Convention Service Manager

DRIFTWOOD HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT•Rockwall, TX

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Convention Service Manager prepares event documentation and coordinates with group sales and/or catering sales, hotel departments, and customers to ensure consistent, high-level service throughout the pre-event, event, and post-event phases. The role ensures a seamless turnover from sales to service and back to sales, and identifies opportunities to maximize revenue through upselling and event enhancements. The manager plans, organizes, and manages in-house details for group and convention bookings, including guest rooms, menus, and setups. The role participates in negotiating meetings, functions, rooms, rates, and related requirements; maximizes room and meeting-space revenues and profits while delivering a quality product; and reports and critiques activities to the Director of Convention Services or Director of Sales. The manager enlivens brand standards and supports corporate and hotel initiatives. The position oversees assigned customer experiences from file turnover through the post-event phase, coordinating event details, managing group room blocks and meeting space, addressing operational challenges, and leading or facilitating event-related meetings. It also monitors event budgets and room requirements, follows up with customers after events, and works with hotel teams to resolve issues and support customer satisfaction and repeat business. The hotel operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so operational demands may require variations in shift days, start times, and weekly hours.

Requirements

At least 2 years of hotel catering and rooms experience in the hospitality industry.
Proven ability to provide quality service consistently.
Strong verbal and written English communication skills.
Knowledge of hotel, Westmont, and brand policies and procedures.
Knowledge of catering, food and beverage, and banquets.
Ability to manage the people and variables involved in developing and implementing major functions.
Computer literacy with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Strong communication, listening, writing, problem-solving, customer relations, associate relations, presentation, organizational, closing, and persuasion skills.
Ability to use standard software applications and hotel systems.
Effective decision-making and influence skills.
Frequent walking, standing, sitting, hearing, talking, and smiling; lifting, pushing, and pulling objects weighing up to 10 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Previous leadership experience preferred.
Familiarity with Delphi or another hotel system preferred.

Responsibilities

Plan, upsell, and detail programs with clients, including verifying and modifying space requirements, schedules, equipment, menus, themes, and decorations.
Prepare event resumes and paperwork to support quality service.
Monitor convention group room requirements to ensure attendees receive the commitments made in hotel agreements.
Manage event details and related activities to satisfy program requirements.
Anticipate and handle customer complaints and problems to support quality delivery, customer satisfaction, and repeat business.
Develop sales tools, menus, themes, and decorations, and analyze competitors’ offerings and customer needs to improve convention services products.
Monitor and control event budgets and details to maximize revenue and minimize expenses while ensuring a quality product.
Communicate event details verbally and in writing with internal and external customers, and follow up after events.
Act as the liaison between the hotel and customer throughout pre-event, event, and post-event phases, remaining available to solve problems or suggest alternatives.
Oversee customer experiences from file turnover through the post-event phase until turnover back to sales.
Identify operational challenges for assigned groups and work with hotel staff and customers on solutions or alternatives.
Lead pre-event and post-event meetings for assigned groups and facilitate meetings such as Banquet Event Order meetings and block reviews.
Manage group room blocks and meeting space for assigned groups.
Greet customers during events and hand off to the operations team or Convention Services department for execution of event details.
Communicate function requirements to appropriate hotel departments and resolve issues to ensure quality delivery and customer satisfaction.
Use Delphi or another hotel system to capture and manage customer information daily.
Interact with guests to obtain feedback, respond to and handle guest problems and complaints, review guest service results with leaders, and participate in corrective action plans.
Emphasize guest satisfaction and continuous improvement in departmental meetings, and set a positive example for guest relations.
Integrate current meetings and special events industry trends and adhere to applicable standards, policies, and procedures.
Support hotel and corporate initiatives, participate in Hilton task forces as required, and perform other assigned duties and special projects.
Demonstrate leadership, accountability, effective relationship-building, work execution, and ongoing learning and self-development.