Hotel Sales and Catering Manager - Graduate Hilton Richmond

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Full Time Graduate Hotel
- Richmond, Richmond, VA, US

Salary Range: $55,000.00 To $65,000.00 Annually

• Develop and execute proactive sales strategies to generate meeting, catering, wedding, social, and event business for the Graduate.
• Respond promptly and professionally to incoming catering and event inquiries.
• Prospect for new business through direct sales calls, internet prospecting, networking, referrals, community involvement, client outreach, and industry events.
• Develop relationships with local businesses, corporations, wedding professionals, event planners, organizations, associations, social groups, and community partners.
• Identify opportunities to maximize meeting space utilization and food & beverage revenue.
• Conduct site tours and confidently present the hotel's meeting spaces, event capabilities, menus, amenities, and overall guest experience.
• Develop customized proposals and event packages based on client needs, guest counts, budgets, and hotel revenue objectives.
• Negotiate pricing, meeting space, food & beverage packages, concessions, and other event details within established guidelines.
• Upsell food & beverage enhancements, upgraded packages, additional services, and other revenue opportunities when appropriate.
• Work toward and achieve established catering sales activity and revenue goals.
• Maintain an active sales pipeline and consistently follow up on leads and opportunities.

• Develop the Graduate as a preferred downtown destination for weddings, wedding room blocks, rehearsal dinners, bridal events, celebrations, and social gatherings.
• Proactively build relationships with wedding planners, venues, event professionals, bridal organizations, and other referral partners.
• Sell and manage wedding room blocks and associated meeting or event space.
• Identify opportunities to capture guestrooms in conjunction with weddings and social events.
• Sell small-to-medium social groups utilizing meeting or event space.
• Work closely with the Cluster Sales team to identify larger group opportunities and determine the appropriate property, sales strategy, and ownership of the account.
• Cross-sell additional Kalyan Hospitality properties when a group or event is not the appropriate fit for the Graduate.

• Serve as the primary sales contact for assigned catering, meeting, wedding, and social clients from initial inquiry through post-event follow-up.
• Build strong, long-term relationships that generate repeat and referral business.
• Maintain consistent and timely communication with clients throughout the planning process.
• Conduct planning meetings and clearly understand the client's vision, objectives, budget, guest count, timeline, menu requirements, room setup, audiovisual needs, and other event details.
• Provide exceptional customer service and proactively identify opportunities to exceed client expectations.
• Follow up after events to obtain feedback, address any concerns, and pursue future business and referrals.

• Own the details of assigned events from contract through completion, ensuring all client expectations are accurately communicated and executed.
• Prepare and maintain accurate contracts, event orders, BEOs, group resumes, rooming information, timelines, billing instructions, concessions, and other required documentation.
• Communicate event details and changes clearly and timely to Food & Beverage, Banquets, Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, Revenue Management, and other applicable departments.
• Participate in BEO, resume, pre-convention, and other operational meetings as required.
• Coordinate menus, food & beverage selections, room setups, audiovisual requirements, special requests, timelines, and other event details with the appropriate hotel teams.
• Monitor key dates including deposits, guarantees, cutoffs, final counts, contract requirements, and billing details.
• Serve as a client-facing representative during events as needed.
• Be present for select events to ensure client expectations are being met and to resolve issues quickly and professionally.
• Conduct post-event follow-up and ensure final details are communicated appropriately for billing and account closure.
• Encourage rebooking and future event opportunities following successful events.
• Support the broader Downtown Cluster sales strategy by pursuing select group opportunities appropriate for the Graduate.
• Focus primarily on wedding room blocks, social groups, small meetings, and groups requiring guestrooms in conjunction with meeting or event space.
• Qualify group opportunities and determine the appropriate hotel, dates, space, rate, and package based on client needs and hotel revenue strategy.
• Prepare proposals and contracts for assigned group opportunities.
• Maintain…