Events Sales Manager

About Us

Dawn Ranch is a natural preserve and boutique hotel destination nestled riverside at the edge of Guerneville in Sonoma’s wine-rich Russian River Valley. The cottage-style hotel and event venue offer an authentic, historic, and unique Sonoma wine country escape among 22 acres of ancient giant redwoods, native meadows, and vintage apple trees. The hotel also features unique wellness experiences including a premium spa which offers outdoor baths, massages, and body treatments. Other activities include yoga, meditation, and perfume-making. Dawn Ranch’s food program balances elevated cuisine with casual excellence, from fine dining at the Lodge overseen by Chef Fernando Trocca to picnics overlooking the roiling Pacific Ocean. Local ingredients from the fertile valley make our varied cuisine an emerging staple of Northern California fare. Dawn Ranch is the perfect destination to co-create luxury and inspiration in Sonoma.

About the Role:

Are you a dynamic sales professional with a passion for crafting unforgettable social events and weddings in a luxurious resort setting? Dawn Ranch is seeking an experienced and results-driven Sales & Events Manager to join our team. This role offers the opportunity to drive sales for a variety of social events and weddings throughout the year, maximizing revenues during peak times and filling gaps during quieter periods. Reporting to the Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing, as the Sales & Events Manager you will play a pivotal role in driving sales for weddings and social events throughout the year. As part of the Bridgeton family, you'll not only contribute to our success but also enjoy the opportunity to participate in a range of benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance, paid time off, hotel discounts, and regular support and connection with a dedicated corporate team.

Pay Rate: Salary: $65,000 to $75,000 range + commission.

This is a hybrid role, including WFH and some on-site at Dawn Ranch

Essential Duties:

• Handle a high volume of inquiries via email and phone calls.
• Establish and maintain professional connections with new clients while managing existing relationships.
• Field questions, provide detailed information about our services, and schedule virtual and in-person meetings.
• Act as a point of contact for clients, addressing inquiries promptly and professionally.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for social events and weddings, leveraging your expertise in luxury resort sales, hospitality, and/or hotel sales.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with new and existing clients to drive sales and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Develop and implement a strategic sales plan to attract and secure a diverse range of social events and weddings.
• Coordinate with clients to book guest rooms, resort meeting and event spaces, food & beverage, and rentals.

Adaptability and Professional Response:

• Successfully navigate changing situations with clients, responding with accurate and detailed information.
• Demonstrate flexibility in meeting client needs while ensuring alignment with Dawn Ranch capabilities.
• Handle requests for detailed information with a high level of professionalism.
• Provide exceptional customer service by addressing client inquiries and requests in a timely and professional manner.
• Respond to customer inquiries and requests in a timely manner and assist with resolving any issues that may arise.
• Prepare quotes and proposals for customers and manage the pricing and approval process.

Office Environment Management:

• Work within an open office environment, collaborating with colleagues from various departments.
• Stay focused and driven in a multitasking environment, balancing client calls and business closings.
• Maintain a high level of professionalism in interactions with both clients and colleagues.

Collaboration with Other Departments:

• Work closely with the Food & Beverage Director to coordinate event logistics and ensure seamless service.
• Collaborate with the Event Venue Manager/Sales Coordinator to optimize event planning and execution.
• Collaborate closely within all various hotel departments to ensure seamless event execution and customer satisfaction.

Technical Skills:

• Possess a proficient understanding and ability to use Microsoft Office 365 for effective communication and documentation.
• Utilize your proficiency in working with third-party platforms such as Wedding Wire, The Knot, Sonoma County Tourism Hospitality Hub to enhance Dawn Ranch's online presence and drive leads.
• Prepare comprehensive sales reports and maintain accurate customer data to drive future sales strategies using the provided sales systems.

Other Essential Duties:

• Ability to use repetitive hand and body motions such as grasping, writing, typing, listening, hearing, and visual acuity.
• Role may require the ability to drive a motor vehicle, stand, walk, sit, talk, talk on a telephone or mobile device, carry a laptop (including while traveling), use a computer for a significant amount of time each day, to hear, and to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.

Specific Requirements of this Role:

• Proven experience in luxury resort sales, hospitality, or hotel sales, with a comprehensive understanding of the weddings and events market.
• Ability to work both remotely and on-site in a fast-paced environment at Dawn Ranch, including conducting property tours, organizing tastings, and meeting with Wedding and Event Planners.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, essential for building and maintaining strong relationships with clients and partners.
• Accurate and complete use of all sales tools including CRM, PMS, and all other systems, administrative duties, including but not limited to word processing, account management, presentation preparation, and client follow-up.
• Respond, sell, & close all leads for Weddings & SMERF events, in addition but not limited to leads from the Dawn Ranch website, Wedding Wire and/or The Knot.
• Generate new business, close deals, and increase revenue by conducting customer sales calls, presentations, on-site tours & tastings, and community networking.
• Establish and grow the hotel’s market share by developing and maintaining relationships with major groups and catering clients.
• Compile and analyze weekly and month end reports, review and implement action plans to address market share penetration. Provide annual data and completion of Weddings/Celebrations segment of annual sales & marketing plan.
• Maintain files on major active accounts within the market segment.
• Prepare and complete Estimates within Event Temple, correspondences, communications, presentations, and updating systems to reflect contract terms and negotiated room rates. Review all with the Food & Beverage Director prior to submitting to clients.
• Process reservations, expense reports, invoices, billing information for accounting, confirmations, cancellations, and special requests.
• Identify new business leads by examining local market trends and competition activities and provide feedback to the Corporate Director of Sales.
• Assist Corporate Director of Sales and Graphics Designer as needed for creation of event specific marketing.
• Support the Corporate Director of Sales in preparing the department budget and the hotel’s overall sales goals and strategies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Associates’s degree in hotel management, business, marketing, or related field of work, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.
• At least 2 years of sales and marketing experience at the corporate, resort and/or hotel level.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Experience with Event Temple, and Wedding wire is a plus.
• Knowledge of industry sales and marketing practices.
• Experience with property management systems and central reservation systems.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel and Word.

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: Company is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Company are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Company will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics and encourages applicants of all ages.