Senior Event Services Manager

Royal Sonesta Capitol Hill Washington, District of Columbia 20001•Washington, DC

9d•$39 - $42

About The Position

The Senior Event Services Manager gathers details for corporate catering events and groups with banquet services, organizes the information into standard documents, and distributes it efficiently to hotel departments. The role serves as the liaison between meeting planners and hotel staff and is responsible for customer service, booking new and repeat business, administering sales agreements, detailing food, beverage and audiovisual needs, managing room blocks and pickup, preparing billing instructions, and conducting final reviews. The manager coordinates corporate and government meetings, galas, and corporate social gatherings from planning through execution. This includes client consultations, maintaining accurate Banquet Event Orders and Group Resumes, coordinating event setups and service, attending major events onsite, and communicating with clients and internal teams throughout the event lifecycle. The role also supports event sales, client retention, upselling, financial administration and analysis, and guest experience and quality assurance. The position requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent education and experience, strong communication and organizational abilities, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask. The manager must be available for flexible shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays. The job involves regular standing, walking, and talking or hearing, as well as regularly lifting or moving up to 50 pounds.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university, or one to three years of related experience and/or training with two years in a senior role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; author routine reports and correspondence; and speak effectively before groups.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts including discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume, and apply basic algebra and geometry.
Ability to solve practical problems in situations with limited standardization and interpret written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule-based instructions.
Knowledge of Delphi, MICROS, Room Viewer Database software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word.
Availability for flexible shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
Regular ability to stand, walk, and talk or hear; frequent ability to sit, use hands, reach, and taste or smell; occasional ability to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Nice To Haves

CMP (Certified Meeting Planner) certification.
Experience with Delphi.fdc, Social Tables, TripleSeat, or similar CRM/event management tools.
Experience with Sertifi, DocuSign, or comparable brand-specific platforms.

Responsibilities

Act as the central communication point between clients and hotel teams, including Culinary, Banquets, AV, Engineering, Front Office, Housekeeping, and Accounting.
Coordinate corporate and government meetings, galas, and corporate social gatherings.
Consult with clients to confirm event objectives, guest room needs, meeting room setups, timelines, menus, and audiovisual needs.
Monitor convention group room requirements to ensure the hotel meets commitments in its agreements.
Create, update, and distribute accurate Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) and Group Resumes, and manage versions and deadlines.
Oversee event setup and service execution, including onsite presence during major events.
Communicate proactively with clients throughout planning and event delivery, managing updates and supporting client satisfaction.
Maintain detailed notes in the event management system and participate in weekly BEO review meetings.
Nurture client relationships, solicit new accounts, book and service business, and identify upsell opportunities.
Collaborate with sales, operations, and culinary departments to improve event quality and profitability.
Communicate deliverables such as cutoff dates and attrition to clients and internal teams.
Translate event requirements into executable instructions for banquet and culinary staff.
Facilitate pre-convention briefings and post-event reviews, and maintain relationships with vendors, event planners, production partners, and internal stakeholders.
Handle last-minute changes and guest issues professionally.
Prepare event documentation, including event orders, contracts, billing summaries, invoices, and after-action reports.
Maintain event files and digital documentation in accordance with hotel SOPs and brand standards.
Review and balance master accounts, verify coding, and work with Accounting on invoicing and payment collection.
Evaluate event financial performance and assist with forecasting, budgeting, and post-event financial analysis.
Maintain hotel hospitality standards and brand image throughout event delivery.
Recognize guest needs and support a smooth guest experience from check-in through departure.
Conduct pre-event walkthroughs to verify room setup, cleanliness, signage, and décor against specifications.
Gather post-event feedback to assess satisfaction and identify future business opportunities.
Demonstrate Sonesta People Standards and Core Guiding Principles in words and actions.