Event Manager Jobs in Brainerd, MN (NOW HIRING)

Position Overview:

The Wedding and Special Events Manager holds a multifaceted role, responsible for generating event business with a primary focus on weddings and catering events. This position emphasizes the maximization of sales through established business practices, the exploration of potential new markets, and the assurance of efficient administration through prudent delegation and meticulous attention to detail.

Key responsibilities encompass preparing contracts/responses for potential customers, maintaining frequent and bi-directional communication. The manager ensures the surpassing of guest expectations at events under their purview. The role includes overseeing the sales and growth of wedding business, planning event execution, and managing billing processes.

In addition, the role extends to developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies for the catering department. This involves securing new accounts, maintaining existing ones, and creating strategies to surpass budgeted revenues. The manager focuses on maximizing hotel profitability and ensuring guest satisfaction.

Acting as a liaison between clients and operating departments, the Wedding and Special Events Manager ensures repeat business and the successful execution of events. Furthermore, they are responsible for assisting to succeed in the catering and banquet's annual budget, managing monthly production reports and achieving quarterly Production goals, and serving as a crucial liaison between the food and beverage team and the sales department.

About Cote Family Companies: www.cotefamily.com

For over 100 years, this family-owned company has distinguished itself by providing unique, transformative experiences and exceptional memories. Our resorts provide an array of services including accommodations, golf, spa food & beverage, retail, equestrian and conference/event opportunities. Our camps provide transformational memories that our attendees carry with them forever. The Cote Family has invested in its current ventures and is poised for further growth.

COTECares

CoteCares is our “Way of Life”. We believe in enriching the lives of those within our community and this inspires us to create transformative experiences and exceptional memories.

Our associate journey begins and ends with a positive work environment and experience for our team. CoteCares is the namesake for our culture, and our commitment to a culture where all associates feel respected, safe, empowered, appreciated, excited, included and a sense of belonging to something extremely special. Whether it be through community involvement or internally working with each other, CoteCares expresses our world and what we want it to be.

Career Pathing:

This role is a key position in our operational excellence delivery goals. The role may advance into a director level position should the incumbent demonstrate sufficient strategic development and enlargement of performance scope. The successful person will be an advocate of our mission, values and brand from a Sales/Catering level.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Responsible for finding new business through direct site visits and strategic mapping of companies and the target market account base. This involves negotiating and developing proposals, booking, and contracting wedding business within set selling guidelines. Additionally, attends relevant meetings and wedding fairs to stay updated on the market trends.
• Collaborates with marketing, sales, planning, and account management to facilitate new programs, messages, campaigns, and offerings.
• Manages vendors, facilitates site visits, and conducts pre-wedding reviews. Ensures a positive, professional relationship with clients through effective communication.
• Handles inquiries and walk-in site inspections, plans and conducts pre-event and post-event meetings with clients, guests, and catering staff.
• Implements company programs to meet and exceed budgeted revenues, ensuring guest satisfaction.
• Establishes client base through direct outside sales efforts, negotiates prices, function space, and resort services within approved booking guidelines.
• Assists in the preparation of the annual departmental operating budget, completes forecasts, plans, and sales production reports.
• Promotes teamwork and quality service through daily communication with other departments.
• Assists clients with menu planning, food and beverage coordination, and arranges all details of conventions and catering events.
• Facilitates and coordinates Grand View Lodge special events, community events, corporate catering events and wedding events. Including but not limited to wedding ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal, brunches, welcome parties and rehearsal dinners.
• Ensures all guest room blocks and booking details are in agreement with clients' requests and resort standards.
• Reviews daily posting of charges, resolves discrepancies, and identifies operational problems impacting catering sales performance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Three to five years of sales experience in the hotel/resort industry, specifically in catering and conference services or a related field, with prior direct supervisory experience over a sales/catering team.
• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality/Tourism, Sales/Marketing, or an equivalent field is preferred.
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritize work assignments.
• Assertive, outgoing, and self-motivated individual with a pleasant personality, capable of thriving in a team environment.
• Computer literacy is a must, with the ability to learn or adapt to new programs.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, along with strong negotiation abilities.
• Must embody a "can-do" attitude and lead by example.
• Physical requirements include the ability to stand, walk (4 to 5 hours at a time), climb stairs, reach, bend, taste, see, hear, smell, and feel or touch.
• May occasionally need to lift over 50 pounds.
• Flexibility in schedule, including availability to work weekends, holidays, and as business levels dictate.

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