Director of Conferences & Events Sales
Hilton Abu Dhabi
Total years of experience :23 years, 5 Months
Managing a team of 5, monitor the daily departmental operations such as handling/qualifying residential and non residential enquiries, negotiation, follow up, contracting, event planning and execution. Maintain and establish relationship with existing and solicit new accounts through proactive sales activities. Analyze weekly HIS report results based on competition check to identify market trends and business needs and potential future business accounts to assist with demand generation and improve conversion ratio statistics. Chairing the weekly business on the books, and banquet event order hand over meetings. Attending the weekly commercial focus meeting and other business focus meetings as necessary. Organize and conduct pre-con meetings for complex events to ensure communication and smooth event operation. Responsible to prepare and submit the weekly, monthly forecast and yearly budget. Responsible to prepare, submit and follow up on the yearly C&E marketing plan, to drive revenue in the different C&E market segments (residential/non residential meetings/conferences, weddings, social events, outside catering). Ensure that Hilton brand standards are implemented and procedures being followed by the events team. Set team key performance objectives based on revenue targets, conversion, mystery calls and customer satisfaction surveys. Monitor team’s performance, provide coaching and training by identifying key need areas, conduct annual/mid year appraisals, recruit team members as necessary.
Managing a team of 10, I was monitoring the Catering & Events department production and established and maintained an active relationship with key accounts. Additional responsibilities included but not limited to determine selling strategies and promotions to maximize revenue, prepare the weekly/monthly/annual forecast and budget by evaluating market situation, past data and future outlook. Ensure the implementation of standards and policies on conference and banquet processes. Conduct the annual performance reviews and development plans for the team. Ensure that all enquiries are replied in between the time frame and as per the standards. Keep the Standard Operating Procedures of the department up to date and train the team accordingly. Monitoring the guest satisfaction results and work on action plans to improve customer service and maximize C&E revenue. Handling MICE bookings from enquiry to conversion and execution following the Sales cycle. Improved departmental 2015 IFH results by 32% vs 2014
Guest satisfaction score at 95% in 2015
Assist the Director of Groups, Conferences & Events Sales Manager to maximize group, conference and banqueting revenue and profit through proactive selling techniques, time management and pricing strategy. Ensure the implementation of standards and policies on conference and banquet business processes. Develop the C&E team through the coordination of an onboarding plan. Ensure the implementation of an effective selling strategy by all team members.
Supervise, train and mentor a team of 4 people, create and implement the department’s Standard Operating Procedures in accordance with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Luxury Collection European Standards and programs in order to drive operational efficiency and provide consistently high levels of customer service. Solicit new and maintain excellent relationship with existing Key accounts and local DMCs. Meet and exceed department’s revenue goals, conduct proactive Sales calls to maximize conversion ratios and demand generation. Manage all group and banqueting sales activities as well as all incoming requests on group and banquet business, trace and follow up with the Sales team. Handle all kinds of high end VIP residential and non residential events from local and international markets including Governmental entities such as the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Strong MICE performance in International conferences and Incentive groups from our key markets USA, Germany & UK. Participating in Sales strategy and other Sales related meetings. Working closely and communicating with other key operational departments to provide quality service to customers. Conduct competition checks, run weekly, monthly and yearly reports, participation at the Regional Sales Blitz weeks
Key Functions:Customer service, taking care of client's correspondence (emails, information sheets, menu cards), pre-convention, post convention, issuing of Banquet Event Orders, Pretour for groups, inputting rooming lists, menu composition, reporting, billing, Sales calls
Key Functions: Office administration (emails, information sheets, enquiries, contracts, menu cards), issuing of Banquet Event Orders, Pretour for groups, inputting rooming lists, menu composition, billing
Key Functions:Office administration (emails, information sheets, menu cards), issuing of Banquet Event Orders, Pretour for groups, inputting rooming lists, menu composition, billing
Key Functions: Reply to room availability requests via different channels (email, fax, hotel's site etc), pricing, transfer possibilities, inputting reservations in Opera PMS system, room allocation, handling reservation modifications, coordinating with F/O, Concierge, Room Service, Housekeeping, Restaurant's departments for any special client's requirements, running statistics on occupancy numbers, exchanging data, competition checks.
Key Functions:Administrative assistant at the purchasing department during the Hotel's reconstruction. Making orders for different hotel's supplies, presenting samples to the owners, keeping budget and create of essays for valuable items that were bought in various well known auctions for the hotel's decoration representative.
Key Functions: Working in all shifts, from breakfast, light lunch, High tea, bar waitress I obtained a great experience on all serving methods. Responsible of outlet set up, shift leader, track of the outlet's supplies, menu setting.
Internship in order to obtain my University Diploma on Tourism administration
University diploma in Hotel Management. Department of Management & Economics – Tourism Industries
