Executive Meeting Manager

HEI Hotels & Resorts; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and Dental (Anthem BCBS)

Vision insurance (EyeMed)

Paid vacation

Sick and holiday leave

Pet insurance

401(k) with employer match

Hotel room discounts

YouDecide program

Job summary

HEI Hotels & Resorts in Chicago seeks an Executive Meeting Manager to lead catering sales, forecast budgets, and drive profitable execution for groups and events. You will enhance meeting planner satisfaction, optimize room charges, and promote long-term client relationships through active industry participation.

The role requires strong sales skills, hospitality knowledge, and experience with budgeting, operations, and AV coordination.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in hospitality catering sales essential.
• 1+ year within the Hospitality Industry required.
• Must have experience at a similar size and quality hotel.
• Must possess computer skills, including 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.

Responsibilities

• Forecast monthly and annual budgets and drive revenue.
• Improve meeting planner evaluation scores and satisfaction.
• Optimize room rental charges and maximize group blocks.
• Support re-booking of repeat business through long-term client relationships.
• Participate in industry organizations (NACE, MPI).
• Close sales and negotiation with clients to meet revenue targets.
• Conduct hotel site inspections and deliver client presentations.
• Coordinate with banquet department on event operations and execution.
• Prepare and manage banquet event orders and AV needs as a profit center.
• Collaborate with vendors to ensure client satisfaction for events.

Skills

Catering sales experience

Hospitality industry knowledge

Sales skills

Revenue management

Training & motivation

Communication skills

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Delphi

Job description

About Us

Imagine yourself in 1930's Chicago. Chicago celebrated its centennial by hosting the world’s fair in 1933. The speakeasies and gangsters were thriving. It was a distinguished time in Chicago’s history. The Gwen has a glorious past and an even more glorious future. Rooted in the history and heritage of downtown Chicago in the 1930’s, the Gwen serves as a city emblem of this golden era and yet is poised to bring luxury to a future generation of worldly travelers. This unmistakable inspiration comes to life with our historic façade, famously created by sculptress Gwen Lux in 1928. A female artisan making a mark in a predominantly 1930’s, male design city depicts and exciting atmosphere of change. The building has been home to many stories in an illustrious past. Health, dental and vision are just a start. We offer unlimited career potential, top of the line training, free lunch, Ventra Transit Benefit and we also provide your uniforms. Now we’re inviting you to re-create the Gwen experience. Let it be a canvas for your own personal stories.

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.

Compensation

Salary Range: $75,000.00 - $75,000.00 Annually

Tipped/Service Charge Eligible? No

Discretionary Performance Bonus Eligible? Yes

Overview

The Executive Meeting Manager brings to bear their organizational and detailing skills to identify and implement profitable execution of all groups. Ensure that each group that the manager is responsible for meets or exceeds their revenue expectations based on their contracts. Active and positive contribution towards a high-performance culture within the Convention Services Department through customer advocacy, sustained revenue achievement, communication and team participation.

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.


• Optimize room rental charges.


• 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.


• 1+ 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.

Benefits

HEI Hotels and Resorts is committed to providing a comprehensive benefit program that offers you choices for your physical, mental and financial wellness, creating value in your most important investment - you!
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. Specific details and eligibility of these programs vary by location and employment status.

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.