Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

Researches and solicites confirmed citywide convention business that needs headquarter and overflow hotel blocks in the market. Maintains strong networks and partnerships with the local Convention and Visitors Bureau, targets citywide opportunities that provide annual booking in off peak seasons and holiday weeks for Marriott brands. Focuses on promoting local properties via marketing channels to citywide exhibitors and affiliates and work with the Director of Group Strategy and/or Rooms Inventory Manager to strategically price properties in the local market to win market share and grow RevPar. Handles opportunity management tasks for citywide events and pull through citywide group business for properties in the market.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

Required:
• High school diploma or GED; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing, guest services, front desk, or related professional.
OR
• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; no work experience required.

Preferred:
• 4-year bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management.
• Convention hotel and/or convention visitor bureau experience.
• Citywide sales and/or association experience.
• Enterprise Sales Team experience.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Managing Sales Activities
• Develops annual marketing game plan to confirm that local Marriott brands have a full presence in citywide conventions.
• Solicits customers who use Marriott brands in alternating convention cities to use local Marriott properties in the market
• Researches and solicits show affiliate groups to use the housing bureau services in order to maximize housing room block commitment.
• Secures list of approved affiliates from citywide host and work with catering/event internal partners to market food and beverage (e.g., catering) facilities to citywide affiliates.
• Handles proposals and site inspections and negotiates services of hotels for each business opportunity.
• Grows account preference, loyalty and share through the effective use of reviews and critiques from previous conventions.
• Promotes properties via marketing channels to citywide exhibitors and affiliates.
• Handles opportunity management tasks for citywide events and pull through citywide group business for properties in the market.
• Communicates, through turnover, all contractual terms and needs of the customer once a contract is signed to verify that convention contract terms are met.
• Works with event and housing coordinators at each property to verify that planning and room block management is always current.
• Develops relationships with housing on-property contacts once the event is turned over to each property.
• Maintains calendar for each property of citywide participation.
• Maximizes use of convention calendar to deliver timely, accurate information of citywide demand (e.g., current and future) to stakeholders.
• Understands the needs of each property and their revenue strategy. Partners with the Director of Group Strategy and/or Room Inventory Manager to strategically price hotels in the market to win market share and grow revpar year over year.
• 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 each property based on market conditions and individual property needs.
• Achieves revenue and sales goals at each property as defined by Market leadership.
• Develops and achieves operating budgets and manages controllable expenses.
• Contributes to the team goal at each property.
• Drives short term and future business at each property.
• Drives revenue via multi year contract plan, where appropriate.
• Uses financial contributions from each property for marketing programs and tools.
• Leverages methodologies, technical and business knowledge across the market.
• Anticipates and identifies business opportunities and challenges and responds with a profitable strategy that aligns with overall business direction.
• Increases local penetration to optimize demand across all brands and satisfy important property needs.
• Leverages all available sales channels, (e.g., marriott.com, group and transient intermediaries, field sales, worldwide reservation offices, etc) in an effort to optimize sales revenues.
• Focuses on promoting local properties via marketing channels to citywide exhibitors and affiliates and work with the Director of Group Strategy and/or Rooms Inventory Manager to strategically price properties in the local market to win market share and grow RevPar.
• Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.

Building Successful Relationships
• Maintains strong relationships with convention bureau leads, trade show planners, housing company partners, city suppliers to find confirmed city-wide convention business for local Marriott hotels.
• Works with bureau leads and trade show leads to offer multiple property selling options.
• Partners with Event Management and/or Operations in providing a customer experience that exceeds customer expectations.
• Works collaboratively with the Convention Bureaus, and other property counterparts to drive revenue, monitor customer satisfaction and increase market share.
• Develops and attends high impact local/regional/national customer events, trade shows and meetings to maximize customer/hotel interaction, build loyalty, and internal/external education.
• Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers, industry organizations and convention bureaus to enable future bookings.

Market based role driving citywide sales initiatives for portfolio of Marriott hotels in Atlanta, Preferred candidate to reside in Atlanta market.