Event Sales Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

+ Meet and exceed monthly, quarterly and yearly financial goals

+ Proactively solicit new business opportunities by conducting effective sales calls, make out-of-the-office sales calls and presentations to potential clients; handle special event inquiry calls; negotiate space, assist with clients catering needs through on site or local caterer, create event proposals and conduct site inspections.

+ Draft, negotiate and close contracts and maintain files and databases for upcoming and past events. Works directly with legal, finance, F&B and Operations departments on contract initiatives

+ Communicates and distributes the contract details for upcoming events to the appropriate departments through all relevant means, including leading the weekly Event Bookings meetings

+ Monitors Special Events and Booking inquiry email inbox and ensure a timely response for each inquiry from the Special Events team

+ Give tours to potential social, corporate and convention clients, location scouts and potential event producers in conjunction with event managers

+ Build/Generate new leads to increase size of potential client database from cold calls and market prospecting to include, but not limited to: conventions, corporations, DMCs, tour operators, meeting planners, associations, SMERF (Social, Military, Educational, Religious and Fraternal) groups, concierges, hotels, organizations (i.e. Chamber of Commerce, Convention Center, Convention & Visitors Bureau, etc.) etc.

+ Develop strategic and promotional plan to drive Special Event/Rental sales for the venue/region to reach/exceed annual goal. Assist in the development of Special Events sales collateral and campaigns. Plan to include strategic initiatives, competitive analysis, insights on new areas of opportunity, etc. Development, management and fulfillment of the Special Event marketing budget

+ Sales generation maximize revenue while developing long-term relationships with clients (both local and national)

+ Monitors changes in the sales / special events industry and develop strategies to improve and adjust to those changes

+ Evaluate / identify potential business from new clients for both local market venues as well as ASM Globals portfolio of opportunities

+ Seek out and develop relationship with local industries (i.e. corporations, hotels, non-profits, etc.)

+ Identify key clients to create and solidify discount/incentive programs and preferred status. Manage and track account activity

+ Fully integrate into CVB to capitalize on the corporate and convention business that comes to the local market

+ Become involved in local and national outside organizations directly related to the hospitality industry (i.e., MPI, PCMA, ISES, HSMAI)

+ Attend local trade shows, participate in sales blitzes and other off-site sales efforts

+ Create and implement required reports on the productivity of sales by establishing revenue goals, enhancing client database, increasing check averages, managing contribution margin and exceeding goals in all categories

+ Oversee and coordinate service vendors to fulfill client proposal and event needs

+ Oversee all departmental accounting paperwork

+ Weekly reports to the GM on corporate sales trends, bookings, sales recaps and department productivity

+ Submit monthly reports to GM and VP of Sales including, but not limited to: Special Event Revenue Report, Forecast, Revenue Pipeline, Talent Cost, Event Export Reports, Revenue Breakdown and Lost Business

+ Manage Event and Logistics Managers and provide strategic direction on how they can reach/exceed their individual goals, both short-term and long-term

+ Execute weekly department meetings to keep staff informed, assess/set goals and create strategies for new business development

+ Understand all operational department responsibilities, capabilities and limitations to smoothly ensure maximum guest satisfaction and operational communication

+ Serve as an advisor to staff members on logistical arrangements, recommend and monitor new business opportunities, develop professional and personal goals of the staff maximizing productivity and stimulating growth, both internally and externally

+ Monitor office procedures to ensure timely returned calls, maintain filing, trace system, lost business and proper etiquette

Supervisory Responsibilities

+ Directly supervises Event and Logistics Managers and in the organization. Carries out all supervisory responsibilities in accordance with ASM Globals policies and applicable laws as outlined in the organizational guidelines. Responsibilities include recruiting, hiring, and training of employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding; disciplining employees in conjunction with Human Resources; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Provide a positive and creative team environment within the department.

Qualifications

+ To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

+ Ability to travel via air and auto required

+ Ability to work irregular hours in addition to normal business hours, to include nights, weekends and holidays as needed

+ Must be able to maintain a productive, team-oriented relationship with staff and sub-contractors

+ Working knowledge of local and regional markets, restaurant and venue operations, computers (Windows environment, spreadsheet, databases, word processing), guest relations

+ Skill in Interpersonal communications, organization, financial knowledge, and team building

+ Ability to delegate, follow up, relate to staff and guests / clients in a positive effective manner

Education and/or Experience

+ Bachelor's degree from four-year College or university in Marketing, or a B.S. in Hotel/Hospitality Management Public Relations or related field is preferred. 3-5 years of Event Management and/or Sales experience in a Convention Hotel or Convention Center is preferred.

+ Basic knowledge of food and beverage sales is essential to the function of this position.

+ A minimum of 3 years direct supervisory experience is also necessary.

Skills and Abilities

+ Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills required

+ Ability to effectively supervise staff

+ Ability to prioritize multiple projects

+ Exceptional communication skills both verbal and written

+ Excellent organizational, planning and problem-solving skills

+ High aptitude for figures and advanced writing skills

+ Professional presentation, appearance and work ethic

+ To perform this job successfully, an individual should have an accomplished working knowledge of computers and industry standard software systems. This would also include working knowledge of standard Microsoft Windows operating based platforms to include, Outlook, Excel, Word, Access and to some degree Visio or related room diagramming software.

+ Ability to, in English, read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to, in English, write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability, in English effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

+ Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interests, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

+ Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral diagram or schedule form.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

+ Valid American Red Cross CPR/AED-First Aid certification required within six months of hire.

Physical Demands

+ The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

NOTE: The essential responsibilities of this position are described under the headings above. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. Also, this document in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.

Free employee parking