Director of Conference Planning

Overview:

The Director of Conference Planning manages the following departments: Conference Planning, Business Center and Catering to ensure efficient and profitable operations by performing the following duties personally or through subordinate supervisors/personnel.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the distribution of booking turnovers from sales to the planning managers
• Responsible for conference planning and business center training and performance reviews
• Inspect event facilities to ensure that they conform to customer requirements
• Analyzes department work schedules to assure compliance with budgetary guidelines and restraints.
• Handles all guest complaints, comments/questions in an expeditious manner, or assigns to other personnel to follow up.
• Manages the departments checkbook and ensures expenses are in alignment with budgets and updated forecasts.
• Responsible for working with conference meeting planners in coordinating the final details for conferences and pre-conference meetings.
• Prepares Banquet Event Orders (BEO) for groups, including audiovisual needs.
• Prepares and distributes group resume/cover sheets to all departments. Ensures rooming list is entered accurately and that suites are blocked according to group contract. Sends rooming list printout to client to confirm accuracy.
• Re-checks diary/agenda to ensure proper space has been assigned and catering projections are accurate. Reviews group contract throughout planning stages to ensure group room pick up is coming in as contracted. If not, this position discusses the room block pick up with meeting planner to ensure that the room block gets filled or to discuss attrition penalties in rooms and/or food and beverage revenue.
• Conducts hotel site inspections when necessary. Offers creative suggestions to up sell during these visits.
• Ensures that credit applications are approved through the accounting department.
• Responsible for collecting payment three days prior to the group’s arrival, if the group is using a check or credit card as method of payment.
• Responsible for projecting and forecasting revenues for groups Entertains clients to establish closer working relations where appropriate.
• Manages third party agreements and services with vendors
• Conducts final tie-down (pre-conference) meetings prior to conference, if necessary.
• Ensures a consistent product to standards, while maximizing profitability and protecting the integrity of the guest experience.
• During the conference, reviews master bill with the meeting planner daily. Prepares adjustment slips for accounting to post (if needed) before the master bill is sent to client. Audits the groups Delphi check daily.
• Reviews the final bill and evaluation at the conclusion of conference.
• Attends weekly forecast, sales meetings and daily BEO meetings.
• Logs all communications with client in the activities section in Delphi.
• Responsible for knowing and abiding by all department, hotel and company policies and procedures.

Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or GED plus at least three (3) years of experience in hotel conference planning/services, sales, or banquet management; or any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the above knowledge, skills, and abilities. 
• A bachelor’s degree and experience in a conference center hotel is preferred.

 Must be able to:  

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Listen well and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to utilize a variety of computer programs effectively and efficiently (Microsoft Word, Excel, MICROS, property management system and timekeeping system etc...)

Crestline Hotels & Resorts is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, identity, or disability status.