Catering Sales Manager

Our client, a lifestyle boutique hotel in Louisville, Kentucky is seeking a driven and relationship-focused Catering Sales Manager to generate and manage catering and social event business for the hotel. This role is responsible for proactively selling the hotel’s banquet and catering services while building strong client relationships to drive revenue through corporate meetings, social events, weddings, and private functions.

The Catering Sales Manager will oversee the full sales cycle—from prospecting and site tours to contract negotiation and event handoff to the Convention Services team—ensuring every event aligns with the hotel’s standards of excellence and guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Business Development

• Proactively identify and pursue new catering opportunities including corporate meetings, weddings, social events, and private functions.
• Develop relationships with local businesses, event planners, organizations, and community partners to generate new business.
• Respond to inbound inquiries and convert leads into confirmed events.
• Conduct property tours and presentations for prospective clients.
• Negotiate contracts and pricing while maximizing banquet and catering revenue.

Client Relationship Management

• Build strong relationships with clients to secure repeat business and referrals.
• Act as the primary sales contact throughout the booking process.
• Understand client needs and recommend appropriate event spaces, menus, and services.
• Maintain consistent communication with clients to ensure expectations are clearly understood.

Event Sales Coordination

• Prepare detailed contracts and ensure accurate documentation of event requirements.
• Collaborate with the Convention Services Manager to transition events seamlessly from sales to execution.
• Participate in pre-event meetings when necessary to ensure alignment with operations teams.

Revenue & Market Strategy

• Meet or exceed monthly and quarterly catering sales goals.
• Monitor local market trends, competitor activity, and demand patterns.
• Develop targeted sales strategies to grow catering revenue and maximize event space utilization.
• Maintain accurate sales pipeline reporting within CRM or hotel sales systems.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Work closely with Culinary, Banquets, and Operations teams to ensure successful event outcomes.
• Partner with the Marketing team to promote catering and special event opportunities.
• Support hotel-wide revenue initiatives and promotional campaigns.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in hotel catering sales, event sales, or hospitality sales.
• Strong understanding of banquet operations and catering services.
• Proven ability to generate new business and close sales.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience managing sales pipelines, proposals, and contracts.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends when needed.

Preferred Experience

• Experience selling weddings, corporate meetings, and social events in a hotel environment.
• Familiarity with hotel sales software, CRM systems, or catering/event management platforms.
• Established network of event planners or corporate clients in the Louisville market.

Ideal Candidate

• Results-driven and revenue-focused.
• Outgoing and relationship-oriented.
• Highly organized with strong follow-through.
• Passionate about hospitality and creating memorable events.