Complex Event Sales Manager

Compensation Type

Highgate Hotels

Highgate is a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in U.S. gateway markets including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a rapidly expanding presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate’s portfolio of global properties represents an aggregate asset value exceeding $20B and generates over $5B in cumulative revenues. The company provides expert guidance through all stages of the hospitality property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition.  Highgate also has the creativity and bandwidth to develop bespoke hotel brands and utilizes industry-leading proprietary revenue management tools that identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive out performance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the industry’s most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in London, New York, Dallas, and Seattle.

Overview

The Complex Event Sales Manager is responsible for directly selling and converting private and semi-private event opportunities across all segments with placement in each property’s specialty venues, Through the primary lens of driving top line revenue, this role is responsible for effectively becoming familiar with all accounts in their market segments/territory and proactively prospecting/soliciting, generating, and closing on assigned accounts/territory business to reach goal achievement and positively impact hotel revenues. They're also responsible to coordinate and service client functions in collaboration with operational departments.  They must understand the importance of prospecting in creating new sales opportunities for the hotel while maintaining speed to market as top priority. Candidates must be comfortable in creative selling and problem solving, fostering client relationships, and partnering with operational departments to drive success. 

Responsibilities

• Proactively drive top line revenue for customary special event sales segments to include but may not be limited to corporate, social, and specialty catering (i.e., venue or suites, special dietary).
• Interact with event buyers and planners, garnering consideration and conversion of opportunities to drive top line revenue
• Identify and research potential accounts/clients and prospect for new business opportunities, generate leads, and set up meetings/presentations with clients that will keep the hotels pipeline consistently full of opportunities.
• Monitor production of all top accounts and evaluate trends within your market.
• Maintain and participate in an active sales solicitation program.
• Regularly contact existing accounts based on the tracing frequencies of the Account Coverage Program.
• Meet or exceed sales solicitation call and revenue goals as assigned
• Initiate, handle, and follow up on leads with speed to market.
• Invite clients to the hotel for entertainment, lunches, tours and site inspections to surface new or close on opportunities.
• Conduct a professional, thorough site inspection of the hotel with clients, exhibiting key features and benefits of the property.
• Assist in implementing special promotions relating to direct sales segments, i.e., sales blitzes, etc.
• Participate in networking opportunities through presence in community and professional associations, activities and events.
• Maintain event and menu pricing integrity and introduce upsell opportunities as part of the selling process.
• Know space setups and capabilities.
• Be visible on the floor and assist staff as needed and as appropriate during functions.
• Be familiar with all Highgate Hotel sales policies and selling techniques.
• Abide by Prime Selling Time (PST).
• Use your property’s computerized sales management system to manage the hotel’s business and maximize revenue and efficiency, including (but not limited to) generating reports, entering business, blocking space, building accounts, and logging activities.
• Assist in the preparation of required reports in a timely manner.
• Develop a complete knowledge of company sales policies and SOPs and ensure knowledge of and adherence to those policies by the sales team.
• Attend daily Highgate Hotel Business Review (HHBR) meeting.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
• Develop a full working knowledge of the operational departments of the hotel, including Food and Beverage, Guest Services and Reservations. housekeeping, event management, culinary, audio visual, , accounting, restaurants, bars, and engineering.
• Operate within established sales expense budget in collaboration with Operational and Sales leadership of each hotel.
• Ensure compliance with SOPs.
• Ensure compliance with requisition procedures.
• Review meeting planner event evaluations with the Director of Catering & Event Sales or Director of Sales & Marketing to ensure that opportunities or issues receive follow-up.
• Work with other departmental managers and keep them informed of opportunities or issues as they arise.
• Employees must, at all times, be attentive, friendly, helpful, and courteous to all clients, guests, managers, and fellow employees.
• Ensure overall guest satisfaction.
• As needed, maintain-up-to-date details on event functions and communicate to supervisors.
• As needed, conduct ongoing training of captains/hourly employees to maintain standards of service.
• As needed, supervise proper tabulation of all banquet or restaurant checks and ensure that all checks are presented to guests for signature
• Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.

Qualifications

• At least 4 years of progressive experience in a hotel or a related field; or a 2 year college degree and 3 or more years of related experience; or a 4year college degree and at least 2 years of related experience.
• Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.
• Proficiency in Delphi preferred.
• Flexible and long hours sometimes required.
• Medium work Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
• Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotel Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, which include wearing nametags.
• Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
• Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.