Entertainment Sales Manager

What's in it for you...

• Benefits enrollment available from DAY 1.
• Paid time off available from DAY 1.
• Holiday pay available from DAY 1.
• 401(k) enrollment after 30 days.
• Complimentary parking and associate meals.
• Professional development and promotion opportunities.
• Hotel discounts are offered for various regional locations. 

What you'll be doing...

Solicit, capture, plan, and coordinate entertainment tours and travel groups, while maximizing the banquet space to meet and ideally exceed catering revenue goals. Recommends program and procedural changes. 

Executes all aspects of entertainment sales events including meetings, reunions, social functions, weddings, and catering. Includes all aspects of business coordination from the signing of a group contract forward, for example, direct billing requirements, catering, all event details, VIP needs, amenities, group resumes, rooming lists, registration cards, etc. Meets and exceeds revenue goals by developing new entertainment accounts and planning/coordinating all components of entertainment group business in a profitable and win-win selling approach.

Responsibilities

• Book and service entertainment tours and travel groups.
• Solicit, negotiate, and book new and repeat business through efforts (outside sales calls, telemarketing, mailings, networking, etc.) while maximizing banquet space to meet/exceed revenue goals.
• Coordinate with agents and tour managers to secure traveling entertainment groups to Hutton Hotel.
• Negotiation of rates with agents.
• Meet with groups on-site at various times day or night.
• Communicate hotel offerings to all clients coming in.
• Clear communication with engineering, front desk, culinary, and housekeeping staff to coordinate group needs.
• Service wedding blocks.
• Plan, upsell, and detail the meeting/function with the client including space requirements, times, equipment, menus, themes/decorations, etc.
• Complete the contracts, prepare the appropriate paperwork, including banquet event orders, coordinate with the proper areas in the hotel, resolve any issues, complaints, and problems to ensure quality product delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of corporate, entertainment, hotel procedures, products, and competition, including their strengths and weaknesses, to continually improve sales strategies and achieve goals.
• Contact and appropriately follow up on all signed/contracted business within 5 working days.
• Responsible for effectively communicating with the various departments to ensure that the rooms, meetings, and related functions are executed to the client's "expectations plus one."
• Direct Sales: Targets appointment-oriented sales calls to ensure a successful entertainment sales effort, in accordance with goals established by the department budget and marketing plan. Must have reliable transportation and a valid state driver’s license to make outside sales calls.
• Key Account Management: Maximizes current hotel key accounts by identifying and developing those that offer revenue growth.
• New Account Development: Captures competitor's accounts through networking, research, and reader board surveys to target and solicit those most probable to generate new business.
• Acquires referrals from existing accounts: Follows up on all leads within 48 hours of receipt to create new business for the hotel and, when appropriate, sends leads to other First Hospitality hotels.
• Entertainment group retention: Is responsible for rebooking groups and applicable catering businesses through building strong, professional customer relationships and providing consistent outstanding customer service.
• Account Service and Management: Maintains well-documented, accurate, organized, and up-to-date file management to serve clients and employers in the most expedient, organized, and knowledgeable manner.
• Develops customer profiles and maintains an effective trace system including trace dates and references, to best meet client needs, resulting in superior account service and increased revenues.
• Develop strong customer relationships through appropriate client communication and the use of professional, courteous, and ethical interpersonal interaction.
• Promptly follows up on all customers’ needs and inquiries efficiently and expediently.
• Time Management: Focuses on revenue-producing activity and maximizes selling time through retaining accounts/customers, maximizing account yield opportunities, and direct sales effectiveness.
• Exhibits a positive and involved team attitude to all hotel departments and maintains open communications with all coworkers for the best overall performance of the hotel. Display a neat, clean, and business-like appearance at all times.
• All other duties as assigned, requested, or deemed necessary by management.

Requirements....

• One to two years of entertainment industry sales experience in hotels or other venue setting.
• Nashville music industry experience preferred.

Experience & Education:

• One to two full years of employment in a related position preferably in hotels.
• More than two years of post-high school education.

Communication:

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including electronic communication.
• Must be able to speak, read, and write in primary language used in the workplace.

Physical:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Excellent hearing is required for verbal interaction with guests and associates.

• Excellent vision is required for viewing set-ups.

• Excellent speech communication skills required for verbal interaction with guests and associates.

• Lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying - tables, chairs, boxes (50 lb. maximum) occasionally.

• Bending/kneeling - taping down cords, skirting tables, picking up floor after function, occasionally.

• Mobility - the ability to service clients on a moment’s notice, variable distances. Continuous standing-function observation, and client site inspections (one hour minimum to four hours maximum). Climbing - up to 55 steps, 3-5% of day.

• Driving - distance varies for sales calls (approximately 20%).

• Must have dexterity/mobility to meet clients on and off premises, to tour the property and attend functions, climb stairs, use door keys, and operate basic office equipment.

• Vision to read fine print and computer screens, to see colors, to observe rooms in poorly lit conditions.

Environment

• Office environment, and weather exposure when making sales calls.

• Flexible schedule for extended work hours required.

• Travel a minimum of 5x per year for conventions.

About First Hospitality…

Founded in 1985 and based in Chicago, First Hospitality is a forward-thinking hotel development, investment, and management company. First Hospitality’s strategic vision is to create value for all through excellence and an openness to doing things differently.

First Hospitality seeks to attract and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce in which employee’s differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the customers we serve. FH fosters an inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and fairness. Equal Opportunity Employer.