Senior Event Services Manger

Job Description

We invite you to join the world of luxury hospitality at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa as our new Senior Event Services Manager.  In this role you’ll be responsible for coordinating and executing group events, conventions, meetings, and hotel buyouts from the time of booking through departure. This role serves as the primary liaison between clients and hotel operations, ensuring exceptional guest experiences while maximizing revenue opportunities and maintaining operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Consistently offer professional, friendly, and engaging service 
• Consistently meet or exceed banquet revenue goals on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis 
• Manage convention and group bookings from contract turnover through departure, including meeting requirements, guest room blocks and pickup, food and beverage, audio-visual, and event logistics 
• Serve as the lead Conference Services Manager for full-property buyouts and other high-profile events, coordinating planning and execution across all hotel departments 
• Act as the primary operational contact for VIP clients, meeting planners, and key stakeholders, ensuring expectations are exceeded throughout the planning and event experience 
• Maintain ownership of hotel buyouts and oversee all aspects of planning, coordination, and execution 
• Monitor event profitability by managing contracted revenue, reviewing estimates and actual spend, identifying upsell opportunities, and maximizing revenue while delivering exceptional experiences 
• Build strong client relationships and ensure all event specifications are communicated accurately and executed successfully to encourage repeat business 
• Assist clients in achieving both their event vision and budgetary goals while considering food costs, labor costs, and operational requirements 
• Create and review event floor plans to ensure alignment between client expectations and banquet operations 
• Initiate billing procedures and ensure deposits, credit applications, and required documentation are received within established timelines 
• Conduct pre-conference meetings with clients and hotel departments to confirm event details and communicate expectations 
• Lead or attend daily event review meetings to ensure contracts, updates, and last-minute changes are communicated effectively 
• Demonstrate ownership of every event by proactively anticipating client needs and ensuring flawless execution from planning through departure 
• Collaborate with all hotel departments to ensure seamless event operations and an exceptional guest experience 
• Actively seek guest and client feedback and communicate opportunities for improvement 
• Contribute ideas, recommendations, and process improvements to enhance team performance, operational efficiency, and the overall hotel experience 
• Assist with overall hotel management responsibilities as needed 
• Follow all departmental policies, procedures, service standards, and health and safety requirements 
• Perform other duties as assigned 

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Extensive experience in catering or event services within a luxury or full-service resort environment 
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills 
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building abilities 
• Proven ability to manage multiple events and priorities simultaneously 
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments in a fast-paced luxury hospitality environment 
• Passion for delivering outstanding guest experiences and operational excellence 
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with operations, culinary, revenue management, and marketing partners 
• Proficiency in Sales & Catering systems and Property Management Systems (preferably Opera Cloud) and Microsoft Office 
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, revenue goals, and profitability. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, or related field preferred, or equivalent experience 
• Flexibility to support business needs including site visits, events, and occasional evenings or weekends 
• Embrace the Fairmont brand promise and luxury in your role and in all your interactions 
• Foster an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected 
• Drive top performance to achieve exceptional results

Salary Range: $85,000 - $92,000

Additional Information

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, an elegant Spanish mission-style Inn, boasts exceptional accommodation in the heart of Wine Country.  As one big team, community of service professionals, we come together and work with a common purpose to welcome, connect and serve others. 

Visa Requirements: Applicants must be able to provide proof that they are legally able to work in the United States. 
Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.