Conference Services Manager

Sheraton Parsippany Hotel

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.
• 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.
• 25% catering sales and 75% convention services
• 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.