Catering Sales Manager

MCR • Miami, FL

13d

About The Position

The Catering Sales Manager is accountable for proactively soliciting and handling catering sales opportunities. Ensures business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for service delivery. Conducts day-to-day activities related to catering sales with a focus on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of sales objectives.
The Catering Sales Manager at Hilton Miami Blue Lagoon will be responsible for preparing all event documentation and coordinating with Sales, property departments, and guests to ensure consistent, high-level service throughout the pre-event, event, and post event phases of property events. Additionally, this role ensures for a seamless turnover from sales to service back to sales and recognizes opportunities to maximize revenue by upselling and offering enhancements to create outstanding events.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's or Associates degree is preferred.
• Work Experience: Experience in a hospitality, service, consumer-facing franchise or related field preferred.
• Can-Do Attitude: Must have a positive attitude and willingness to learn.
• Ability to Follow Guidelines: Must be able to understand and follow established guidelines and procedures.
• Evaluation and Decision-Making: Must be able to evaluate and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately.
• Handle Pace and Pressure: Must work well in stressful, high-pressure situations and maintain composure and objectivity under pressure.
• Listening, Conflict Resolution: Must be effective at listening to, understanding, clarifying, and resolving the concerns and issues raised by co-workers and guests.
• Financial Skills: Must be able to work with and understand financial information and data, and basic arithmetic functions.
• Other Required Skills: Must be attentive to detail and meet deadlines.
• Technology: Must be proficient in Windows operating systems, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.
• Communication Skills: Must be able to convey information and ideas clearly.
• Hospitality and Guest Service: Leads team members to always provide friendly service with a smile to guests.
• Certifications and Licenses: Must meet the legal age to serve alcoholic beverages (at select properties). A valid Driver's License is required.
• Market Knowledge: Basic market knowledge.
• Age Requirement: Must be 18 years of age or older to perform this job.
• Schedule and Travel: Must be willing to work a varied schedule that may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays based upon the demands of the hotel.
• High school degree (or equivalency) with Hotel/College training preferred
• Previous Restaurant or Hotel Food and Beverage experience preferred
• Solid understanding of banquet revenue generation
• Creative and innovative, as well as proactive and customer-oriented
• High energy and outgoing personality
• Organizational skills and attention to detail
• Diplomatic team player
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, event management software and customer management platform
• Excellent time management
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment
• An aptitude for self-motivation
• A can-do attitude and a hands-on approach
• A flexible schedule that allows availability days, nights, holidays, and weekends based on the demands of the hotel

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the operations team to develop and implement cutting-edge, comprehensive plans for groups and events.
• Oversee the events efforts for the hotel. Lead by example and mentor team members to effectively implement smart strategies.
• Nurture and grow client relationships through upselling and proactive customer service once contracts have been signed and handed over to the events team.
• Plan, organize, and manage all aspects of events and group meetings from conception to completion, including menu and room set planning, audio visual, logistics, equipment rentals, tastings, menus, themes, walkthroughs, participation on the floor during event service, invoicing, and follow-up.
• Ensure MCR Events SOPS are followed and completed accurately.
• Maintain accurate, organized, and up-to-date file management system in order to quickly and effectively meet clients and colleagues’ needs; utilizing Delphi to trace all daily activities and correspondence with clients to ensure prompt responses.
• Identify and act on business opportunities through a constant pursuit of knowledge about market trends, competition, and customers.
• Communicate accurately and effectively in verbal and written form with guests and associates so as to respond accurately and completely to people to give directions, instructions, information, answer questions and provide service as required.
• Work to continuously improve customer service by integrating obtained feedback into action plans.
• Negotiate with clients for banquets, meetings and other functions, all arrangements, suggesting menus, bar set up, room arrangements as per policy and procedure. On completion of negotiations, inform other departments of arrangements in writing which are necessary to assure success of the function.
• Understand the impact of Banquet operations on the overall success of the hotel.
• Solve problems and suggest alternatives to previous arrangements if necessary
• Lead pre-event and post-event meetings for assigned groups
• Identify operational challenges associated with groups and works with the property team members and guests to solve these challenges and develop alternative solutions as needed
• Manage client budgets to maximize revenue and meet client needs
• Oversee guest experience from file turnover through the post event phase until the turnover back to Sales Department
• Manage group room blocks and meeting space for assigned groups
• Adhere to all standards, policies, and procedures
• Celebrate successes and publicly recognizes the contributions of team members
• Up-sell products and services throughout the event process
• Participate in customer site inspections and assists with the sales process when needed
• Act as liaison between salesperson and client throughout the event process
• Manage revenue and profitability associated with events
• Forecast group sleeping rooms and event revenue for groups
• Review billing and payments with clients
• Handle guest problems and complaints
• Greet client during the event phase and hand-off to the operations team for the execution of details
• Strive to improve service performance
• Set a positive example for guest relations
• Coordinate and communicate verbally and in writing with customer (internal and external) regarding event details

Benefits

• Hotel Discounts
• Weekly Pay
• Paid Time Off
• Retirement Options
• Referral bonuses
• Career advancement & upward mobility
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance- available after 30 days of employment for full-time team members

What This Job Offers

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