Assistant Groups and Events Manager

The Mercure & Ibis London Earls Court hotel is a newly renovated property in Southwest London. The property is a large conferencing & group hotel comprising a total of 508 keys, across two distinct brands within Accor, Mercure & Ibis. As the property is a combo there are 282 Mercure rooms & 226 Ibis rooms. The London Suite is the main ballroom for all types of events, extremely versatile and plays a pivotal role in the property’s overall performance. The London Suite is divisible into nine separate meeting rooms, which when combined can be one of the largest pillar-free spaces in London for events up to 1,200 guests. The F&B outlets in the property have been created by PARIS SOCIETY. The F&B space named Barnaby’s is perfect for social events and either the Barnaby’s Kitchen or Barnaby’s Lounge Bar can be semi or completely privatised for groups, events or additional catering / meeting space for larger residential bookings and functions.  

Our promise is caring and impeccable service. We nurture real passion for service and achievement beyond limits. 

Our mission is to make the impossible possible to realise your dreams. 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Assistant Events & Groups Manager supports the Senior Events & Groups Manager in the day-to-day management, supervision and development of the Events & Groups team. This role acts as a key support between the Senior Manager and the Events & Groups Executives/Coordinators, helping to ensure enquiries are handled efficiently, proposals are issued on time, business is converted and contracted correctly, and all event planning information is communicated accurately to the hotel operations team. Previous team Management experience preferred.

The Assistant Events & Groups Manager will help coach and support the Events & Groups team, acting as a point of guidance for daily questions, workload prioritisation, standards, systems and customer service delivery. They will lead by example in enquiry handling, conversion, planning, upselling and attention to detail.

The role requires strong organisational skills, commercial awareness, excellent communication and a proactive approach to supporting both the team and the client journey from initial enquiry through to post-event follow-up.

They will assist the Director of Sales & Marketing to energise and drive the team with closing days, demand generation weeks and other sales initiatives. There will be a focus on driving standards across the team which includes but not limited to; BEOs quality, maintaining & evolving E-proposals/proposals, data tracking (promotions & cross sells) and financials - post masters (PM’s), deposits payments & schedules and monthly hotel credit meetings.  The Senior Events & Groups Manager will provide excellent customer service during every element of the event or group enquiry process, taking the initial enquiry, negotiating rates, contracting and pre – event, during event and post event planning.

They will need to be dynamic and have good attention to detail coupled with strong selling, negotiation & organisational skills. Good communication skills are required to coordinate with relevant hotel departments as well as the customer to ensure a seamless and consistent high level of service throughout the sales & event cycle. They will recognise opportunities to maximize revenue through upselling, conversion, and drive repeat business. The Senior Events and Groups Manager takes personal responsibility to adhere to sales and event brand standards for enquiry handling, event planning, pre & post-event.

Duties:

• Deputise as Groups and Events Manager in the absence of the Senior Groups and Events Manager

• Support the day-to-day supervision, coaching and development of the Events & Groups team, ensuring enquiries are distributed, prioritised, followed up and converted effectively.

• Review turned-down enquiries and identify opportunities to create alternative offers, including different dates, flexible packages, adjusted room hire, minimum spend options, bedroom allocations or revised catering proposals.

• Review cancelled and lost business opportunities, identifying alternative solutions, future opportunities and conversion strategies to maximise revenue and retention. Contact clients to re-open the conversation and explore future event opportunities at the property.

• Work with the Senior Events & Groups Manager and Commercial Office Manager to identify need periods, black-out dates, quiet dates and tactical opportunities where the Events & Groups team can proactively generate demand, and assist in creating the M&E Strategy and communicating strategic changes over the Meeting and Events team

• Support proactive sales activity by reaching out to past clients, agents and event organisers with relevant offers, seasonal packages, availability updates and new event opportunities.

• Review lost business reports and identify trends, competitor feedback, pricing objections or date flexibility that could help improve future conversion.

• Amend, create and design templates for the team to utilise when quoting and responding back to clients                                                                       

• Support the Senior Events & Groups Manager in the daily supervision of the Events & Groups team, helping to ensure enquiries are distributed, followed up and converted effectively.

• Act as a first point of support for Events & Groups Executives/Coordinators with daily queries, workload management, client communication, proposals, contracts and event planning requirements.

• Handle own portfolio of events and group enquiries, including taking initial enquiries, preparing proposals, negotiating rates, issuing contracts, collecting deposits and coordinating pre-event details.

• Support the Senior Events & Groups Manager with complex or high-value enquiries, VIP events, large groups, multi-day events, city-wide demand, sporting events, awards dinners, buyouts and other key opportunities.

• Assist with the checking and distribution of BEOs to ensure all operational departments receive accurate and timely event information, especially in absence of Event Co-ordinator

• Attend, support and (where required) lead BEO meeting in the absence of the Senior Events & Groups Manager.

• Ensure BEOs are completed to a high standard, with accurate details relating to timings, room setup, catering, AV, accommodation, billing, special requests and client expectations.

• Work closely with hotel operations, including F&B, kitchen, front office, reservations, finance and housekeeping, to ensure smooth event and group delivery.

• Support the team in identifying upselling opportunities across bedrooms, meeting rooms, catering, AV, private dining, packages, upgrades and additional hotel services.

• Help maximise revenue by supporting conversion, cross-selling, upselling and repeat business opportunities.

• Assist in maintaining and improving e-proposals, standard proposal templates, menus, packages and sales collateral used by the Events & Groups team.

• Support the management of financial processes, including deposits, payment schedules, PM accounts, billing instructions and client credit requirements.

• Support with the creation and amendment of Delphi reporting to ensure accurate records

• Maintain accurate records in Delphi and other hotel systems, ensuring all activities, notes, contracts, BEOs and financial information are updated correctly.

• Assist with monthly credit meetings and support the team in ensuring outstanding balances, deposits and payment schedules are followed up correctly.

• Help track team performance against monthly, quarterly and yearly targets relating to catering revenue, room hire, group room nights and total event revenue, through weekly BOB Meetings and Updating trackers

• Support the Senior Events & Groups Manager and Commercial Office Manager with sales initiatives, black-out dates, demand generation activity and promotional campaigns.

• Provide coaching and guidance to the Events & Groups team, supporting training, best practice sharing and continuous improvement.

• Support team meetings, BOB meetings, BEO meetings, weekly catch-ups and performance reviews where required.

• Ensure all client communication is professional, timely and aligned with hotel standards.

• Build strong client relationships and deliver excellent customer service throughout the full event and group journey: enquiry, proposal, contract, planning, event delivery and post-event follow-up.

• Support the Senior Events & Groups Manager in maintaining brand standards for enquiry handling, event planning, pre-event communication and post-event feedback.

• Handle client challenges or operational issues professionally, escalating to the Senior Events & Groups Manager when required.

• Assist in resolving client concerns and operational challenges promptly and professionally, escalating where appropriate.

• Support regular team meetings, business-on-the-books reviews, performance discussions and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support the maintenance of Accor brand standards and departmental procedures across enquiry handling, event planning, event delivery and post-event feedback processes.

PERKS FOR YOU

• Competitive salary
• Entitle of 28 holiday days (bank holidays included) 
• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates in Accor Hotels worldwide
• Develop your talent through learning programs by the Academy Accor
• Free Bonus Breaks Voucher
• Friends & Family Rates
• Eye Test Vouchers
• Private Healthcare 
• Opportunity to grow within your property and across the world
• Friendly working Environment
• Ability to contribute to the local community and make a difference through our Corporate Social Responsibility activities, like Planet 21

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK