Catering and Event Sales Manager

Here’s to your journey in leading the Embassy Suites Cleveland, aimed to outshine the competition with a dedicated sales organization & support from an experienced General Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing and Corporate team.  

JOB SUMMARY

The Catering Sales Manager will lead efforts to solicit, book, plan, and coordinate meetings and functions while maximizing banquet space to meet and exceed revenue goals. The Catering Sales Manager serves as a liaison between the client and hotel departments, ensuring exceptional service delivery. The position involves direct reporting to the Director of Catering Sales and requires strong leadership in representing Westmont Hospitality standards.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS 

This description is a summary of primary responsibilities and qualifications.  The job description is not intended to include all duties or qualifications that may be required now or in the future.  The Hotel operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so operational demands require variations in shift days, starting times, and hours worked in a week.

• Envision/Social Tables

Business Results

• Proactively solicit, negotiate, and book high-profile and complex events, maximizing banquet space and exceeding catering revenue targets.
• Collaborate with clients to plan and detail meetings/functions, including event logistics, menu planning, and décor.
• Prepare contracts, proposals, and supporting documents while coordinating efforts with internal teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Identify and convert leads, employing creative selling techniques to secure business.
• Proactively identifies, qualifies, and solicits new catering business to achieve personal and hotel revenue goals.
• Understands competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, and knows how to sell against them.
• Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts
• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to include sales calls (to include outside sales calls), prospecting/solicitation calls, entertainment, bridal shows, etc.
• Conducts site inspections.
• Understands need time strategy as developed by the Revenue Management Team (i.e. Director of Sales & Marketing and Director of Catering Sales).
• Understands and achieves team and individual goals.
• Due to the nature of the business the individual may be required to do other duties and special projects as assigned by the supervisor.

Guest Satisfaction

• Ensures a high level of customer satisfaction and builds long terms mutually beneficial customer relationships to support future revenue growth. 
• Coordinates and communicates verbally and in writing with customer (internal and external) regarding event details. Follows up with customer post-event.
• Displays leadership in guest hospitality and ensures consistent, high-level service throughout all phases of hotel events.  
• Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.  Effectively responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.
• Reviews Guest Service Results with leaders. Participates in the development and implementation of corrective action plans.
• Emphasizes guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focuses on continuous improvement.

applies broad business knowledge and balances both a short- and long-term perspective to generate strategies while leading the organization to achieve them.

• Take ownership of challenging situations to achieve results.
• Collaborate across departments to create a cohesive approach to sales and service delivery.
• Champion a culture of excellence and innovation within the department.

Managing Work Execution

proactively ensures that others have the accountability, authority and resources necessary to both manage work execution and drive for results.

• Demonstrate urgency and efficiency in managing competing priorities while achieving ambitious objectives.
• Utilize strong organizational skills to balance responsibilities, from client outreach to event management.
• Proactively resolve obstacles and foster cross-functional collaboration to ensure operational success. Follows through on inquiries, requests, and complaints.

Organizational Learner

actively pursues learning and self-development to enhance personal, professional and business growth; shares learning; demonstrates depth of knowledge in technical or specialized area

• Acts independently to improve and increase skills and knowledge.
• Demonstrates an awareness of personal strengths and areas for professional improvement.
• Shares learning, innovations, and best practices with others.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Experience

• Minimum 1 year of experience in catering sales, event planning, or a related field, preferably within a hotel environment.
• Proven track record of achieving and exceeding revenue targets.

Skills And Knowledge

• Strong verbal and written English communication skills
• Knowledge of the Hotel, Westmont and brand policies and procedures
• Advanced understanding of catering and banquet operations, food and beverage trends, and event logistics.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and CRM systems (Envision or similar platforms).
• Exceptional sales, negotiation, and closing skills.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Effective verbal and written communication, with a proven ability to deliver compelling presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain lasting relationships with clients and internal teams.
• Possess systems knowledge (Envision/Social Tables, or any other program similar to).