As Assistant Director of Catering & Events you’ll make sure all our client meetings and events run smoothly - acting as both brand ambassador and trusted partner – you’ll connect internal teams to deliver a seamless experience for planners, hosts and meeting attendees. You will also be responsible for “Meetings Success” in the Crowne Plaza Meetings, residential conferences and events including weddings.
A little taste of your day-to-day
Every day is different, but you’ll mostly be:
- Participate and contribute actively in sales and revenue meetings with regards to annual business plan, strategic sales and marketing or Customer Relations Management (CRM) plans
- Act as the primary point of contact for detailed meeting/residential conference/event planning, working closely with Banquet Operations, F & B management, Reservations, Rooms Division operations, Finance and external suppliers
- Supervise and coordinate in liaison with the Food and Beverage Manager and Executive Chef for the pricing and preparation of banquet menus, beverages and wine lists
- Drive a great working environment for teams to thrive – linking up departments to create sense of one team
- Direct everyday activity, plan and assign work ensuring you always have the right staffing numbers
- Develop your team and improve their performance through coaching and feedback, and create performance and development goals for colleagues
- Train colleagues to make sure they deliver with compliance and to the standards we expect
- Interact with outside contacts: guests, vendors, and other contacts as needed
- Complete forecasts, plans, and productivity reports and help prepare the departmental budget and financial plans
- Monitor hotel spend and always look for opportunities to optimise sales whilst minimising waste
- Negotiate sales prices within booking guidelines
- Co-ordinates weekly banquet & wedding forecast
- Ensure the whole client experience successful and memorable and act as the brand ambassador and key contact throughout their journey
- Build long term relationship with planners and hosts to increase loyalty to the brand
- At pre-event planning stage consult with meeting planners to optimise all elements of the meeting / event including space, meeting/break flow, menu and design etc. to improve meeting efficiency
- Conduct pre-event and post-event meetings with clients and catering colleagues to identify improvements to the guest experience
- Meet with each meeting planner daily to debrief on daily events, review consumption, bill and any exceptions to contracted billing and review estimates of final billing
- Welcome the group and conduct the 60’ meeting brief prior the start of the meeting / session
- Enable high productivity whilst maximizing downtime
- Relate to business needs and make sure team prioritises the things that help our guests get their business done
- Enable quality downtime by providing relevant recommendations that will help host and attendees recharge and relax throughout the day
- Analyse and action against client satisfaction surveys to improve services
- Conduct banquet and catering facility tours and entertain clients to enhance the guests’ meeting/banquet experience
What do we need from you?
- A confident communicator with strong interpersonal strong skills
- Business language and tools acumen
- Bachelor's Degree/higher education qualification/equivalent in hospitality or related field
- Minimum 3 years of related work experience
- Direct supervisory experience over a sales/catering team, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
- Must speak local language(s), knowing other languages will be an added advantage
What you can expect from us
We give our people everything they need to succeed. From a competitive salary that rewards all your hard work to a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life – including a full uniform, impressive room discounts and some of the best training in the business.
Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams where we celebrate difference and encourage colleagues to bring their whole selves to work. IHG Hotels & Resorts provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. We promote a culture of trust, support, and acceptance. Always welcoming different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
IHG gives every member of the team the room they need to belong, grow and make a difference in a collaborative environment. We know that to work well, we need to feel well – both inside and outside of work – and through our myWellbeing framework, we are committed to supporting wellbeing in your health, lifestyle, and workplace.
So, join us and you’ll become part of our ever-growing global family.
