Event Manager

About the role

The EVENT MANAGER reports to the Director of Sales and Catering Department. The Forester Hotel offers a unique blend of modern comfort and evolutionary service, located in the heart of Lake Forest, Illinois. Known for its commitment to preserving nature while embracing progress, the hotel features a boutique bistro and bar along with over 4,500 square feet of flexible event space.

Responsibilities

• Represents the hotel to customers in executing on negotiated sales agreements.
• Negotiates pricing and terms and conditions of products, labor, and services not explicitly outlined in agreements.
• Upsells products and services throughout the event planning process.
• Identifies and addresses operational challenges, working with the property staff and customers to find solutions.
• Distributes formal hotel communications such as EOs, resumes, and maintains internal deadlines.
• Attends banquet event order meetings and oversees the execution of events.
• Works closely with the Banquet Manager and Captains to ensure and maintain service levels.
• Maintains and maximizes the use of function space to increase revenue.
• Communicates guest room, meeting, and event logistics to relevant departments and delegates tasks as needed.
• Forecasts group sleeping rooms and event revenue (catering and AV).
• Reviews billing with clients and ensures timely collection of all outstanding balances.
• Greets customers at the start of each event and manages introductions and hand-offs with the Event Operations team.
• Maintains contractual deadlines and obligations.
• Directs customer relationships, managing payment structures, room blocks, food and beverage, incremental and affiliate revenue streams, performance damages, and master billing processes.
• Handles multiple customer and operational demands with professionalism and a high degree of autonomy.
• Operates independently with excellent organization, time management, and self-motivation.
• Collaborates with the Director of Sales to support the hotel's sales strategy and planning.
• Achieves and exceeds revenue-driven upsell sales targets through a profitable, solution-oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills.
• Effective customer service skills.
• Excellent business writing and presentation skills.
• Reliable transportation and ability to make outside sales calls.
• Experience in a hotel setting preferred with a proven track record of success.
• A degree in Hospitality Management is desirable.
• Hyatt operating system experience preferred but not required (such as Opera, Envision, and PrO).
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• A Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) designation is a plus but not required.

Hours

Due to the nature of the hospitality industry, work schedules will vary according to business needs, including weekends and night shifts.