Senior Conference Service Manager

Sage Hospitality•Portland, OR

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Conference Service Manager plans, organizes, and manages in-house details for group conferences—including corporate and association events—and catering-only events of all sizes, with a specialty focus on professional and non-professional sports. The role aims to maximize room and meeting-space utilization, revenue, and profit while delivering a quality product. Responsibilities span event execution from signed group contract through closeout, including VIP needs, amenities, group resumes, rooming lists, event details, billing, and coordination with hotel departments and clients. The position works closely with clients and hotel teams to coordinate event requirements, manage budgets, resolve issues, and deliver strong customer service and repeat business. The Senior Conference Service Manager attends and leads meetings as needed, maintains organized client files and follow-up systems, and supports improvements to convention services and sales tools. The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent and at least five years of event-planning experience, preferably in a luxury hotel setting. Evening, weekend, and holiday work may be needed. The work is primarily indoors, with some outdoor work, and includes extended periods of standing and walking, occasional lifting and carrying, bending and kneeling, and climbing stairs.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least 5 years of experience in event planning; luxury hotel experience preferred.
Exceptional organizational and time-management skills.
Strong organizational and project-management skills.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to build strong client and vendor relationships.
Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple events and projects simultaneously, and meet tight deadlines.
Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
Creative thinking and ability to innovate in event design and execution.
Professionalism and a strong customer-service orientation.
Working knowledge of banquet and catering food-and-beverage services, policies, or operations.
Knowledge of computer equipment.
Ability to compile facts and figures in accordance with established procedures.
Supervisory skills.
Communication skills to provide information and related services to hotel management and guests.
Excellent hearing for verbal interaction with guests and associates.
Excellent vision to view setups.
Excellent speech communication skills for verbal interaction with guests and associates.
Ability to lift, push, pull, and carry tables, chairs, and boxes weighing up to 50 pounds occasionally.
Ability to bend and kneel occasionally for tasks such as taping cords, skirting tables, and picking up after functions.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and service clients at short notice over variable distances.
Ability to stand continuously for function observation and client site inspections for periods of one to four hours.
Ability to climb approximately 55 stairs, 3–5% of a 10-hour day.

Nice To Haves

Experience in event planning within a luxury hotel setting.

Responsibilities

Plan and manage meetings, conventions, group conferences, and catering-only events of all sizes, with a specialty focus on professional and non-professional sports.
Attend Banquet Event Order (BEO) and staff meetings and act as a team leader for hotel departments involved in event delivery.
Meet productivity and activity goals established by management.
Coordinate group business developed by the sales manager; follow up on signed or contracted business within five working days and determine event-planning needs.
Maintain accurate, organized, documented, and current client files.
Develop customer profiles and maintain an effective trace system with dates and references.
Build strong client relationships through appropriate communication and professional, courteous, and ethical interaction.
Respond efficiently and promptly to client needs and inquiries.
Focus on revenue-generating activity, retain accounts and clients, maximize account yield, and improve sales effectiveness.
Detail and upsell programs with clients, including confirming space requirements, audiovisual needs, schedules, equipment, menus, themes, and decorations.
Prepare event resumes and paperwork needed to ensure quality service.
Manage function details and related activities, anticipate and handle customer complaints or problems, and support customer satisfaction and repeat business.
Oversee group billing details, including deposits, direct-bill applications, credit-card authorizations, and coordination with accounting.
Contribute to improvements in convention-services products, sales tools, and systems; assess competitors’ products and customer needs.
Monitor and control individual client event budgets and details to maximize revenue and minimize expenses while delivering a quality product.
Attend and lead pre-conference meetings as needed, coordinating between clients and hotel staff and reviewing BEO details with all parties.
Close out groups, including recording pickup in the sales system (CI/TY) and handling commissions owed with accounting.