Events Director

Role : Director of Events and Guest Relations

Reports To : Director of Operations Big Sky

Direct Reports : Reservations and Events

Classification : Exempt

Key Relationships : General Managers, Executive Chefs, Apres Cru

The Director of Events and Guest Relations serves as internal and external point of contact for all events and guest reservations within Apres Cru Restaurants. All inquiries for reservation inquiries of any size flow through their department and their team works to find the best options based on the needs of the guests.

They are responsible for running their department as a business within a business through forecasting, proactive outreach to generating inquiries, marketing the venues, cross sell venues, maximizing seating and revenue opportunities, managing waitlists, creating P&L’s, budgets, reports and analytics for their events.

The Guest Relations department is also the first point of contact for many of our guests and through their leadership the entire team embodies a culture of hospitality and finds creative opportunities to wow our guests. They are responsible for building profiles and preferences for our guests and ensuring that the restaurants have all the necessary details to exceed the guests expectation.

On the catering and events side, they will keep all event materials current, maintain guest databases, and ensure that triple seat and Open Table are sharing information for guests to elevate the level of hospitality. They are the liaison for guests, the kitchen and managers holding the guests hands through the planning phases, liaising with third party vendors and sharing detailed information with the venue for all events and following up with guests to ensure their complete satisfaction.

Guest Relations

Bring to life the Apres Cru values through every guest interaction and setting front line employees up for success in personalizing our guest experience.

Guide the Guest Relations Teams and Events Teams to ensure teams embody the warmth and graciousness that is the Hospitality hallmark with the common goal of exceeding guest expectations in every phone or email interaction.

• Oversee the hiring, training and developing a Reservations Department that is technically proficient in each restaurant’s reservation system .
• Drive top line through reservations, maximization of the book, and wait lists.
• Establish a system for building out guest profiles through conversations with guests, google, and social media to help our teams find unique opportunities to connect with our guests and personalize their experience.
• Establish systems for communicating pertinent guest information to each restaurant’s front door team so that a guest’s experience, from the phones to the front door, is seamless
• Maintain proper staffing levels at all times to ensure restaurants are supported and the department does not incur overtime
• Develop process of confirming reservations and actively utilize each restaurant’s waitlist to maximize our books and accommodate our guests
• Collaborate with Front Door Managers to proactively and continuously fine tune Open Table
• Support Private Dining Room Managers in fielding event inquiries to grow private dining business
• Share forecasts, highlight revenue driving opportunities, and best practices across restaurants.
• Hold employees accountable to all standards and practices, coach and discipline when necessary
• Manage creation and distribution of daily guest detail reports to restaurants
• Assist restaurant management teams in responding to guest feedback (Open Table, Google, Yelp, Facebook, Trip Advisor)
• Event Sales and Coordination

Actively involved in the sales, planning, communication and execution of all catering and private events.

Business Acumen

Hospitality and Leadership

Additional Skills and Responsibilities :

Preferred Experience :