Director of Sales & Conference Services - Custer State Park Resort

Xanterra Travel Collection•State Game Lodge, SD

21h

About The Position

The Director of Sales & Conference Services leads group sales, catering, conference services, weddings, and special events across Custer State Park Resorts. The role drives revenue growth through proactive sales, strong client relationships, and collaboration with operations teams to deliver exceptional experiences across the Park’s lodging, dining, and event venues. The Director develops and executes sales and catering plans, manages revenue goals and forecasts, pursues group business, and oversees client relationships and event services from initial inquiry through post-event follow-up. The role coordinates across resort venues and departments, develops seasonal packages and group experiences, and leads the Sales & Conference Services team.

Requirements

Five or more years of progressive hospitality sales, catering, and conference services experience, including team leadership.
Demonstrated success in proactive business development, group sales, key account management, market expansion, and achieving revenue goals.
Experience developing and managing corporate meetings, destination weddings, conferences, and special events.
Working knowledge of conference, wedding, and special event planning; catering operations; contracts; budgets; and group pricing.
Strong communication, negotiation, organizational, and leadership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with corporate departments and property-level operational teams.
Proficiency with CRM and sales and catering management systems.
Ability to travel as needed for sales calls, trade shows, industry events, and company meetings.
Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as business demands require.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing multi-property or multi-venue sales and catering operations.
Experience working in destination resorts, national or state parks, or seasonal hospitality operations.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute annual sales and catering plans to grow group room, banquet, wedding, and event revenue.
Pursue corporate, association, incentive, wedding, tour, and leisure group business through targeted prospecting.
Establish and maintain a qualified sales pipeline through prospecting, relationship development, and account management.
Build relationships with key accounts, meeting planners, tour operators, destination management companies, tourism organizations, regional businesses, and event partners.
Conduct site visits, prepare proposals, negotiate contracts, and represent the property at trade shows, sales calls, and industry events.
Develop repeat-business strategies, referral programs, and account-retention initiatives.
Manage annual group sales, catering, wedding, and event revenue budgets and goals with resort leadership and Corporate Revenue Management.
Monitor booking pace, sales activity, pipeline forecasts, response times, conversion rates, average group rates, and overall sales performance.
Partner with Revenue Management on group pricing, packages, seasonal promotions, and need-period initiatives.
Evaluate group opportunities for revenue contribution, profitability, operational requirements, and effects on lodging, food and beverage, meeting space, event capacity, and ancillary experiences.
Monitor catering and event profitability through pricing, package development, and cost management.
Oversee catering and conference services from inquiry and contracting through planning, operational coordination, execution, and post-event follow-up.
Partner with Culinary and Operations teams to develop banquet menus, event packages, and guest experiences.
Ensure accurate contracts, room blocks, group resumes, banquet event orders, departmental communication, and service standards.
Coordinate group and event needs across multiple venues, including outdoor locations, while accounting for seasonal conditions and park requirements.
Establish standardized processes for lead distribution, prospecting, responses, proposals, contracting, deposits, attrition, cancellations, event planning, and follow-up.
Oversee lead distribution, response times, follow-up, and conversion performance.
Maintain accurate client records and prepare sales activity reports, booking-pace reports, pipeline forecasts, and performance metrics to support staffing and resource planning.
Coordinate communication among Sales, Catering, Revenue Management, Reservations, Culinary, Marketing, and Operations to ensure commitments align with property capabilities.
Collaborate with Xanterra Corporate Sales, Marketing, Revenue Management, and Tour & Travel teams on property-level strategies and organizational objectives.
Participate in corporate sales initiatives, strategic account development, company-wide programs, and cross-property opportunities.
Identify opportunities to cross-sell Xanterra destinations.
Develop seasonal group packages, corporate retreat experiences, and special-interest programs to generate lodging and event revenue.
Work with Marketing and Operations to create packages that increase shoulder-season and off-peak demand.
Collaborate with resort leadership and local partners on group experiences showcasing the park’s natural beauty, recreation, history, and cultural heritage.
Identify opportunities to include outdoor recreation, guided experiences, educational programming, and team-building activities in group offerings.
Lead, coach, and develop the Sales & Conference Services team, establishing responsibilities, goals, and performance expectations.
Build a collaborative team culture centered on guest service, accountability, and results.
Partner with resort leadership to support property priorities and successful group and event operations.