Director of Catering & Event Management

The ideal candidate for this position

Is a seasoned catering professional looking to lead a team. The director is responsible for planning and leading the catering sales and convention services team across the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs Hotel and Convention Center. The Director of Catering and Event Management will be responsible for the financial and budget goals of the catering department, will engage in active selling strategies to solicit and close local, group, and association business. The director will also oversee the daily management and employee relations of the Catering and Event Management Team.

What you will be doing

• Provide day-to-day leadership to a team of on-property catering sales & event planning team.
• Manages and directs the on-property catering sales managers to achieve hotel revenue goals by proactively targeting current and new high-value accounts in the market and implementing effective catering sales deployment strategies to grow market share.
• Interacts effectively with guests/clients, sales and kitchen, vendors, competitors, local community, catering associations, and other hotel departments to monitor guest satisfaction.
• Manages the hotel's catering sales efforts, including local and group/convention business.
• Solicits/books local catering business and develops group business.
• Develops and manages catering sales revenue and operation budgets, monitors adherence to space release guidelines, and provides forecasting reports.

The position also is responsible for the event management from sales group turnovers to include:

• Prepares all event documentation and coordinates with Sales, property departments and customer to ensure consistent, high-level service throughout the pre-event, event and post-event phases of property events
• Ensures a seamless turnover from sales to service back to sales
• Recognizes opportunities to maximize revenue by up-selling and offering enhancements to create outstanding events
• Manages group room blocks and meeting space for assigned groups
• Adheres to all standards, policies, and procedures
• Participates in customer site inspections and assists with the sales process when necessary
• Acts as liaison between salesperson and customer throughout the event process (pre-event, event, post-event)
• Forecasts group sleeping rooms and event revenue (catering and audio-visual) for his/her groups
• Reviews billing and payments with clients
• Handles any guest issues 
• Reviews, manages guests feedback and guest satisfaction results with associates
• Coordinates and communicates verbally and in writing with customer (internal and external) regarding event details

Other duties as assigned.

This position reports to the Director of Sales and Marketing

Education

1. Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience preferred.
2. Two to four years of hotel catering sales experience or employment in a related position or field. Leadership experience is required.
3. Marriott Consolidate Inventory (CI) experience a plus!

Benefits

• Hotel and other Travel discounts
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Supplemental Insurance
• Long/Short Term Disability
• 401-K
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Competitive Compensation plus incentives!