Strategic Account Manager - Lodging Services; Cedar Point Sports Center

Position: Strategic Account Manager - Lodging Services (Cedar Point Sports Center)
STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGER - LODGING SERVICES

Away Team Travel, LLC

LOCATION:

Sandusky, Ohio

DEPARTMENT:
Away Team Travel

REPORTS TO:

DIRECTOR OF LODGING

STATUS: FULL TIME (EXEMPT)

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

Away Team Travel ("Away Team") is a technology company specializing in booking hotel rooms for families and teams traveling to youth and amateur sports events.

Founded by The Sports Facilities Companies ("SFC"), a market leader in the management of youth and amateur sports venues, Away Team was designed as a fully customizable travel solution for SFC's network of sports destinations. Our technology simplifies group travel arrangements, helping families and teams focus on what matters most-game time.

SFC is the nation's leading resource for managing and developing sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. We provide a highly collaborative and supportive culture that raises our team members to new levels of career growth. Together, we will carve a path in a hyper-growing industry where you will enjoy the journey and learn from the industry's best while having some fun.

SFC has been awarded national recognition as a Top Workplace year over year and is considered a workplace of choice. Our mission-focused company is highly entrepreneurial, team-oriented with a culture centered on collaboration, accountability, excellence, and service. We are growing rapidly and looking for high performers at every level to grow with us.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Strategic Account Manager will report to the Director of Lodging and will serve as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of accounts. In this role, you will be responsible for developing long-term relationships with hoteliers and event owners operating at Cedar Point Sports Center and other venues served by Away Team. Success will be achieved through client engagement, event management, and proactive and reactive communication with hoteliers, event owners, event attendees, and the Cedar Point Sports Center venue team.

In collaboration with the Director of Lodging, and with input from Cedar Point Sports Center leadership, venue leaders, and other internal departments, the Strategic Account Manager will work to continuously improve and develop the Away Team product and services and work closely with Cedar Point Sports Center staff, venue teams, hoteliers, and event owners to meet financial and service goals.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

* Serve as the primary point of contact for key event owners, Cedar Point Sports Center leaders, and hotel partners, ensuring alignment with strategic goals

* Lead onboarding and relationship management for new clients and partners

* Develop and maintain strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with hotels, CVBs, and other vendors

* Conduct strategic planning meetings with Cedar Point Sports Center team members, venue teams, and event organizers to fully understand event needs and deliver tailored lodging solutions

* Oversee and optimize hotel performance for contracted events, including pick-up monitoring, reporting, and communication for events hosted at Cedar Point Sports Center

* Present Away Team services and value propositions in B2B and B2C settings, including sales meetings and client strategy sessions

* Coordinate RFP creation and management for event housing, negotiating hotel contracts to maximize value for all stakeholders

* Collaborate with team members on promotion strategies to ensure successful event promotion and maximize booking conversion

* Manage pre- and post-event communications, reporting, and wrap-up reviews with partners to assess KPIs and review improvement opportunities

* Provide on-site representation at select events, conferences, and meetings, including events connected to Cedar Point Sports Center, to ensure excellence and relationship growth

* Present senior-level reporting on client performance, booking pace, and partner satisfaction

* Champion a continuous improvement mindset, identifying opportunities to elevate service delivery and operational efficiency

* Act as a strategic advisor to clients, offering proactive solutions and fostering a high standard of excellence across all engagements

* Serve as point of escalation for customer service issues

* Assist with customer support including answering customer phone calls, emails, chat messages, and being on-call during weekends for select events

* Evaluate and negotiate hotel contracts as necessary

* Prioritize product quality

* Provide leadership, mentorship, and guidance to support the development and growth of team members, promoting collaboration and performance excellence

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

* Hotel/Travel industry experience is necessary

* Experience in customer service-oriented industry

* Experience in sales operations

* Must have excellent interpersonal, problem solving, and negotiating skills

* Must be a team player

* Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills

* Must have expert level command of MS Excel, Word,…