How to hire a director of conference services and catering

How to hire a director of conference services and catering, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of conference services and catering hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of conference services and catering job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of conference services and catering
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The director of conference services and catering hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of conference services and catering's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of conference services and catering from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of conference services and catering salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Conference Services And Catering	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Conference Services And Catering	Meeting, convention, and event planners coordinate all aspects of events and professional meetings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.	$24-63
   Event Coordinator	An event coordinator is responsible for planning and working out on special events based on the client's specifications. Event coordinators' duties include suggesting appropriate venues, providing cost estimates and financial reports, selecting best vendors for the event's needs, and working on the client's approval for any adjustments to be made... Show more	$14-26
   Special Events Coordinator	A special events coordinator is in charge of organizing and devising plans for an event, even monitoring all progress to ensure everything is running smoothly. They are typically responsible for consulting with clients and understanding the event's purpose, offering a selection of venues and caterers, providing cost estimates, and booking various services such as speakers, equipment, location, photographers, videographers, and other essential factors... Show more	$12-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • BEO
   • Booking
   • Resorts
   • Audio Visual
   • Wine
   • Group Business
   • Repeat Business
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Guest Rooms
   • Site Inspections
   • Event Space
   • Delphi
   • Sales Strategies
   • Sales Efforts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used Marriott computer applications to manage and administer events.
   • Plan and service KPMG VIP client and internal partner meetings generating $800K in sales per year.
   • Coordinate all events and activities for upcoming groups from room reservations, activities, restaurant reservations and catered/banquet events.
   • Develop new resume, contracts, upselling and standards and incentives for convention services.
   • Institute successful training programs for improve selling and upselling techniques to managers within the department.
   • Used Marriott computer applications to manage and administer events.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of conference services and catering job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A director of conference services and catering can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, directors of conference services and catering' average salary in arkansas is 61% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of conference services and catering 62% less than senior-level directors of conference services and catering.
   • Certifications. A director of conference services and catering with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a director of conference services and catering's salary.

   Average director of conference services and catering salary

   $82,101yearly

   $39.47 hourly rate

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   Entry-level director of conference services and catering salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 30, 2025

4. Writing a director of conference services and catering job description

   A director of conference services and catering job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a director of conference services and catering job description:

   Director of conference services and catering job description example

   The Bethesdan Hotel, Tapestry Collection by Hilton is looking for a talented and dynamic individual to oversee our Catering and Conference Services for a 270 room, 15,000 sq. feet event space hotel.
   
   The Director of Catering and Conference Services has direct oversight of the attainment of assigned team catering/food and beverage sales goals tied to the overall performance of the hotel. This role will be responsible for booking and servicing catering clients while maintaining the contracted food and beverage minimum. This role will work directly with the Director of Sales or Hotel leadership to achieve the hotel's revenue, meeting planner satisfaction scores, and food & beverage catering sales goals for the property.
   **Job Responsibilities:**
   
   + Solicit and book Banquet and Catering functions resulting in customer satisfaction and profitability.
   
   + Tour and inspect banquet and meeting space on a daily basis, reporting necessary repairs.
   
   + Develop and conduct persuasive verbal sales presentations to prospective clients.
   
   + Solicit new accounts and review previous banquet files to generate business. Oversee service of group functions once they are in house.
   
   + Write banquet menus, memos, and send out amenities for VIP Guests. Review and revise Catering Department, weekly events sheets and banquet event orders. Formulate and make revisions to annual and monthly forecasts.
   
   + Negotiate, prepare and write contracts and enter information into the automated sales system.
   
   + Perform administrative duties relevant to account responsibilities in compliance with corporate guidelines. Document and organize detailed requirements of each function. Coordinate activities of various departments to service accounts, such as directing room service in the creation and delivery of VIP amenities.
   
   + Interact with clients to determine needs and direct staff accordingly. Respond to telephone and walk-in inquiries of potential guests.
   
   + Create special themes and menus.
   
   + Communicate both verbally and in writing to provide clear direction to staff.
   
   + Comply with attendance rules and be available to work on a regular basis.
   
   + Perform any other job related duties as assigned
   
   **REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:**
   
   Must have the ability to communicate in English. Self-starting personality with an even disposition. Maintain a professional appearance and manner at all times. Can communicate well with guests. Must be willing to "pitch-in" and help co- workers with their job duties and be a team player. Thorough knowledge of food and beverage products, proper preparation and presentation of foods and beverage items. Ability to prepare signage for catering functions. Ability to grasp, lift and/or carry, or otherwise move goods weighing a maximum of 20 lbs. on an occasional basis. Ability to create special themes and menus. Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers, some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy to defuse anger, collect accurate information and resolve conflicts.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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5. Post your job

   To find the right director of conference services and catering for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with directors of conference services and catering they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit directors of conference services and catering who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of conference services and catering job on Zippia to find and recruit director of conference services and catering candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with director of conference services and catering candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of conference services and catering

   Once you've selected the best director of conference services and catering candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new director of conference services and catering first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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