Catering Sales Manager

Sage Hospitality • New Orleans, LA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Catering Sales Manager at Hotel de la Poste leads the growth of wedding and social event sales for the hotel and its restaurant. The role focuses on developing relationships with wedding planners and local partners, generating new business, and converting inquiries into bookings for events such as weddings, rehearsal dinners, milestone celebrations, and private dining. The manager works with culinary and operations teams to develop proposals that fit clients’ visions and reflect the property’s French Quarter character.

The position requires sales, negotiation, event planning and detailing, coordination across hotel departments, and customer service. It also involves preparing contracts and event paperwork, monitoring sales performance, and maintaining knowledge of hotel procedures, products, and competitors. The role has no supervisory duties.

Requirements

• More than two years of post-high-school education.
• One to two full years of employment in a related position with this company or another organization.
• Thorough knowledge of catering, food and beverage practices and procedures, menu development, and pricing.
• Knowledge of hotel policies and procedures and ability to determine a course of action based on those guidelines.
• Ability to investigate and analyze activities or information using readily available data and draw logical conclusions and recommendations.
• Communication skills to negotiate, convince, sell, and influence professionals and hotel guests.
• Ability to drive to outside sales calls.
• Excellent comprehension and literacy to develop marketing plans, create menus and programs, and perform related work.
• Excellent hearing for verbal interaction with guests and associates.
• Excellent vision for viewing setups.
• Excellent speech communication skills for verbal interaction with guests and associates.
• Ability to occasionally lift, push, pull, and carry tables, chairs, and boxes weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to occasionally bend and kneel for tasks such as taping down cords, skirting tables, and picking up the floor after functions.
• Mobility to service clients on short notice and over variable distances; ability to stand continuously for function observation and client site inspections, from one to four hours.
• Ability to climb up to 55 steps, 3–5% of a 10-hour period.
• Ability to drive varying distances for sales calls, approximately 20% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Target and grow the hotel and restaurant wedding and social markets.
• Solicit, negotiate, and book new and repeat business through outside sales calls, telemarketing, mailings, networking, and other efforts, maximizing banquet space to meet or exceed revenue goals.
• Execute a territorial marketing strategy to capture revenue and meet or exceed sales goals.
• Plan, upsell, and detail meetings and functions with clients, including space requirements, schedules, equipment, menus, themes, and decorations.
• Complete contracts and prepare paperwork, including banquet event orders; coordinate with relevant hotel departments and resolve issues, complaints, and problems to ensure quality delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Prepare status and period-end reports.
• Maintain current knowledge of corporate and hotel procedures, products, and competition, including competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, to improve sales strategies and achieve goals.
• Communicate professionally and positively with guests and fellow associates.
• Perform other duties as assigned, requested, or deemed necessary by management.

Benefits

• Free parking
• Bonus plan
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Eligibility to participate in the company’s 401(k) program with employer matching
• Health savings and flexible spending accounts
• Basic life and AD&D insurance
• Discounted room rates for Marriott and Sage properties
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discounts on hotels, restaurants, and other offerings
• Eligibility to participate in the Employee Referral Bonus Program, with up to $1,000 per referral
• Fun and exciting work environment
• Competitive health and welfare plans
• Negotiated corporate discounts on home insurance, movie tickets, flowers, and more
• Community-oriented workplace

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree