Catering & Events Sales Specialist

Michigan State University College of Engineering; East Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center at Michigan State University is hiring a Sales Manager to drive revenue growth through strategic sales, client relationships, and event coordination. You will partner with Catering, Operations, Revenue Management, Marketing, and other teams to maximize group room nights, meetings, and conferences.

The role requires a four-year degree in hospitality or related fields and 1–3 years of hospitality sales experience.

Qualifications

• Four-year college degree in Hospitality, Hotel/Restaurant and Institutional Management, Event Management, Business, Marketing or Communications.
• 1–3 years of hospitality sales, hotel sales, catering sales, conference services or related field.
• Experience selling hotel guestrooms, meeting space, and catering services.
• Familiarity with Michigan State University departments and higher education market.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a portfolio of existing accounts and actively prospect for new business.
• Generate group room nights, meeting space, catering, and conference revenue within assigned market segments.
• Conduct sales calls, site inspections, presentations, and client meetings to promote Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center.
• Negotiate contracts, guest room rates, meeting packages, and catering agreements to maximize revenue.
• Develop and execute strategic sales plans to achieve monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue goals.
• Monitor market trends to identify opportunities to increase market share.
• Participate in trade shows, industry events, and professional associations to generate leads.
• Coordinate and detail all aspects of booked events, including contracts, orders, room diagrams, catering requirements and AV needs.
• Partner with internal departments to ensure successful execution of meetings and events.
• Conduct pre-convention and planning meetings with clients and internal teams.

Skills

Communication

Relationship-building

Negotiation

Organization

Multitasking

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Calm under pressure

Customer service

Teamwork

Education

Hospitality Management

Event Management

Business Administration

Marketing or Communications

Tools

Amadeus Delphi

Delphi Diagramming

Maestro PMS

Microsoft Office Suite

Event management software

Job description

Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center at Michigan State University is hiring a Sales Manager to drive revenue growth through strategic sales, client relationships, and event coordination. You will partner with Catering, Operations, Revenue Management, Marketing, and other teams to maximize group room nights, meetings, and conferences.

The role requires a four-year degree in hospitality or related fields and 1–3 years of hospitality sales experience.