionally represent The David Rubenstein Forum in community and industry organizations and events
• Develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with similar university venues and local hotels

• Respond to any reasonable task assigned by General Manager & Director of Sales and Events
• Assist in the sales calls, cold calls or in whatever capacity needed

• Knowledge of group sales, marketing, and revenue management
• Conference Services and/or Catering planning experience required
• Experience with the University of Chicago preferred
• College degree or Associates degree or equivalent experience in a full-service Hotel/Resort/Conference Center
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Assertive, outgoing and self-motivating individual with pleasant personality
• Hotel/Resort/Conference Center industry work experience, demonstrating progressive career growth and a pattern of exceptional performance preferred
• Prior use of Delphi, or similar Sales & Catering system, required
• Must have valid driver license and ability to travel