Catering Sales Manager - Dollywood Resorts - Exempt

At Dollywood Parks & Resorts, we create memories worth repeating. We do this every day at Dollywood Resorts, which include over 600 rooms and 15 Food & Beverage outlets, all located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Our future plans include growing our resort footprint to over 1200 rooms across five resorts at Dollywood.

Ask anyone who has visited Dollywood Parks & Resorts, and they will tell you this place is different. It’s not a difference you can touch or see - it’s a difference you can feel. We are seeking a Catering Sales Manager for Dollywood Resorts who will embody the heart and soul of our mission of creating memories worth repeating while caring deeply about our brand.

We want to work alongside someone who acts as an extension of our mission, values, and culture. This individual is driven to create meaningful experiences for our hosts, guests, and community while ensuring the success and profitability of our unique offerings. They also bring fun, authenticity, collaboration, creativity, and genuine hospitality to their life and work. We seek an individual who can bring the vision of the resorts to life. The right Catering Sales Manager checklist will include equal parts curious learner, innovator, administrator, detail driver, mentor, and motivator.

In this role, you will be accountable for the overall catering sales success across the Dollywood Resorts campus, currently DreamMore Resort & Spa and, HeartSong Lodge & Resort. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two (2) years of catering sales for upscale hotel & resort properties, preferably with large meeting and event facilities.

Summary of Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Prospect, negotiate and generate definite business working through the appropriate hospitality channels such as phone calls, sales system data base on past business/existing maintenance accounts, daily follow up with RFP requests through CVENT and direct internal channels, referrals, event follow up, and other means to find qualifying business for the resorts
• Responsible for planning, executing and managing all the details for each meeting/event booked
• Finalize BEO’s and resumes and attend weekly BEO meeting with operational departments
• Attend hospitality related industry events specifically to identify new potential business
• Plan and conduct site visits with clients that best represent and showcases our resorts and overall brand
• Actively participate with industry (SMWA, Wedding Professional, NYP) and local organizations to generate leads for the resort
• Daily communication with key accounts, decision makers to identify future business for both resorts. Engage in relationship building with those accounts to ensure proper follow up on an ongoing basis
• Respond to all inquiries in a timely matter and ensure the client receives the best customer care that exceeds their expectations
• Assist with the development of key action plans that align with our overall core values and sales and catering goals
• Attend daily, weekly and monthly department meetings and participate in other resort core culture events
• Prepare weekly report to highlight sales activities and review with the team to ensure set goals are met. Track monthly production towards quarterly catering sales goals set forth by the Area Director of Sales
• Has a thorough understanding of resort facilities & amenities, Dollywood Park offerings and ability to effectively communicate the entire brand experience to potential clients. Conduct tours of property to potential guests/clients and entertain them on property during site inspections and pre-planning trips when appropriate. Complete required site forms to alert the hotel of the tours.
• Ability to access and understand internal sales system (delphi.fdc), and Salesforce
• Maintain current knowledge of comp set, changes in the market/area to best position our resorts to the clients
• Ability to work in a team environment, share best practices, train, encourage and support our hosts
• Communicate effectively with our resort team, especially food & beverage, event technology, and operational departments to ensure the success of each group booked
• Conduct meet and greet with clients and coordinate handover to Director of Banquets and/or Banquet Manager
• Collaborate with catering and sales team to develop marketing plans, budget analysis and menu
• Assists marketing through monthly/weekly updates of wedding websites and social media with photographs, testimonials, and special promotions
• Conduct post-event evaluations to determine how future events could be improved

Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time.

Education and Experience Required

• Minimum two (2) years of upscale hotel and resort catering sales preferred but not required
• Good working knowledge of Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, and CRM system preferred
• Must possess strong communication, listening, facilitation and problem-solving skills, computer skills and financial acumen
• Ability to analyze, forecast data, and make judgments to ensure proper business is booked

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must display and live out Lead with Love qualities strongly rooted in the Dollywood Company culture by being patient, kind, humble, respectful, selfless, forgiving, honest, and committed
• Able to make a friendly impression when speaking to or corresponding with guests, vendors, and other employees
• Must reflect Dollywood’s image by being genuinely friendly and caring and by taking pride in work
• Must be self-motivated and disciplined
• Must be able to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis
• Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information
• Must be committed to continuous improvement
• Must have professional appearance with good personal hygiene
• Must promote and support a “team” work environment by cooperating and helping co-workers
• Must be able to be productive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Must maintain dependable work attendance and flexibility with assigned work schedules including any required overtime, evenings, weekends and holidays
• Must be sensitive to the needs of our Guests and feel empowered to act to meet their needs within company guidelines
• Must be able to utilize effective communication, problem solving, conflict management and interpersonal skills
• Must show appreciation of others
• Able to get along with other employees to work out problems and resolve conflicts
• Able to comprehend instructions and retain information
• Able to perform duties consistently while creating a safe and secure environment for hosts and guests
• Able to be flexible and handle frequent changes in priorities
• Able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with accuracy
• Able to communicate effectively using standard English grammar and punctuation
• Able to tolerate various temperatures while working outdoors
• Must have a valid TN Driver’s License with current automobile insurance and be able to drive company vehicles as required
• Must successfully complete a background check including motor vehicle and pre-employment drug screen
• Able to meet the physical demands of the job

The Dollywood Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. The Dollywood Company drives a welcoming culture where ideas and decisions from all people support our efforts to be relevant in an ever-changing world.