Executive Meeting Manager

Sage Hospitality•Austin, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Sage Hospitality Group is hiring an Executive Meeting Manager at Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, Texas. The hotel is located in the Rainey Street District and features 319 guest rooms and more than 25,000 square feet of meeting space. The Executive Meeting Manager serves as the primary liaison among clients, sales teams, restaurant partners, and hotel operations. The role plans, details, and executes assigned group and catering business, including meetings, events, private dining experiences, room blocks, banquet functions, and group programs. It also drives revenue through small-market catering sales, private dining room bookings, upselling, and repeat-event opportunities. The position owns the client experience from initial inquiry through event execution and works closely with Sales, Banquets, Culinary, Food and Beverage, Front Office, Engineering, Housekeeping, Revenue Management, and restaurant leadership. The manager is expected to meet or exceed assigned sales and activity goals, maintain accurate client and sales records, and deliver high-quality service and operational execution.

Requirements

Minimum two to four years of experience in hotel catering sales, conference services, event management, restaurant private dining sales, or hotel group sales.
Strong knowledge of catering operations, conference services, banquet management, food and beverage operations, and hotel group sales.
Advanced event-planning, organization, and project-management skills.
Excellent negotiation, selling, client-relationship, and presentation skills.
Strong financial acumen and understanding of revenue optimization and space utilization.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while meeting deadlines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Working knowledge of Delphi and Opera, or comparable hotel sales and catering platforms such as Cvent and Engine.
Ability to identify creative revenue opportunities and maximize total account value.
Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license for local sales activities.

Nice To Haves

More than two years of post-high-school education preferred.
Experience detailing group business and managing meeting logistics preferred.
Experience with private dining sales, restaurant events, and social catering preferred.

Responsibilities

Solicit, negotiate, and book new and repeat catering and event business through sales calls, networking, telemarketing, mailings, referrals, and other revenue-generating activities.
Develop new accounts and maximize revenue from catering and banquet space.
Respond promptly to leads and follow up with new leads within 48 hours and contracted business within five working days.
Build and maintain client relationships, customer profiles, booking histories, and trace systems; identify rebooking and repeat-business opportunities.
Plan and detail events with clients, including space requirements, timelines, menus, equipment, décor, themes, room blocks, and other function needs.
Prepare contracts, banquet event orders, proposals, and required event documentation; maintain organized, accurate, and current client files.
Coordinate event planning and execution with hotel departments and restaurant leadership.
Conduct site inspections, attend functions as needed, and proactively resolve event issues, guest concerns, and operational changes.
Optimize banquet space, menus, and upselling opportunities to meet or exceed catering revenue, productivity, and activity goals.
Prepare status, forecasting, weekly, monthly, and period-end reports; monitor booking activity, catering production, and revenue forecasts.
Manage time and expenses responsibly to maximize selling time and return on investment.
Maintain current knowledge of hotel products, menus, pricing, policies, procedures, local market conditions, and competition.
Solicit, negotiate, and book local catering business, including corporate meetings, nonprofit events, social celebrations, receptions, holiday events, and community gatherings.
Identify local catering revenue opportunities and conduct prospecting, networking, client appointments, referrals, and relationship-building activities.
Maintain a strong catering sales pipeline and accurately track activities in designated systems.
Develop customized proposals and creative solutions that meet client objectives while maximizing revenue; pursue repeat business and rebooking.
Serve as the primary sales contact for private dining room opportunities at Geraldine's and other designated restaurant venues.
Convert private dining inquiries into bookings; collaborate with restaurant leadership to increase use of private dining spaces and food and beverage revenue.
Develop private dining packages, menus, promotions, and sales strategies; ensure events are contracted, detailed, communicated, and executed properly.
Track private dining performance and identify opportunities to improve booking pace, average check, and profitability.
Maximize meeting-space utilization and banquet revenue through strategic event placement and yield management.
Identify upselling opportunities involving menus, bars, audiovisual services, décor, room rentals, amenities, and other ancillary revenue.
Maintain accurate information in Delphi, CI/TY, or other designated sales and catering systems.
Represent Hotel Van Zandt professionally at community functions, industry events, networking opportunities, and client engagements.
Participate in weekly forecast meetings, resume meetings, banquet meetings, and operational planning discussions.
Collaborate with hotel departments and support a positive, cooperative environment aligned with Sage Hospitality's culture and guest-service commitments.
Fulfill contractual obligations, service commitments, and client expectations; maintain professional appearance and contribute to a collaborative team environment.
Achieve at least 90% of productivity goals and 100% of activity goals established by management, along with assigned sales, revenue, meeting-management, and detailing goals.