Conference Service - Alexandria, United States - Sage Hospitality

Description

Why us?:

Sage Hotel Management is currently seeking a Conference Service & Group Rooms Manager for two of its Autograph hotels, The Alexandrian and Morrison House located in Alexandria, Virginia.

At Sage Hotel Management, we passionately strive to be the best and create excellence in everything we do. We are known amongst our staff, our owners, our guests, and our communities as leaders in our field who are authentic, humble, innovative, and flexible operators driven to anticipate needs and exceed expectations.

Sages vision is to be recognized by our customers as the best in our business through ensuring a culture that makes the ordinary extraordinary The ideal candidate should champion this culture in every touchpoint of our business from our associates, guests, owners, and communities. The service and courtesy you extend and promote daily will ensure a healthy and productive culture of serving others with excellence. Join us today

Manages & executes assigned group events following the contract definite turnover phase with an overall management of all group room blocks. Liaison between group customers and all operating departments in the hotel to ensure a high standard of organization and guest service throughout all hotel operations areas. This position must provide a visible and accessible floor presence to anticipate, understand and act upon all client needs. Details outlining the overall duties and responsibilities include the following:

Meets and exceeds revenue goals by developing new accounts and growing current hotel accounts in a profitable and win-win selling approach.

• Administrative duties - Perform routine administrative duties such as typing proposals, letters, contracts, completing reports through sales system and property management system.
• Introductory Call and Email with detailed plan for the customer outlining what they should expect during the planning process. Skill to communicate information clearly and effectively in person, in writing, and on the phone with a variety of people including customers, vendors and staff.
• Follow up with clients - Coordination and attention to details when providing the customer plan in a timely manner. Evaluates customer needs, conducts research, and makes recommendations to assist clients in establishing requirements for banquet space needs and room block related needs. Produce menu and event proposals based on the specific needs of the clients to ensure the profitability of each event.
• Answers phone in a timely manner and schedules appointments for clients to inspect function site, receives confirmed contracts/deposits, prepare Banquet Event Order forms, and maintain client event files.
• Manage group room blocks - Setup & manage all group room blocks once assigned by the sales team including setup in the property management system aligning with sales system billing & coding guidelines. Full management and execution leading up to group arrival, duration of group stay in the hotel and post group departure date.
• Leading up to group and meeting events date - Provide and review cost projections and recommendations with meeting planners including banquet & catering menus, meeting room setups and room blocks.
• Event Orders - Completion of detailed accurate event orders on a timely basis including information regarding the set-up of meeting rooms or event space, audio visual equipment and any other pertinent services. Communicates all changes on banquet event orders to other departments. Ensure all final event orders are approved and signed off on by the customer prior to arrival.
• Group Resumes - Completion of accurate group resumes on a timely basis including information regarding all aspects of the group event stay at the hotel. Communicates all changes to other departments as needed in a timely manner.
• Site Inspections As necessary, following group or event assignment, organize and conduct a site visit for the customer providing appropriate documentation prior to visit throughout the hotel.
• Vendor agreements - Negotiate and execute vendor agreements obtaining best possible pricing and concessions utilizing existing Master Service Agreements (when available) and engaging legal advice as required.
• Track and report negotiated savings for the customer during the planning phase and/or identify, record and report lost savings opportunities for the customer during the planning phase.
• Cancellation & Attrition - Monitor and maintain cancellation/attrition penalties for group or event and communicate accordingly with sales & accounting. Manage rebooking opportunities seeking to utilize available credits and communicate with the customer and sales team in a timely manner.
• Arrival / Duration of group event stay / Departure- Personally greets all customer contacts upon arrival to finalize arrangements and to orient the client to the facility and staff. Frequent communication while the customer is in the hotel for the duration of the group stay while communicating all updates and/or changes the customer has throughout all departments in the hotel. Is available to customers to answer questions and accommodate special requests accordingly.
• Billing - Ensuring billing is correct before sent to client and while the customer is in the hotel, provide payment invoices for review and approval prior to group or event departure.

Education/Formal Training

Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent.

Experience

Six months minimum in sales, customer service related position or hotel experience preferred.

Knowledge/Skills

• Requires knowledge of general sales techniques.
• Requires yield management experience.
• Requires highly developed customer service skills.
• Requires ability to hear, speak, read and write English fluently.
• Requires 12th grade level mathematics, spelling and reading skills.
• Requires effective business writing skills.
• Must be able to meet clients on and off premises, to tour property and attend functions, to climb stairs, use door keys and operate basic office equipment.
• Vision to read fine print and computer screens, to see colors, to observe rooms in poorly lit conditions.
• Understand and follow verbal/written instructions.
• Work on more than one task at a time.
• Develop strong internal and customer relationships.
• Set and manage priorities and plan activities in advance.
• Solve problems and make sound business decisions.
• Respond to coaching, feedback and training. Strong and effective sales skills.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bending/kneeling - repeated bending and kneeling required while filing
• Mobility - must be able to reach all areas of hotel to assist clients.
• Occasional standing.
• Occasional carrying and lifting of files and office items up to 25 lbs.

Environment

General office and hotel environment