Assistant Director of Event Sales & Planning in London

The Assistant Director of Event Sales & Operations will be responsible for generating revenue within the London Conference Centre. A portion of their duties will be to prospect local organizations, establish relationships, and secure business through those relationships. Another key objective would be to assist in managing events on campus for event planning and operations. This person will also cover duties of other members of the events team while they are away on holidays/sick leave/off-site.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Sales and Marketing: Prospect, qualify and sell the London Conference Centre. Develop relationships with local businesses and associations and cultivate those relationships to drive meetings and events through the Centre. They will take inquiries, negotiate rates, prepare contracts, and follow through on all detailing of the meeting from start to finish. They will also be responsible for qualifying appropriate group inquiries and conducting site inspections, all to influence the target companies to use the Conference Centre. Market and sell the London Conference Centre to target local businesses and associations. Will be responsible for external (non-University) meetings and events.
• Event Marketing: Create and send email newsletters for promotional offers and to keep internal and external informed about changes within the events department. Engage with clients using social media and update and maintain Chicago Booth Conference Centre website.
• Event and Sales Reporting: Create and produce event and sales related reports on a monthly basis as required by supervisor. This position will have an annual revenue goal and customer satisfaction targets. Conduct in-person site inspections to introduce the facility to prospective clients. Be an ambassador to the local business community for the Booth School of Business and the University of Chicago. Maintain and enhance the University’s high reputation for quality and excellence through our facilities and services of the Conference Centre. Attend and host local hospitality industry events to cultivate clients and market the facility.
• Event Management: Manage pre-event logistics and coordination: room setup, participants’ access to venue, AV/IT requirements, budgeting and invoicing, catering, transportation and other event logistical needs with external vendors and service providers. Draft, execute and manage detailed Banquet Event Orders (BEO) for all events, as approved by individual event organizers, ensuring all tasks leading to the event are executed efficiently in a timely manner. Use all the event space on campus efficiently to maximize potential allocation for internal departments as well as revenue for the London Conference Centre. Work with Events Team to provide superior service and exceed client expectations. This will often mean being present at the event and providing any service needed on the day of the event. Administrative duties will include: Draft and execute proposals, contracts, and Banquet Event Orders (BEOs); Create and maintain client files; Create and maintain CRM and inventory software; Work with Booth Accounting on invoicing and collections; Maintain own office supplies.
• Event Operations: This person will work closely with the London events team to ensure all event details are covered to ensure a successful event for the client. This includes catering, audio visual, IT, AV, cleaning, labour, and any other needs are planned out and met. There will be a portion of the job where you will be working early mornings, late nights, and weekends to support event operations. Occasional travel within and outside of Europe for meetings and to support events. They will liaise with each internal and external vendor to ensure a high level of service and that each of the standard operating procedures (SOP) are implemented. The ideal candidate will be able to move furniture to set/reset the room for events (tables, chairs, poser tables etc). The ability is preferred but not essential (Manual handling training will be provided). This person will be expected to perform basic security duties such as opening/closing the campus as well as escorting people off premises (training will be provided). This person will be able to assist clients with basic IT requirements (training will be provided).

Measurement of Success

• Achieve annual sales goals by actively seeking new clients and maintaining existing ones.
• Positive feedback from clients (Internal and external) on a regular basis.
• Meeting the Service Level Agreements approved by Associate Director of Sales; Show ability to work efficiently with minimal direction and to anticipate issues and problems; Meet event project deadlines and targets.
• Positive feedback from supervisor.

Reporting Relationships

Reports to Director, London Conference Centre. Direct Reports – None but will supervise external vendors and event service providers.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• A university degree preferred (but not essential) with work experience in a similar role.
• Knowledge of event booking software (Amadeus, Opera, Delphi or similar) is preferred.
• Knowledge of creating BEO (Banquet Event Order), communicating to vendors, and running BEO meetings is preferred.
• Experience of working a minimum of 2 years within the London hospitality industry (hotel or conference centre) is preferred.
• Experience in working in an event sales environment and issuing quotations, contracts, invoicing, is preferred.
• Experience in managing multiple conference room inventory is essential.
• Excellent organizational skills, initiative, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.
• Fluent English, excellent communication skills, oral and written.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word, PPT) and Adobe preferred.
• Must be able to work legally in the UK on a permanent basis.
• Must be a self-starter and self-motivated individual.
• Ability to project a professional image (including dress code) in all interactions with clients, vendors, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to work flexible hours according to business demands, sometimes on short notice.
• Ability to handle stressful and demanding situations without disruption of efficiency, service or professional demeanor.
• Previous experience in a similar administration and operational role essential.
• Excellent interpersonal and public relations skills. Superb people skills with the ability to build rapport over the phone, in person and in writing.
• Must have deep knowledge of the local business community as far as who produces meetings and events and where they currently take place, i.e. competition.

Salary and Benefits

The salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition to salary, the Chicago Booth London Campus offers an attractive benefits package including 25 days holiday per year (plus 8).