Catering & Events Manager

Job Description

Company Description El Encanto Santa Barbara is a historic luxury hillside retreat overlooking the Santa Barbara coastline, renowned for its timeless elegance and personalized service since 1918. Now independently owned, the property blends its rich heritage with thoughtful innovation and elevated guest experiences. Guests enjoy restored bungalows and suites, exceptional dining, lush gardens, and sweeping Pacific Ocean views in an intimate, resort-style setting. The team is dedicated to genuine, detail-oriented hospitality that creates meaningful connections and unforgettable moments. El Encanto offers a supportive environment for building rewarding careers in luxury hospitality, rooted in excellence, authenticity, and the spirit of Santa Barbara.

The Catering Events Manager is responsible for the organized planning, coordination, and execution of contracted social, catering, tour series, and group events at El Encanto. This role serves as a primary point of contact for clients throughout the event process and works closely with hotel departments, preferred vendors, and business partners to ensure each event is thoughtfully planned and successfully executed.

Working closely with the Director of Sales & Marketing, Sales team, Food & Beverage, Culinary, Finance, and hotel operations, the Catering Events Manager manages event details from initial inquiry and site visit through proposals, contracts, Banquet Event Orders, floorplans, billing coordination, and post-event follow-up. The position supports strong internal communication, accurate event documentation, and effective coordination of all contracted event commitments.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, service-oriented, and commercially minded, with strong communication skills and the ability to manage multiple events and deadlines in a fast-paced luxury hospitality environment. This role is expected to build positive client relationships, identify opportunities to enhance the guest experience and event revenue, and maintain a polished and professional presence throughout the planning and execution process.

Event Planning & Client Coordination

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• Manage assigned catering, social, tour series, and group events from initial inquiry post-contract through event completion and post-event follow-up.
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• Oversee all event details after contract execution, including menu tasting, BEO development, room blocks, function space, guarantees, concessions, billing requirements, timelines, and coordination with operational departments.
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• Respond to event inquiries, conduct site visits, prepare proposals and contracts, and maintain timely follow-up to support the conversion and retention of business.
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• Serve as a primary point of contact for clients before, during, and following events, ensuring clear communication, professional service, and appropriate follow-through.
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• Develop, update, and distribute Banquet Event Orders, group resumes, floorplans, menus, signage, buffet tags, meeting materials, and other event documentation.
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• Coordinate event logistics with hotel departments, preferred vendors, and clients to ensure all contracted details, timelines, and service expectations are understood and executed.
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• Maintain a visible and professional presence during assigned events and assist with resolving client or operational concerns in a timely and service-oriented manner.
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• Conduct post-event follow-up, document relevant details, and support rebooking opportunities for successful events.
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Sales, Revenue & Financial Coordination

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• Support event revenue growth by identifying appropriate upselling opportunities for food and beverage, meeting enhancements, ancillary services, and other event offerings.
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• Quote menu pricing, group rates, and event-related charges within established guidelines and prepare or finalize catering contracts as assigned.
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• Partner with Sales leaders to manage group blocks, function space, contractual commitments, concessions, and other event-related business details.
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• Serve as a liaison with sales leaders to manage group blocks, function space, contractual commitments, concessions, and other event-related business details.
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• Update GRC forecasts following menu tastings to ensure more accurate revenue projections, and communicate revised forecast numbers to the Sales Manager.
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• Continue to Monitor event revenue and related forecasts and contribute to departmental efforts to optimize catering and Food & Beverage performance.
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• Track deposits, payment schedules, billing details, commissions, and third-party charges in partnership with Finance and applicable hotel departments.
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• Review event charges and documentation for accuracy and assist with post-event reconciliation and billing follow-up.
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• Maintain awareness of event profitability and use hotel resources responsibly while supporting the overall business goals of El Encanto.
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Communication, Systems & Operational Support

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• Facilitate or participate in BEO, resume, and event-detail meetings to ensure hotel departments are informed of upcoming event requirements, changes, and priorities.
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• Maintain accurate event, group, room block, reservation, and client information in Opera and other applicable hotel systems and internal tracking tools.
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• Prepare and submit required daily, weekly, event, and post-event reports and maintain organized internal logs and event records.
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• Coordinate communication across Sales, Food & Beverage, Culinary, Front Office, Finance, Engineering, Housekeeping, Security, and other departments as needed to support event execution.
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• Maintain strong working relationships with preferred vendors and external partners and help ensure vendor activity is coordinated appropriately with hotel operations.
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• Confirm contractual obligations, event concessions, deposits, and operational commitments are documented and communicated accurately.
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• Support Sales and property-wide initiatives, special events, ownership visits, and other business priorities as assigned.
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• Identify opportunities to improve event organization, communication, documentation, and workflow while supporting consistent service standards.
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Salary Range for this Position: $80,000-$85,000 Annually