Catering Sales Manager

Columbia Sussex Corporation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hotel in Chicago seeks a Catering Sales Manager to enhance client relationships and generate new business. The successful candidate will manage events, achieve revenue targets, and collaborate closely with clients to fulfill their needs. This role requires a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and experience in hotel catering to ensure exceptional service delivery.

Benefits

Health and Dental Insurance

Company paid Life Insurance

Paid Time Off (PTO)

401(k) with company match

Free hotel rooms and discounts

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in hotel catering and special events.
• Detail oriented and effective verbal/written communication skills.
• Preferred training in Marriott Hotels systems.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for generating new business and handling client inquiries.
• Meet revenue goals through catering and event sales.
• Plan and execute events, ensuring outstanding service.

Skills

Communication

Attention to Detail

Customer Relationship Management

Tools

Ci/TY

Job description

The Chicago Marriott O'Hare is looking for a Catering Sales Manager to join our sales team! Previous Hotel Catering Sales Manager experience preferred.

Overview:

The Catering Sales Manager will be responsible for generating new business and maintaining existing clients/corporate accounts while supporting the sales team to achieve the overall success of the operations.

Responsibilities:

• Accountability for proactively soliciting and handling sales opportunities and ensuring that all business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for proper service delivery.
• Responsible for meeting catering revenue, group room revenue and meeting room rental goals through food and beverage, room rental and audio visual sales.
• Generate leads from a variety of sources.
• Conduct site inspections.
• Write contracts and letters, as well as organize all other arrangements as they relate to social and corporate events.
• Collaborate with clients to understand their event requirements, preferences, and budget constraints.
• Plan and execute catering events, including weddings, corporate meetings, banquets, and other special occasions.
• Handle client inquiries, complaints, and special requests in a professional and timely manner.
• Generate proposals and invoices based on client requests.
• Performs other duties as assigned or deemed necessary by management.
• Use sales techniques that maximize revenue, including up-selling while maintaining existing guest loyalty.
• Maximizing space potential and food and beverage minimums.
• Achieve business revenue goals by developing, building and maintaining excellent customer relationships through community involvement, local visitor’s bureau, wedding organizations, charity events and cultivating client database.
• Has understanding of market fluctuations and trends.
• Responsible for utilizing sales tools/systems to accurately identify, report, forecast and communicate sales data.
• Ensures integrity of the sales data by documenting information in CI/TY on a daily basis.
• Utilizes sales tools, reader boards and other market intelligence to drive business.
• Responsible for management of rooms and catering expenses to maximize hotel profitability.
• Ensure customer receives outstanding service and hospitality.
• Contact appropriate individual or department as necessary to resolve guest calls, requests, or problems.
• Self-motivated with a strong work ethic and a drive to exceed expectations.

Qualifications:

• At least 3 years of experience in hotel catering and special events.
• Detail oriented.
• Marriott Hotels systems training such as ci/ty preferred.
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all levels of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.

Availability:

• Must be available to work days and weekends as needed.

Benefits:
We offer a competitive wage, Health and Dental Insurance, company paid Life Insurance, Short Term and Long-Term
Disability Insurance, Vision, Critical Illness, Accidental, 401(k) and company match, Paid Time Off (PTO), free hotel rooms
and hotel discounts.