Event Booking Centre Manager

**Job Number** 24156977
**Job Category** Sales & Marketing
**Location** Irene Country Lodge Autograph Collection, Nellmapius Drive, Pretoria, South Africa, South Africa VIEW ON MAP
**Schedule** Full-Time
**Located Remotely?** N
**Relocation?** N
**Position Type** Management
**Additional Information**:This hotel is owned and operated by an independent franchisee, Irene Country Lodge, Autograph Collection. The franchisee is a separate company and a separate employer from Marriott International, Inc. The franchisee solely controls all aspects of the hotel’s employment policies and practices, including hiring, firing, discipline, staffing, compensation, benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment. If you accept a position at this hotel, you will be employed by a franchisee and not by Marriott International, Inc.
- Assists in leading the property’s segmented sales effort for groups, conferences and events and assists in the implementation of the segment sales strategy and achieving segment revenue goals, property revenue goals and guest and team satisfaction.
- Conducts all day-to-day activities related to the sales function with a focus on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of property’s groups sales objectives.
- Responsible for reactively managing group/catering-related opportunities. Trains team to and actively up-sells each business opportunity to maximize revenue opportunity.
- Ensures business is turned over properly and in a timely fashion for proper service delivery.
- Responsible for driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience from enquiry phase to event handover.
- Management of the Event Booking Centre Team to achieve the above set requirements.

Core Working Activities:
Developing & Executing Sales Strategies:

- Works with Sales Leader and Managing Director to ensure understanding of sales strategy and effective implementation of this strategy for the segment. Participation in creation of relevant sales strategies for groups, conferencing and events.
- Assists in the development, implementation and sustaining of aggressive solicitation program focused on increasing business - Marriott Bonvoy.
- Works with management team to create and implement a sales plan addressing revenue, customers and the market for the segment.
- Assists with the development and input of promotions, both internal and external.
- Execute historic and lost groups, conferencing and events opportunities to assist in future quotation conversions.

Managing Daily Sales Activities:

- Identifies new group, catering and events business to achieve property revenue goals.
- Approves and guides team for decision making on space release for catering to maximize revenue.
- Participates in sales activities and calls alongside members of sales team to acquire groups opportunities and/or close on business.
- Executes, supports and team guidance of the conversion aspects of group, conference or event booking - Generating proposal, draw up proposal, final signature and handover to Event Booking Specialist.
- Responds to incoming group/catering opportunities for the property.
- Uses negotiating skills and creative selling abilities to close on business and negotiate contracts.
- Uses sales resources and administrative/support staff effectively.
- Conducts site inspections for enquiry conversion.
- Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand.
- Manage the Event Booking Centre Team to execute the above sales activities effectively for optimum group conversion.
- Manages relevant groups revenue documentation for accurate revenue projections.

Understanding Markets & Maximizing Revenue
- Understands the overall market - competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.
- Closes the best opportunities for the property based on market conditions and property needs.
- Monitors advance and same day selling procedures to maximize room revenue and control property occupancy. Communicate with relevant teams’ changes in groups to ensure revenue maximization can continue.
- Gains understanding of the property’s primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution prior to event confirmation.
- Provides positive and aggressive leadership to ensure maximum revenue potential (e.g., focus on the correct groups and events acceptance based on low and high demand periods).
- Recommends booking goals for Event Booking Centre team members.
- Participation in three month forecast discussions for accurate forecasting.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service
- Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies customer service and creates a positive example for team members.
- Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the approp