Event Sales Manager

Position Summary

A premier upscale restaurant group is seeking a dynamic and results-driven Event Sales Manager to generate private dining, special event, catering, and full restaurant buyout business across its portfolio of restaurants and event spaces.

This position is ideal for a polished hospitality sales professional who combines a passion for restaurants and events with a strong ability to prospect, build relationships, close business, and consistently achieve revenue goals .

The Event Sales Manager will manage the complete sales cycle—from initial inquiry and proactive business development through proposals, contracting, event planning, operational handoff, and post-event follow-up.

The successful candidate will work closely with restaurant General Managers, Executive Chefs, culinary teams, operations, marketing, and senior leadership to create memorable events while maximizing revenue and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

Event Sales & Revenue Generation

• Drive private dining and special event revenue across assigned restaurants and event spaces.
• Proactively identify, prospect, and secure new event business.
• Respond to inbound event inquiries quickly and professionally.
• Qualify leads and convert opportunities into confirmed business.
• Sell private dining rooms, semi-private spaces, restaurant buyouts, catering, and off-site events.
• Develop customized proposals based on client objectives, budget, guest count, and event style.
• Negotiate pricing, food and beverage minimums, room fees, packages, and contract terms.
• Consistently achieve or exceed individual and departmental sales goals.
• Maximize revenue through strategic upselling of premium menus, beverage packages, enhancements, and additional services.
• Identify opportunities to increase event revenue during need periods and maximize utilization of available event spaces.

Business Development

• Build a strong pipeline of new corporate, social, and hospitality business.
• Conduct proactive outreach to corporations, executive assistants, event planners, agencies, wedding planners, concierge teams, luxury hotels, local businesses, and other potential partners.
• Develop relationships with key decision-makers and high-value accounts.
• Attend networking events, industry functions, tastings, and community events to generate leads.
• Establish strategic referral partnerships with venues, hotels, planners, entertainment companies, and complementary hospitality businesses.
• Maintain relationships with previous clients to generate repeat and referral business.
• Develop account strategies for high-potential corporate and social clients.

Private Dining & Special Events

Generate business across a broad range of events, including:

• Corporate dinners and receptions
• Executive meetings
• Client entertainment
• Holiday parties
• Weddings and rehearsal dinners
• Engagement celebrations
• Birthdays and anniversaries
• Cocktail receptions
• Product launches
• Brand activations
• Fashion and entertainment events
• Influencer and media events
• Nonprofit and fundraising events
• Full restaurant buyouts
• VIP dining experiences
• Off-site catering and special events

Client Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary sales contact from initial inquiry through final event planning.
• Conduct restaurant tours, site visits, tastings, and client presentations.
• Develop creative event concepts that align with each client's vision and budget.
• Build strong relationships through responsive, personalized communication.
• Maintain detailed records of client preferences, history, and future opportunities.
• Follow up after events to ensure satisfaction and secure repeat business.
• Handle high-profile and VIP clients with professionalism and discretion.

Event Planning & Operational Coordination

• Translate confirmed business into accurate operational details.
• Prepare contracts, proposals, event orders, menus, timelines, floor plans, and related documentation.
• Communicate guest counts, menus, beverage selections, setup requirements, entertainment, audiovisual needs, décor, and special requests.
• Partner closely with General Managers, Executive Chefs, beverage teams, and restaurant operations.
• Conduct detailed event handoffs and participate in pre-event meetings.
• Attend key events when appropriate to ensure client satisfaction and strengthen relationships.
• Ensure commitments made during the sales process can be executed successfully by the restaurant team.

Food & Beverage Sales

• Maintain strong knowledge of each restaurant's menus, culinary concepts, wine programs, cocktails, and beverage offerings.
• Collaborate with culinary leadership to develop customized menus and elevated dining experiences.
• Confidently sell premium food and beverage packages.
• Understand food and beverage minimums, pricing strategy, service charges, rental fees, and event profitability.
• Maintain awareness of dietary restrictions, allergies, and special menu requirements.
• Stay current on culinary, beverage, entertainment, and event trends.

Sales Pipeline & Forecasting

• Maintain an organized and accurate event sales pipeline.
• Track inquiries, tentative business, definite business, lost business, conversion rates, and future opportunities.
• Maintain accurate client and event information within the CRM and event-management system.
• Prepare weekly and monthly sales activity and revenue reports.
• Participate in sales, forecasting, and revenue strategy meetings.
• Monitor pace and identify opportunities to drive incremental revenue.
• Maintain accurate forecasts for upcoming event revenue.

Marketing & Partnerships

• Collaborate with Marketing to promote private dining, catering, holiday events, and restaurant buyouts.
• Assist with developing event packages, promotional materials, and sales collateral.
• Support email campaigns, digital marketing, social media, and other initiatives designed to generate event leads.
• Participate in hosted events, showcases, tastings, and industry networking opportunities.
• Help position the restaurant group as a preferred destination for corporate and social events.

Qualifications

Required

• 3–5+ years of event sales, catering sales, private dining, restaurant sales, or hospitality sales experience.
• Previous experience within an upscale restaurant group, luxury hotel, catering company, or premium event venue strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of achieving or exceeding sales and revenue goals.
• Strong proactive prospecting and business-development skills.
• Experience selling private dining, restaurant buyouts, corporate events, and social events.
• Excellent presentation, negotiation, and closing skills.
• Strong understanding of restaurant and Food & Beverage operations.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple clients and events simultaneously.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Professional and polished client-facing presence.
• Experience with CRM and event-management systems.
• Flexibility to attend evening, weekend, and holiday events as business requires.

Preferred

• Multi-unit restaurant group experience.
• Established relationships within the local corporate and event-planning community.
• High-end or fine-dining restaurant experience.
• Catering and off-premise event sales experience.
• Strong wine, spirits, and culinary knowledge.
• Experience with Tripleseat, SevenRooms, Delphi, Social Tables, or comparable event and CRM platforms .
• Experience working with high-profile, luxury, entertainment, fashion, or corporate clientele.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a true hospitality salesperson —someone who is equally passionate about generating revenue and creating exceptional guest experiences.

This individual should be comfortable making proactive sales calls in the morning, conducting a corporate site tour in the afternoon, collaborating with an Executive Chef on a customized menu, negotiating a restaurant buyout, and attending an important client event that evening.

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly motivated and revenue-driven.
• Naturally outgoing and relationship-oriented.
• Persistent and confident in proactive prospecting.
• Polished and sophisticated with clients.
• Passionate about restaurants, food, wine, and hospitality.
• Creative when developing event experiences.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized.
• Comfortable managing multiple restaurant concepts and event spaces.
• Skilled at converting inquiries into confirmed business.
• Focused on developing long-term relationships rather than one-time transactions.

Success in This Role

Performance will be measured through:

• Achievement of individual and departmental event sales goals.
• Growth of private dining and event revenue.
• New account acquisition.
• Lead-to-booking conversion.
• Repeat and referral business.
• Growth of key corporate accounts.
• Accurate forecasting and pipeline management.
• Event profitability.
• Client satisfaction and retention.
• Strength of relationships with restaurant operations and culinary teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Commission and/or performance-based incentive opportunity
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off
• 401(k), where applicable
• Restaurant and dining discounts
• Professional development opportunities
• Expense reimbursement for approved business-development activities
• Career advancement opportunities within a growing restaurant group

This is an excellent opportunity for a high-energy Event Sales Manager who understands both hospitality and sales to develop significant private dining and special event business across a portfolio of upscale restaurants.