Conference Services Manager

Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Vacation/Sick/Holiday

Pet Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) with matching

Hotel Room Discounts

Job summary

HEI Hotels and Resorts is seeking a Conference Services professional to create the desired conference experience and meet clients’ needs through active communication, planning, and team leadership. The role requires managing monthly forecasts and annual budgets, driving high meeting planner satisfaction, and cultivating long-term client relationships while coordinating with banquet, culinary, and AV teams to execute events.

Knowledge of sales, revenue management, and negotiations is essential.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in hospitality with catering sales is essential.
• Minimum of one year in the hospitality industry.
• Experience at a comparable hotel size and quality.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, Delphi.
• Knowledge of sales, revenue management, and staff motivation.

Responsibilities

• Manage monthly forecasts and annual budget processes.
• Improve meeting planner satisfaction and re-booking of business.
• Build long-term client relationships and participate in industry organizations.
• Apply sales techniques including closing and negotiating.
• Coordinate with banquet and operations teams for event execution.
• Provide direction and evaluation of banquet operations and event orders.
• Oversee Audio/Visual equipment as a profit center.
• Track group room blocks and prepare operating resumes.
• Coordinate with outside vendors to ensure client satisfaction.
• Adhere to attendance rules and perform other duties.

Skills

Catering sales

Hospitality experience

Sales skills

Budget forecasting

Communication skills

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Delphi

Job description

Where Canal Street meets Bourbon Street, the Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans provides luxury accommodations amid the beating heart of the legendary French Quarter. Discover a rich diversity of elegant comforts and conveniences, including free Wi-Fi, flat screen HD TVs, a sparkling outdoor seasonal swimming pool, an acclaimed on‑site restaurant and state‑of‑the‑art fitness facility. Just outside, you'll enjoy a whirlwind of enchanting festivals, theater, music, cultural exhibits and culinary delights. At the Astor Crowne Plaza, associates are family not just employees. We offer complimentary uniforms, meals and 24/7 discounted downtown parking.

Don't meet every single requirement of this job? At HEI we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still send in your information. You may be the perfect candidate for this or for other roles within our organization!

We value U.S. military experience and invite all qualified military candidates to apply.

Overview

Create the desired conference and meet clients’ needs through active communication, planning, and team leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• An understanding of both monthly forecasting and the annual budget process.
• Understand the importance of raising the meeting planner evaluation scores and implement effective methods to ensure exceeding meeting planner satisfaction.
• Consistently participate in the re-booking of repeat business by having a track record of long-term client relationships.
• Actively participate in industry related organizations (NACE, MPI).
• Thorough knowledge of sales techniques including strong closing skills as well as negotiating skills.
• Comfortable with hotel site inspections and client presentations.
• Excellent creative skills to provide innovative set‑ups, menus, and functions for groups. Ability to generate creative and innovative menus while working closely with Chef on pricing specialty menus.
• Work closely with banquet department on operations and event execution, ability to quickly evaluate alternatives and decide on a plan of action.
• Provide overall direction, coordination, and ongoing evaluation of operations. Detailed execution of all banquet event orders generated by the Convention Services Department.
• Experience providing Audio/Visual equipment and operating Audio/Visual as a profit center.
• Excellent knowledge of computers, specifically Delphi, Word, and Excel.
• Monitor group room blocks and pick up, generate detailed resumes for the operating departments.
• Ability to work with outside vendors to ensure client satisfaction for all events/groups.
• Comply with attendance rules and be available to work on a regular basis.
• Perform any other job‑related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

• Prior experience in the field of hospitality with specific experience in catering sales is essential.
• Minimum of one year within the Hospitality Industry required.
• Must have experience at a similar size and quality hotel.
• Must possess computer skills, including, but not limited to, use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Delphi.
• Knowledge of sales skills, revenue management, training, and motivation of peers.
• Knowledge of hotel features, benefits, and competing hotels within the market.
• Ability to execute appropriate action plans.
• Knowledge of hotel operations, including marketing plans, security and safety programs, personnel and labor relations, preparation of business plans, repairs, maintenance, budget forecasting, quality assurance programs, hospitality law, and long‑range planning.
• Ability to work effectively under time constraints and deadlines.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills. Ability to adapt communication style to suit different audiences, such as effectively communicating with supervisors, coworkers, public etc.

• For your physical and mental wellness we offer competitive Medical and Dental programs through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield as well as Vision insurance programs through EyeMed.
• Our Vacation, Sick and Holiday programs are available for you to rejuvenate with time off.
• HEI also provides pet insurance through the ASPCA.
• For your financial wellness, HEI provides a wide array of coverage, including Supplemental, Spousal and Child Life insurance as well as Short and Long‑Term Disability plans.
• Our 401(k) Savings Plan with matching funds, and discounts through our 'YouDecide' and Hotel Room Discount programs provide additional incentives for choosing HEI as the employer of your future.

HEI Hotels and Resorts is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.