Conference Manager Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking a motivatedArea Conference Managerwho excels in a dynamic hospitality setting and is dedicated to delivering seamless, memorable events. If you are a proactive problem solver with excellent organizational abilities and a commitment to providing outstanding guest experiences, we invite you to join our team.

About Azul Hospitality Group
Azul Hospitality Group is an award-winning hotel management company known for its people-first culture, operational excellence, and strong partnerships with leading global brands including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG. Azul is widely respected for developing talented leaders, fostering innovation, and creating memorable guest experiences. The company offers a collaborative environment where leaders are empowered to make decisions, drive performance, and grow professionally.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to oversee or contribute to high-profile brands
• Competitive compensation along with performance-based incentives
• A comprehensive benefits package
• Opportunities for professional development within a rapidly expanding hospitality organization
• A supportive, people-focused culture that encourages innovation and leadership

POSITION PURPOSE
The Area Conference Manager is responsible for overseeing conference services and event execution across multiple hotel properties within a designated region. This role acts as the main point of contact between clients and hotel operations teams, ensuring the effective planning, coordination, and execution of meetings, conferences, conventions, and special events. The Area Conference Manager exercises sound judgment and discretion in managing client relationships, developing event strategies, overseeing operational planning, managing budgets, and coordinating across departments to meet business goals and enhance guest satisfaction

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Event Planning and Client Management
• Serve as the primary contact for meeting planners, corporate clients, and group organizers throughout the event lifecycle.
• Lead strategic planning meetings with clients to determine event objectives, logistics, and service requirements.
• Develop customized event plans, timelines, room setups, food and beverage arrangements, and operational schedules.
• Negotiate event specifications and recommend solutions to meet client needs while maximizing hotel profitability.
• Resolve complex client concerns and service issues using independent judgment and decision-making authority.
• Manage group and catering accounts to maximize business potential.
• Create a dynamic and positive relationship with customers from sales phase through on-site execution.
• Responsible for managing group room block cut off dates or extensions, attrition projections and room block utilization.
• Apply in-depth knowledge of property amenities to find opportunities to increase profitability.
• Produce and distribute 10-day Events Schedule and BEO Packet, as well as Daily Events Schedule
• Preside over weekly 10-day BEO reading and daily 3-day BEO readings
• Understand and respond to all guest needs and requests in a timely and professional manner.
• Follow proper event management procedures for event execution to include but not limited to BEO creation, F&B forecasting, resume communication, amenity/VIP designation and room block management.
• Write resumes for each group giving the hotel's departments an overview and schedule of the conference and its objective, details of the meeting agenda, AV requirements, VIP's, billing arrangements and amenity requests.

Operational Leadership

• Coordinate activities among conference services, banquet operations, culinary, housekeeping, front office, engineering, and other departments.
• Achieve or exceed contracted food & beverage revenue minimums.
• Direct the execution of group events and conferences across multiple hotel properties.
• Establish operational priorities and allocate resources to ensure successful event delivery.
• Monitor event performance and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Evaluate operational procedures and recommend process improvements.
• Financial and Administrative Responsibilities
• Manage event budgets and monitor revenue opportunities associated with group business.
• Review banquet event orders (BEOs), contracts, room blocks, and event forecasts for accuracy and profitability.
• Analyze event-related revenue, labor costs, and operational expenses.
• Approve event-related expenditures within authorized limits.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for senior leadership regarding event performance and client satisfaction trends.
• Consistently meet and exceed individual goals and hotel budgets.
• Use Revenue Management resources to help make informed decisions and maximize revenue.

Leadership and Oversight

• Provide guidance, direction, and training to conference service coordinators and event staff.
• Participate in hiring, coaching, performance management, and disciplinary recommendations.
• Monitor staffing needs and operational coverage across assigned properties.
• Assist with establishing departmental goals and service standards.
• Create and execute accurate banquet event orders that include detailed information on the agenda, menu items, room set up, and billing arrangements.
• Conduct post conference review with clients including the presentation of banquet checks when applicable.
• Drive strategies to develop long term business relationships and repeat business.
• Create customized Wedding Packages, Menus, and proposals, etc.
• Provide client support to include processing client leads, investigating hotel and preferred guest program issues, and acquiring or sending collateral materials.
• Act as liaison between hotel and meeting planner to ensure a successful event. This includes obtaining rooming lists, establishing billing, overseeing group room blocks, welcoming VIP's, overseeing amenity requests, handling on site event logistics, coordinating outside vendors, and enforcing the contract.
• Review all bills that are sent to the client, ensuring they are accurate and timely to maximize return business.
• Compile any cancellation/attrition charges for the group.
• Be an active part of the property team supporting and developing the desired Azul Hospitality culture.
• Drive product quality and a unique guest experience at every opportunity.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain relationships with key accounts and repeat clients.
• Identify opportunities to increase group revenue and improve operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with sales leadership on business development strategies and customer retention initiatives.
• Participate in annual planning, forecasting, and budgeting activities.
• Recommend policy and procedural changes that improve service delivery and profitability.
• Negotiate contracts, ensuring that all pertinent aspects of solicitation and closing are complete and documented.
• Make on-site and field presentations to prospective clients.
• Identify opportunities to up sell customer through food & beverage offerings, room upgrades, AV and lighting upgrades and spa services, if applicable
• Conduct unique site inspections that create a WOW experience for the customer.
• Look for ways to improve processes and enhance sales systems.
• Maintain accurate CI/TY information on all bookings, specifically program details, client correspondence, traces, and to-do lists.

Supervisory Responsibilities
May directly or indirectly supervise Conference Service Coordinators, Event Coordinators, Banquet Captains, and other event-related personnel. Provides input regarding hiring, training, performance evaluations, promotions, corrective action, and staffing decisions

SUPPORTIVE FUNCTIONS
In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the manager based upon the particular requirements of the hotel:

• Assist with any guest inquiry.
• Follow all company and safety and security policies and procedures.
• Report maintenance problems, safety hazards, accidents, or injuries.
• Complete safety training and certifications.
• Ensure uniform and personal appearance are clean and professional, maintain confidentiality of proprietary information, and protect company assets.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with others.
• Ensure adherence to quality expectations and standards; and identify, recommend, develop, and implement new ways to increase organizational efficiency, productivity, quality, safety, and/or cost-savings.
• Be familiar with all company policies and benefits.
• Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by direct and indirect Supervisors.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Environmental conditions are inside, a job is considered "inside" if staff spends approximately 75 percent or more of the time inside. Temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel environmental systems.
• Must be able to sit at a desk for up to four (8) hours per day. Walking and standing are required the rest of the working day. Length of time of these tasks may vary from day to day and task to task.
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for up to four (4) hours in length.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space and to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Must be able to lift up to 45 lbs. as needed.
• Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 250 lbs.
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening, and hearing ability and visual acuity.
• Hearing, smelling, tasting, and visual ability to observe and distinguish product quality and detect signs of emergency situations.
• Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with other staff, guests, and supervisors.
• Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near and color vision and depth perception.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat and stretch to fulfill cleaning tasks occasionally.
• Must have finger dexterity to be able to operate office equipment such as computers, printers, 10-key adding machine, multi-line touch tone phone, filing cabinets, FAX machines, photocopiers, dolly, and other office equipment as needed.
• Ability to work primarily with fingers to pick, pinch, type and carry out substantial movements (motions) of the wrists and hands as well.
  

GROOMING
All Staff Members must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance per Azul Hospitality standards. Refer to the property specific required grooming and uniform standards policy.
ATTENDANCE
Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established by Azul Hospitality, from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position. Staff with irregular attendance / tardiness will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Upon employment, all staff is required to fully comply with Azul Hospitality rules and regulations for the safe and effective operation of the hotel's facilities. Staff members who violate hotel rules and regulations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, staff members may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the hotel. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required. This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that a staff member in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.

SPECIFIC JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Must be able to travel on occasion, as needed.
• Must be able to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language used in the workplace.
• Requires good communication skills, verbal, written and electronic.
• Considerable knowledge of complex mathematical calculations and computer programs.
• Must have excellent leadership capability and customer relations skills.
• Must be detail oriented with outstanding organizational and communication skills.
• Must possess intermediate computer skills.
• Must Possess basic computational skills.
• Knowledge of computer programs, math skills as well as budgetary analysis capabilities required.
• Ability to analyze, foresee user needs, and makes judgments to ensure proper tools are provided at property level.
• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy and collect accurate information to resolve conflicts.
• Knowledgeable about basic function of Windows OS, MS Office, PMS, PBX, Key system, and POS.
• Self-driven and able to work independently
• Exceptionally strong in issue resolution and proven analytical skills with a strong attention to detail

EDUCATION

• High school or equivalent education required.
• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent level of education.

EXPERIENCE

• Threeyears' experience in Sales and/or Catering in hospitality industry preferred.

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS
Ability to provide and maintain a valid driver's license as the position may require the operation of motorized and electric vehicles. <...