Groups & Events Director - Pre Opening (French speaking)

• The Hotel achieves its Financial Objectives.
• The Group and Events Sales team that the person is responsible for achieves their Revenue Objectives.
• The person achieves their Personal Objectives.
• The TTTT is carried out to the satisfaction of both the Director of Sales & Marketing and the Director of Groups and Events.

• They actively support and implement Talent Development initiatives as a part of their daily activities.
• They identify Training talents in their department and throughout the hotel as per below definition* and actively support their career development.
• They support and initiate transfer, cross exposure and task force assignments for their team.
• They personally conduct TTTTs with their team on a regular basis and take personal interest for their talents’ development plans.
• They recruit and select potential talent according to current and future department, hotel and Kempinski’s needs including conducting interviews for positions in their department.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for revenue generation from received leads in the Event & Group field.
• Develop an Event & Group forecast in coordination with the Director of Revenue Management/ Revenue Manager.
• Responsible for Development (or improvement) & active conversion of an effective Event & Group Sales Strategy.
• Recognize need periods and actively find possible solutions in coordination with the Director of Sales & Marketing, the Director of Sales and the Field Sales Team.
• Reach (and possibly surpass) the monthly and yearly revenue goals.
• Set and regularly review goals for the Groups & Events Sales team and its individual team members.
• Leadership, training, development, encouragement and support of the Groups & Events Sales Team.
• Responsible for the training and incorporating of new team members (and trainees).
• Performance Control for the subordinate team members.
• Analysis and utilization of the Mystery Shopper program.
• Supervise regular Competition Checks.
• Encourage cross-selling to other hotels within the Kempinski Group (and GHA).
• Implementation of regular departmental meetings to ensure inter-departmental communication.
• Secure a proper communication of all Event & Group details to the Event Managers and Groups & Events Coordinators. 
• Monitor the Opera S&C System and ensure the system is set up properly to guarantee internal efficiency, customer satisfaction, hence maximizing revenue performances.
• Review F&B menus, meeting services, etc. and the according pricing structure for the Event area in conjunction with the F&B Manager & the Executive Chef.
• Direct receipt, qualification and coordination of event & group requests (incl. leads, RFPs, etc.) defined by the Director of Sales & Marketing. Handle requests according to the relevant standards within a maximum of 8 (business) hours of its receipt.
• Apply sales techniques to ensure the business, realize and take up sales possibilities. Ensure the ideal and most effective utilization of the function rooms.
• Carry out site inspections with potential MICE clients in coordination with the Field Sales department.
• Realize upsell possibilities to meet and surpass Group & Event budget goals.
• Thoroughly input, supervise and maintain the requests in the Opera S&C System according to the data input standards.
• Creation of activities to ensure ongoing maintenance of bookings.
• Generate proper proposals and contracts.
• Follow up on sent out proposals within 24 hours (1 working day) to ensure the client has received the information and to clarify possible questions and issues.
• Handle the enquiries until conversion to definite bookings including negotiation, contracting, and site inspection before handing over to the Event Manager (or to the Group & Event Coordinator). 
• Ensure a proper handover of the converted business to the Event Manager / Group & Event Coordinator with all relevant information forwarded.
• Introduction of the Groups & Events Manager / Groups & Events Coordinator to the client.
• Carry out Exit Interviews with the  customer after their event – asking for future business.
• Review monthly results and forecasts to recommend and execute activities required to ensure the hotel increases the market share and maximizes its revenue.
• Proper maintenance of LOS/CAN and UNC business.
• Further administrative tasks and other possible assigned duties.
• Performs any other duties as assigned to him/her by management.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise