What does a convention services manager do?
Convention services manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real convention services manager resumes:
- Lead vendor RFP's and consolidation of exhibit properties.
- Create RFP's, managing the services of suppliers and vendors.
- Negotiate food and beverage prices, function space, and hotel services within approve departmental booking guidelines.
- Revise each BEO as required.
- Create banquet/catering forecasts and booking pace reports.
- Plan menus, wine lists, event calendars, rooming lists.
- Calculate tradeshow ROI and determine how to improve each successive conference.
- Execute BEOS as pertaining to the private dining room in the Marriott restaurant.
- Solicit and negotiate bids from venues and service providers to maximize client ROI.
- Oversee and review all group-relate BEO's while participating in the daily BEO meetings.
- Design elaborate food and beverage/theme events, including food and wine pairings, and specialize menus.
- Document and distribute convention resumes and BEOs; update and communicate convention changes to various hotel departments.
- Coordinate with sales team and culinary team to ensure that customers are deliver exactly what they are promise.
- Work closely with reservations to make sure rooming lists are process before cut-off date and contract room nights are meet.
- Book corporate meetings and events to prepare contract and several correspondences for definite, tentative & prospecting clients using Delphi.
Convention services manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Convention Services Managers are proficient in Convention Services, Audio Visual, and Reservations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Detail oriented, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Convention Services Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Convention Services, 10%
Created and implemented the first-ever convention services standard operation procedures manual reducing 50% of internal operational errors.
- Audio Visual, 8%
Generate additional revenues selling audio visual equipment/ services, Internet services, transportation arrangements.
- Reservations, 8%
Monitored reservations and anticipated room overflow to coordinate alternate reservations and transportation for guests.
- Meeting Rooms, 6%
Communicate with hotel Sales Department in coordinating and reserving meeting rooms for corporate meetings and meal functions.
- Banquet Event Orders, 6%
Demonstrated effective communication by generating banquet event orders, group resumes and personal thank notes.
- Event Planning, 6%
Used event planning skills to help clients achieve meeting goals and stay within budget.
"convention services," "audio visual," and "reservations" are among the most common skills that convention services managers use at work. You can find even more convention services manager responsibilities below, including:
Business skills. The most essential soft skill for a convention services manager to carry out their responsibilities is business skills. This skill is important for the role because "food service managers must understand all aspects of the restaurant business, including how to budget for supplies, comply with regulations, and manage workers." Additionally, a convention services manager resume shows how their duties depend on business skills: "coordinate, plan, and evaluate on-site visits, events, and meetings for groups and/or potential affiliate business. "
Physical stamina. convention services managers are also known for physical stamina, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to convention services manager responsibilities, because "managers often work long shifts and sometimes spend entire evenings actively helping to serve customers." A convention services manager resume example shows how physical stamina is used in the workplace: "organized approximately 50 corporate events per physical year. "
Customer-service skills. For certain convention services manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "customer-service skills." The day-to-day duties of a convention services manager rely on this skill, as "food service managers must be courteous and attentive when dealing with patrons." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what convention services managers do: "monitored all contractual agreements pertaining to meeting space, guest room accommodations, food and beverage and special concession. "
Leadership skills. Another common skill required for convention services manager responsibilities is "leadership skills." This skill comes up in the duties of convention services managers all the time, as "managers must establish good relationships with staff to maintain a productive work environment." An excerpt from a real convention services manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a convention services manager does: "demonstrated leadership by successfully managing grass root marketing, annual budgeting, menu planning, and competitive surveys. "
Organizational skills. Another skill commonly found on convention services manager job descriptions is "organizational skills." It can come up quite often in convention services manager duties, since "managers have many different responsibilities, including scheduling and overseeing staff, budgeting, and maintaining financial records." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day convention services manager responsibilities: "collaborated with operational teams to ensure cohesiveness and support while aligning regional sales efforts with organizational goals. "
The three companies that hire the most convention services managers are:
- Aimbridge Hospitality24 convention services managers jobs
- Allied Universal
16 convention services managers jobs
- Hyatt Hotels5 convention services managers jobs
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Compare different convention services managers
Convention services manager vs. Planning committee member
The role of planning committee members is to assist with designing and implementing an educational activity. They need to ensure that the leadership gives the continuing education (CE) developer enough time to complete the CE process. They are responsible for establishing a planning committee and maintaining access to all confirmed presenters and planners. Planning committee members are also responsible for meeting deadlines for submitting CE documents and clarifying any issues with the proposed CE documents.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between convention services managers and planning committee member. For instance, convention services manager responsibilities require skills such as "convention services," "audio visual," "reservations," and "meeting rooms." Whereas a planning committee member is skilled in "safety committee," "community outreach," "financial statements," and "alumni." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Planning committee members tend to reach higher levels of education than convention services managers. In fact, planning committee members are 10.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.6% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Convention services manager vs. Manager and event coordinator
An event director or director of the event is responsible for organizing a successful execution of an event. This job is demanding and involves a varied range of tasks and obligations, from planning and overseeing the cast and crew recruited, supervise training for effective execution of the event. They manage how to effectively deal with people from staff and crew to sponsors, and talents, especially in tight schedules and difficult circumstances. Moreover, the event director is the representative of the event when dealing with the benefactors of the event, media group for promotion coverage, and people outside the industry.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that convention services manager responsibilities requires skills like "convention services," "audio visual," "reservations," and "meeting rooms." But a manager and event coordinator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "payroll," "event coordination," and "facebook."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Managers and event coordinator tend to reach similar levels of education than convention services managers. In fact, they're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Convention services manager vs. Director of events
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, convention services managers are more likely to have skills like "convention services," "reservations," "meeting rooms," and "banquet event orders." But a director of events is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "event management," "booking," and "crm."
Directors of events make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $71,076. On the other hand, convention services managers are paid the highest salary in the hospitality industry, with average annual pay of $53,979.When it comes to education, directors of events tend to earn similar degree levels compared to convention services managers. In fact, they're 3.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Convention services manager vs. Party coordinator
Even though a few skill sets overlap between convention services managers and party coordinators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a convention services manager might have more use for skills like "convention services," "audio visual," "reservations," and "meeting rooms." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of party coordinators require skills like "kids," "cpr," "allergies," and "pos. "
The average resume of party coordinators showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to convention services managers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.5%.Types of convention services manager
Updated January 8, 2025
