Event Manager

We’re looking for enthusiastic, fun, and energetic people who take the work seriously, but not themselves. Let’s see if we’re a fit. We hope so.

The Event Manager is responsible for coordinating and supervising business after it is booked by the Sales Department, while maintaining profitable operations, high quality products and service levels. The Event Manager is also responsible for acting as a liaison between customer and operating departments to ensure a successful event and to generate repeat business.

Essential Job Functions

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Primary Requirements And Qualifications

• Provide overall direction, coordination, and ongoing evaluation of operations of group, catering, or in-house events.
• Assist in facilitating a smooth turnover from sales to service, and back to sales.
• Serve as liaison between the Sales Manager, operational departments, and customer throughout the event management process.
• Follow-up with customer/meeting planner contact received via new event turnover(s) within 24 hours via telephone and within 3 days via email.
• Conduct planning site visits and inspections with customers/meeting planners.
• Understand and exhibit knowledge of food and beverage offerings, event technology products/procedures, group and catering forecasting, hotel revenue strategy, meeting room set-up types/capabilities, and sleeping room types/configurations through mindful event planning and decision-making.
• Understand and exhibit knowledge of customer/meeting planner’s event vision, event points of importance, and event budget through intentional recommendations and customized event plans.
• Identify opportunities to increase revenue and exhibit knowledge of sales techniques by effectively proposing and upselling enhancement ideas to customers/meeting planners.
• Respond to customer/meeting planner trends, needs, issues, comments, and problems in a timely fashion to ensure a quality experience and enhance future sales prospects.
• Follow established procedures and collaborate with other employees/departments to ensure accuracy and operation success.
• Effectively collaborate with the Culinary Team to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. Create (through collaboration) customer-focused proposed solutions for unique food-related requests or custom menu requirements.
• Monitor and manage group room blocks, including room block pick up, where applicable. Communicate trends and/or customer/meeting planner requests with Group Housing.
• Keep customer/meeting planner apprised of potential room block or food and beverage attrition, and accurately maintain meeting space inventories.
• Work with outside vendors to minimize the hotel’s risk by communicating hotel policies and procedures with the vendor, as well as enforcing and obtaining required insurance policies for each event. Collaborate as necessary to ensure customer/meeting planner satisfaction for all events/groups.
• Prepare and generate resumes, floor plans, banquet event orders (BEOs), event order contracts (EOCs), site visit alerts, and sleeping room blocks, as necessary.
• Create and arrange unique VIP experiences for customer identified VIPs, including communicating VIP stay details, collaborating with Group Housing to note status in reservation system, and arranging in-room amenities for VIP(s).
• Communicate via identified reports (as listed above) with both internal departments and external customer(s)/meeting planner(s) to ensure consistent, high-level service throughout pre-event, onsite event, and post-event phases of the event management lifecycle.
• Maintain up-to-date event information/documentation in the property's computerized sales management system. Communicate any short-term updates/changes to affected operations departments in a timely manner.
• Ensure customer/meeting planner expectations are met by hosting and/or attending follow-up meetings with appropriate staff members.
• Review menu/service with banquet managers and culinary representative during scheduled BEO meetings.
• Calculate and create final estimated balance document (including itemized details for all charges anticipated to be routed to the group master account) for customer/meeting planner review and payment prior to group arrival.
• Lead menu tastings, pre-event and post-event meetings to review/communicate group needs and feedback with internal departments and customer(s)/meeting planner(s).
• Connect with customers/meeting planners during their time on property and assist them with any requests. Be present at the event functions and assist staff as needed.
• Coordinate various departments’ participation in servicing accounts. Prepare information for, meet with, and entertain customers as deemed appropriate by potential business from that account.
• Ensure billing policies and procedures are upheld.
• Record and post rewards points per the parameters outlined in the Marriott Rewarding Events Program.
• Review meeting planner evaluations/feedback with the Sales Team to ensure that issues receive follow-up.
  
  

Hospitality/Conduct Requirements

• Understand and follow the company's mission statement and values.
• Identify and provide consistent high-level service to our guests
• Demonstrate professionalism with both internal and external customers
• Take ownership
• Ensure guest (customer/meeting planner) satisfaction
  
  

Educational Background

Candidate’s preferred skills and/or background to include:

• Two- or four-year degree from a college or university or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of various food service styles (i.e., ethnic weddings, butler-style service).
• Knowledge of menu development / familiarity with food and beverage cost control.
• Knowledge of Word and Excel software programs.
• Proficiency in CI/TY (Marriott’s sales and inventory management system).
• Proficiency in the English language, both written and verbal.
• Prior experience of working in the hospitality industry (hotels or event management)
• Strong computer skills (i.e., typing, independent technical troubleshooting, etc.)
  
  

Physical Demands

Candidate must have the ability to:

• Sit or stand for extended periods of time
• Communicate clearly (verbal and written communication)
• See within normal range (corrected vision, if necessary)
• Travel, both domestically and internationally
• Work flexible, long, or extended hours (including holidays and weekends, as needed)
• Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects (light work)
  
  

Mental Demands

Candidate must have the ability to:

• Make sound judgements quickly
• Maintain a detail-oriented focus, while implementing time management and making appropriate progress towards deadlines
• Effectively prioritize, organize, delegate, and execute work tasks
• Effectively handle and resolve challenges and/or problems in the workplace, including: anticipating, preventing, identifying, analyzing, troubleshooting, and addressing
• Work independently as well as collaboratively
• Both provide direction and take direction from others
• Ability to plan and develop procedures to be implemented within the department
• Manage differing personalities within the office, the hotel, and the community
• Maintain the highest degree of confidentiality
• Work effectively in stressful, high-pressure situations
  
  

NOTICE: The hotel business functions seven days a week, 24 hours a day. All employees must realize this fact and be aware that at all times it may be necessary to move associates from their accustomed shift as business demands. In addition, this is a hospitality business, and a hospitable service atmosphere must be projected at all times.

Benefits

• Full-time Associate Benefits
• Medical, Dental, & Vision | HSA & Flexible Spending Account Options | Basic Life & Disability Plan Options | 401K Retirement Plan | Paid Time Off | Holiday Pay | Career Training & Development Opportunities | Tuition Reimbursement | Bereavement Leave | Employee Assistant Program (EAP) | Jury Duty (May vary by state) | Employee Discounts | Employee Referral Bonus | Free meal for all full-service hotel employees
  
  

• Part-time Associate Benefits
• All above-listed benefits except for Medical Insurance and Holiday Pay
  

Mainsail is an Equal Opportunity Employer and it does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military service and veteran status, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.