Position Overview:
As Meeting & Events Manager, you will be responsible for the successful event planning and overall execution of all Groups Meetings & Events that take place within the hotel. The Meeting & Events Manager will interact frequently with customers and guests to learn about their needs and develop relationships from which to earn repeat and expanded business, meeting conversion targets and KPIs.
Main responsibilities:
- Analyse competitors' activities and pricing strategies
- Maximise occupancy and average rates through well-executed inventory and yield management control
- Maximise all Group, Conference, and Event revenue opportunities
- Guide and lead coordination with relevant departments to deliver guests expectations in groups, meetings and events performance.
- Making sure that the reactive team is following brand standards in:
-Responding positively to inbound enquiries in a timely, accurate and persuasive manner.
-Maximising all opportunities through negotiation and upselling techniques, to convert business and drive revenue into the hotels to reach budget target.
-Ensuring all customer enquiries and bookings are recorded, maintaining account files and records.
-Undertaking enquiries, manage follow ups, prepare contracts, organise supplier documentation, hands on communication with clients’ requirements throughout process, invoicing, secure deposits and full payments, posting and charging, PMS bookings (Opera), obtaining rooming lists, timings, and the flow of stays, create the function sheet
- Responsible for ensuring all revenues are posted onto the PM account correctly according to function sheets and finalised prior to Invoicing.
- Ensuring all PM accounts are up to date and Head Office are informed on a weekly basis of any outstanding accounts in Opera. Emailing all VAT invoices to clients in a timely manner post event.
- Review business plans, identify gaps and coordinate with the proactive sales team efforts to fill capacity and meet set targets in line with the commercial strategy of the hotel.
- Understand the competitive marketplace and implement approaches to ensure the hotel stays ahead in the local market
- Ensure a full understanding of the hotel’s Sales budget for the year in order to drive business forward and deliver this strategy to new and existing clients to meet annual revenue targets. Targets will be set based upon the budget for MICE
- Ensure the Group, Meetings, and Events Team Members are developed effectively and generate a culture of high quality standards for relationship building, customer service, selling and conversion techniques, and billing and processing contracts
- Manage and develop the meeting and events Team to ensure career progression and effective succession planning within the hotel and company
- Build strong relationships with customers, guests and team members in order to gain full understanding of their needs and work to serve them effectively
What are we looking for?
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to communicate, verbal and in written form, effectively with management and ownership groups
- Excellent organisation and planning skills
- Ability to perform critical analysis
- Strong experience in hospitality forecasting, pricing and inventory control
- Strong leadership skills to effectively manage and motivate a high-performing team positioned to exceed targets
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical skills to understand key business indicators and competitive trends and develop approaches to these challenges
- Excellent selling capabilities and the ability and desire to coach selling techniques to Team Members
What you can expect from us:
We give our people everything they need to succeed. From a competitive salary that rewards all your hard work to a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life – including impressive room and F&B discounts, performance-based incentives and some of the best training in the business.
Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams where we celebrate difference and encourage colleagues to bring their whole selves to work. IHG Hotels & Resorts provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. We promote a culture of trust, support, and acceptance. Always welcoming different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
IHG gives every member of the team the room they need to belong, grow and make a difference in a collaborative environment. We know that to work well, we need to feel well – both inside and outside of work – and through our myWellbeing framework, we are committed to supporting wellbeing in your health, lifestyle, and workplace.
So, join us and you’ll become part of our ever-growing global family.