Catering Sales Manager - Lumen Field

Job Summary

The Group Sales Manager will be responsible for managing the overall event sales lifecycle of catering events at the location to meet and exceed established annual sales revenue goals. The ideal candidate will be an experienced and driven sales professional - able to collaborate with a range of stakeholders to plan and deliver outstanding guest experiences.

Responsibilities:

• Builds & maintains strong relationships with internal location partners (NFL, MLS, NSWL) to execute catering services during League event days
• Ensure smooth transition & communication with location partner teams to execute positive client experience
• Promptly respond to all client correspondence, phone, & email, including initial inquiry correspondence, proposal development for qualified leads, & all follow up as necessary to secure business
• Working closely with the culinary & operations team to develop menus and staffing to WOW clients and guests while simultaneously maintaining operational feasibility, cost-effectiveness, & event appropriateness for venue facilities
• Creating Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) and catering agreements in appropriate system & submitting for client signature in accordance with venue deadlines  
• Works with internal operations team, location venue and/or client to create floorplans
• Manage client relationships to set expectations & drive positive event experience
• Handling client billing to ensure accurate and timely payment of deposits & final payments
• Manages event communication to appropriate stakeholders including, but not limited to, event files for use by operations, schedule of events, and final BEOs
• Facilitating weekly BEO meetings with operations and culinary to ensure everyone is aligned on event expectations
• Partnering with location leadership to identify opportunities to grow revenue via sales trends, strategic menu development, and creative, new opportunities to expand catering revenue opportunities
• Work closely with the building partner to identify win-win opportunities & areas for collaboration
• Contributes to and manages the development of strategic sales initiatives
• Completion of annual group sales review to identify strengths and opportunities for the future
• Completion of annual competitor analysis within the market and working with location partner to optimize menu offerings, as needed
• Completion of annual lost business analysis to investigate areas of opportunities resulting in increased secured business
• Ability to analyze sales trends, clients needs, & wants to enhance the overall event experience
• Proactively engaging in networking and other lead generation activities
• Maintains successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses, and providing a return on investment for the location partner
• Negotiate with clients through the use of creative and attractive menu presentations and event proposals, to achieve both maximum revenue/profit potential and fulfillment of contractual responsibilities while satisfying client needs
• Completing maintenance and  clean-up of processes in the infor/Reserve system
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• 2+ years in a catering sales role
• Hospitality or Business Degree is preferred
• Experience working on major events is preferred
• High level of computer literacy
• Passion for hospitality, food, and retail
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills