Director of Catering Sales & Conference Services

Position Overview

The Director of Catering Sales & Conference Service Manager is responsible for all areas of the Catering Sales & Conference Services department. The individual provides our guests with specialized and personalized service for events and group accommodation management with responsibilities revolving around ensuring a smooth transition Pre-Sales to Post Event Phase through efficient coordination and communication.

The Role

Sales Activities

• Develop high-level strategies for each business segment, with clear timelines, target accounts and specific actions.
• Prepare an action plan with priorities, milestones and measurable outcomes.
• Develop a proactive sales call plan to the Director of Sales & Marketing.
• Create a citywide events calendar, outlining the hotel's commercial strategy and actions for each opportunity.
• Create a segmented client database with clear account ownership and growth potential.
• Analyse banquet performance to identify key producers and lost business.
• Drive account reactivation through targeted outreach and clear timelines.
• Benchmark five key competitors to assess market positioning and competitiveness.
• Develop a personalised wedding journey, from bespoke consultations to post-wedding engagement, anniversaries and future family celebrations.
• Develop and implement personalized site inspection SOPs for Events and Weddings, ensuring cross-department coordination, effective sales conversion and timely follow-up.
• Partner with Marketing Communications to develop and execute catering marketing plans by segment, reviewing performance regularly to improve lead quality and conversion.
• Maximize sales and upselling/cross-selling opportunities through soliciting new catering accounts and maintaining relationship with existing accounts
• Conduct site inspections
• Prepare and present sales contract to clients for Catering & Social Events
• Execution of Group Contracts
• Collaborate and communicate with relevant departments to meet guests requirements
• Ensure high level of customer satisfaction is achieved through professionalism in all aspects of event delivery
• Booking of function spaces, follow up on room attrition and timeline for rooming lists
• Timely and accuracy preparation of Group Resumes, Banquet Event Orders, Internal Reports and Billing
• Meet or exceed individual and group catering sales target set by the management
• Determines availability of space based on yield management principles
• Lead participation in relevant industry events, trade exhibitions and sales trips for networking and lead generation
• Preparations of department reports
• Attends and chairs meetings

Manage Team

• Supervise and support Catering Sales & Conference Services Team
• Present sales reports and recommendations for management updates and decision-making
• Lead weekly team meetings and regular one-to-ones to drive accountability and performance.
• Develop individual growth plans, monitor progress and address risks proactively.
• Uphold grooming standards and lead by example in professional presentation.

Talent Profile

• Diploma in Hospitality Management
• Minimum 5-7 years working experience in Catering & Conference Services for an upscale property
• Prior experience in managing a team
• Knowledge in Microsoft Office including words, excel, power point
• Knowledge in Opera Cloud
• Basic knowledge of AV equipment
• Understanding of room space, entertainment options, menus, floral options
• Able to lead and train new team members