Event planner (Group Concierge) - Chicago

Hornblower Group Inc.•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Hornblower Group is a global leader in experiences and transportation. Spanning a 100-year history, Hornblower Group’s portfolio of international offerings includes water-based experiences (dining and sightseeing cruises), land-based experiences (walking and food tours) and ferry and transportation services. City Experiences, Hornblower Group’s premier experience division, offers land- and water-based experiences as well as ferry and transportation services. Hornblower Group’s subsidiaries include Hornblower Marine, which provides vessel outhaul and maintenance services at Bridgeport Boatworks in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Seaward Services, Inc., a marine services company specializing in the operation, maintenance and repair of government and privately owned vessels. Additionally, Anchor Operating System, LLC, a Hornblower Group subsidiary and independent entity, provides reservation, ticketing and website integration services for clients in the transportation, tourism and entertainment industries. Today, Hornblower Group’s global portfolio covers over 10 countries, over 50 U.S. cities and serves more than 20 million guests annually. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Hornblower Group’s additional corporate offices reside in San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; London, United Kingdom; New York, New York; Dublin, Ireland; and across Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit hornblowercorp.com. Position Summary: The Group Concierge will help drive the post-purchase process for our group guests, developing strong rapport while handling the vital details of the group business. Along with coordinating the logistics for the event, the group concierge will drive upsell potential, increasing the average order value of each order they oversee. This position will report to the General Manager or the Senior Concierge Manager depending on port-specific needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred with a minimum of 1 year of experience in a sales support or as an event coordinator.
Communicate effectively in oral and written form.
Maintain a high level of organization & be detail-oriented.
Handle multiple tasks/projects at one time.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships as required by job responsibility.
Listen effectively, assesses the situation, determine relevant issues, & suggest solutions.
Work with Microsoft Office applications (especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends to accommodate site inspections and guest needs.

Responsibilities

Develop a comprehensive knowledge of all regional vessels, products and enhancements.
As directed, take the lead on post-contract follow-ups including passenger count adjustments and upsells to groups, with the goal of driving incremental revenue.
Successfully upsells existing guests to higher-value options and enhancements.
Follows City Cruises guidance on when and how to follow up with clients to present revenue generation opportunities through order enhancements.
Handle objections as they arise by using vast product knowledge.
Ability to maintain a flexible weekly schedule, including night and weekend demand while conducting site visits, cruise detail meetings and meeting clients as needed to support the account management team.
Serve as a resource for the sales team, including conducting site visits, greeting clients upon boarding to be the local resource when a national account manager is not present in the local port.
Serve as the primary point of contact for client post-booking, including conducting site visits and meeting clients as needed.
Be present during highly detailed events and serve as the liaison between sales and operations
High attention to detail, including complete and accurate product details, is communicated to the Food & Beverage and Operation teams to ensure proper product execution.
Ability to manage a minimum of 50 events per month, including handling all details for the cruise.
As directed, being present during highly detailed events serving as a liaison between sales and operations.
Develops strong rapport with the guest, thanking the guest for their business, gaining feedback, asking for referrals, rebooking, and firmly asking the client to fill out our survey.
Work with the General Manager and Director of Sales to resolve all guest issues in a timely manner.
Manage all administrative and operational activities (including payment collection) to enhance the guest experience.
Answer all post-booking inquiries, leveraging deep understanding of vessel, products, enhancements, and pricing.
Ensure guests are billed correctly (including payment collection) for all extra services provided according to the signed contract with the support of the Account Manager.
Document guest interactions in Salesforce, emphasizing detailed notes and task management, and sending weekly reports as directed by the Director of Sales.
Compile necessary reports for bi-weekly meetings, ensuring all cruise details are visible for the sales and operations team.
Additional job duties assigned.