Imagine yourself engaged in planning the dream wedding for your client!  Do you enjoy coordinating parties, events and seeing them to fruition?

 The Imperial Even Center at the Holiday Inn Lancaster is seeking a professional event sales specialist to join the Sales Team.  Beautiful spaces, unique settings and an experienced staff await.  Two beautiful Ballrooms along with our newest space, The Imperial Terrace, which overlooks Lancaster City and provides outdoor space that is highly sought-after. 

Position: Wedding and Senior Catering Sales Manager

Reports To: Director of Sales

Summary
As a Wedding and Senior Catering Sales Manager, you will be responsible for exceeding outlined revenue goals in the Social Catering Segment by booking social events in the Imperial Ballrooms, Terrace, Restaurant and Meeting Rooms at The Imperial Event Center.  In this position, you will be specifically responsible to proactively conduct many forms of direct solicitation to many sources of business opportunities. 

Qualifications
To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to adhere to each of the essential duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and ability necessary to do so. Reasonable accommodations may be made to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to perform the essential functions.

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• • Strong Sales experience.  Negotiating and closing. 
  • Manages the catering sales efforts for the hotel, prospecting/books local catering business.
  • Performs outside sales calls to appropriate organizations to achieve and exceed solicitation goals as assigned by DOS.  This includes researching, sourcing, networking, and meeting clients to gain business.
  • Conduct onsite appointments and client site inspections to showcase hotel.
  • Prospect companies, organizations, and potential business sources through internet research to gain contacts and business opportunities.
  • Drives results to exceed the catering sales revenue and operation budgets and provides booking and activity reports.  Conversion will be key.
  • Carries out activities for the advertising, social media, and PR plans in coordination with and as directed by DOS to ultimately uncover new revenue opportunities and shift share. 
  • Develops and implements trade shows, special events, public events, and targeted industry events. 
  • Works with the management team to create and implement a catering sales/marketing plan addressing revenue, guests, and market. 
  • Assists with the development, selling, implementation and follow-through of catering promotions. 
  • Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, guest correspondence). 
  • Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand. 
  • Verifies that the property implements a seamless turnover from sales to operations and back to sales while consistently delivering a high level of service. 
  • Monitors the effective resolution of guest issues that arise because of the sales process by creating mechanisms to channel issues to property leadership and/or other appropriate stakeholders. 
  • Maintains successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses, and providing a return on investment for the owner. 
  • Implements the brand's service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process. 
  • Interacts effectively with guests/clients, sales and kitchen, vendors, competitors, local community, catering associations and other hotel departments to drive sales and monitor guest satisfaction. 
  • Executes exemplary guest service to drive guest satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the guest and monitoring their satisfaction before and during their event. 
  • Gains understanding of the hotel's primary target guest and service expectations; serves the guest by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during the event. 
  • Builds Successful Relationships with key vendors and community, civic, charitable organizations. 
  • Maintains knowledge of key competitors and industry trends. 
  • Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.

Education and/or Experience
A High School diploma or General Education Degree (GED); Degree in Hospitality or Hotel Management preferred or 1-2 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous hotel experience preferred, but not required. 

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, Associates may need to lift items up to 50 lbs. Ability to operate office equipment, computers and telephones. This position requires moderate physical requirements and requires the ability to bend, raise and sit / walk for 8 hours of an 8-hour day.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Benefits:
Competitive pay
Employee rate discounts at all IHG Hotels
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance

Schedule: Average of 40 - 45 hours per week, 5 days a week, including some Saturdays and/or Sundays; days and times off during the week will vary based upon the business needs.

Work Location:
In person