The Eastwood Event Centre, located in Niles Ohio is currently seeking an experienced Director of Sales and Catering Manager for their state-of-the art facility. This beautiful venue has been designed to host a variety of functions from business meetings, conferences, exhibitions and social events.
The Director of Sales and Catering Manager will be responsible for selling meeting and event space and servicing accounts to include detailing, finalizing meeting/event agendas, and generating banquet event orders while working with the operations team to ensure flawless event execution to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction.
The Director of Sales and Catering Manager is responsible for driving a sales culture which focuses on advancing the sale by embracing the challenge and excitement of growing recruitment, retention, and reactivation accounts and the gift of last minute business, and maintains an operational sales culture focused on efficiency and effectiveness.
Essential Functions:
Effectively markets the Event Centre by creating and regularly updating marketing collateral, website, social media accounts, presentations, direct mail, advertising, and promotional campaigns.
Facilitates Event Centre’s sales by responding to all inbound inquiries.
Meets and exceeds personal booking and consumption goals, pace goals, prospecting goals, site tour goals, outside sales calls goals, and personal achievement goals.
Negotiates event room rental rates, function space minimums, and food and beverage within approved departmental booking guidelines. Confirms in writing to the client and all affected event Centre departments all group requirements via group sales contract, booking recap, and banquet event order.
Executes the planning and coordination of meetings and events to ensure the obligations by the hotel and client are met with satisfaction.
Acts as liaison between Sales and Catering and Operations Team by disseminating appropriate information as it relates to the meeting and/or event.
Trains the sales team as to how to open and close sales conversations and fill our sales pipeline by leveraging social, telephone, email, and text selling, including cold calling.
Displays strong customer service ethic, embracing our culture and mission statement, with high emphasis on exceeding client expectations consistently and providing authentic hospitality to every guest.
Directs the activities of the sales team, providing leadership and motivation necessary to implement effective sales and marketing strategies to maximize the generation of revenues.
Drives revenue and implements yield management strategies for meeting/event spaces. Ensures the Centre is receiving more than its fair share in our competitive set.
Develops, fosters, and maintains relationships with key clients and community leaders/partners in order to produce and develop a referral network for event Centre business.
Maintains a strong relationship with and is the key liaison to our on-site ownership partner, Cafaro Company.
Develops and manages the departmental budget and monitors sales activities/performance to ensure actual sales meet or exceed established revenue plan and accurately reports variances/projections/forecasts.
Develops property-level tactical sales initiatives to support overall sales plans, strategies and programs.
Actively participates and leads team in Columbus Hospitality sales initiatives such as training, sales blitzes, joint sales calls, and referrals to sister properties.
Ensures customer satisfaction and Centre profit by overseeing the coordination of various department's activities related to booked business.
Develops and maintains close relationships with officials and representatives of local and community groups and companies and attends in and out-of-town conferences to generate conference Centre business.
Along with support from the General Manager, develops and updates the Centre budget and business plan to include sales goals and plans that support the overall business and sales strategies of the company.
In coordination with ownership’s brand marketing team, develops messaging that is consistent with our brand image to market our offerings.
Along with the General Manager, serves as the Centre representative for media related inquiries and refers sensitive matters to the corporate Public Relations representative, as necessary.
Hires, trains, and provides career development for all sales and catering personnel.
Conducts performance evaluations and provides ongoing feedback and mentoring to sales team members.
Other duties as assigned.
Physical Requirements:
These physical demands represent the physical requirements necessary for an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to drive, walk, lift to 35 pounds, talk and hear/listen. The associate is frequently required to stand and feel/reach with hands and arms. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of the position.
Travel
Local and regional travel is required, resulting in overnight trips. This position requires the successful candidate to have a valid Ohio Driver’s license. The successful candidate would have to provide proof that s/he has a valid driver’s license upon being hired.
Qualifications, Education, Experience, Skills, and Abilities:
Associates or bachelor’s degree or commensurate work experience.
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a leadership role in a full-service hotel or event center environment in hospitality sales, marketing, and catering sales.
Affiliations and Memberships with local Industry Associations such as MPI, PCMA, OSAE, HSMAI, or SGMP preferred.
Have a CHSP or CMP designation or obtain designation within the first year of employment.
Experience with Delphi sales operating system preferred.
Proficient using the latest versions of the Microsoft Office Suite including: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher.
Experience with mail merges, web searches, and digital and email marketing.
Experience coordinating social media, marketing initiatives, websites, and public relations.
Excellent interpersonal skills both in person and by phone with high level of professionalism to deal effectively with all types of personalities.
Superb organizational skills – ability to multi-task, direct and solve problems effectively with little supervision.
Highly enthusiastic and self-motivated.
Analytical skills and an ability to accurately forecast business trends and outcomes.
Proven track record in leading highly effective teams to fully deliver on guest, partner, management company, and owner expectations.
Time management and ability to prioritize job duties and projects.