Director of Conference Services

Overview

Fort Lauderdale Hotel opening in Fall 2025. Omni Fort Lauderdale will provide South Florida with 120,000 square feet of event space, new food and beverage options, a Natural Spring inspired full-service spa and entertainment pedestrian plaza featuring high-end shopping, amphitheater, charter boat docking and a beautiful promenade. The hotel will be directly connected to the Broward County Convention Center, immediately adjacent to Port Everglades cruise terminal and less than two miles from Fort Lauderdale Airport.

Omni Fort Lauderdale is seeking an experienced and detailed Director of Conference Services to join the team of our brand-new luxury resort. This role will be at the forefront of ensuring total guest satisfaction for all group-related functions while providing our guests with one-of-a-kind experiences. Working closely with the sales team, Executive Chef and Director of Banquets, we expect that the candidate will be instrumental in wowing our groups while achieving budgeted catering and banquet revenues.

The Director of Conference Services will report to the Director of Sales & Marketing. The ideal candidate must have outstanding verbal and written communication skills and possess the ability to provide the highest level of service to our clients. This is an exciting opportunity to join our founding team and be a part of something truly special.

Location: On-property in Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Responsible for planning, evaluating, organizing, and directing the activities of the Senior Conference Services Manager, Conference Services Managers, Catering and Conference Services Manager, and Conference Services Coordinator.
• Responsible for ensuring that all policies, procedures and guidelines are followed by department personnel.
• Responsible for anticipating needs, forecasting results, analyzing and arranging work processes for personnel in the department.
• Responsible for ensuring the CS team drives financial results by holding groups accountable to contract terms, increasing F&B spend over the contracted minimums, drives room rental for under performance, and charges attrition for lack of room block fulfillment.
• Responsible for the overall condition of each function room and all Conference Service equipment.
• Provides the necessary training, motivation, and leadership for all department personnel.
• Participates in the final interview process and is responsible for hiring all departmental personnel.
• Ensures that all procedures, policies, and guidelines established by Omni Hotel are followed by department personnel.
• Establishes and maintains rapport with outside purveyors who provide services for the Hotel and its guests through the Catering & Convention Services Department.
• Establishes and maintains efficient office procedures to facilitate the smooth operation of the department.
• Ensures banquet sales meet budgeted levels.
• Ensures smooth flow of information from Sales to Banquet Services, Operations and the Food & Beverage Division.
• Creates and maintains a good working relationship with the Banquet Manager to ensure a high level of comfort with Banquet operations.
• Forecasts public room income and meeting covers on an annual/quarterly/monthly basis.
• Ensures that the department standards are met and that all company policies are adhered to.
• Prepares performance benchmarks for CS Managers on a monthly/quarterly basis.
• Attends daily Rev Max and BEO meetings and weekly Resume meetings.
• Tours the hotel function space daily and spot checks meeting room setups.
• Ensures function space in the hotel is well presented and maintains a scheduled cleaning program for each function room.
• Ensures all equipment used in the department is in good order and uses preventive maintenance schedules for all equipment.
• Maintains the desired level of quality in all meeting room sets on a continuing basis.
• Ensures that all file turnover requirements from Sales to Conference Services are fulfilled.
• Oversees the coordination of the Hotel Function Books.
• Advises hotel department heads of special requirements of groups coming into the hotel.
• Reviews daily groups in house and takes necessary steps to address concerns with groups immediately.
• Attends out-of-hotel meetings as required.
• Establishes rapport with individuals in similar positions at other hotels.
• Conducts weekly one-on-one meetings and monthly department meetings.

• 3+ years of experience as a Conference / Convention Services department head in an upscale hotel or resort.
• Proven track record of motivating managers and associates to meet and exceed goals and to provide the highest quality experience for guests.
• Strong understanding of forecasting, budgeting, scheduling, checkbook management, productivity, inventory controls, P&L analysis, and food and beverage cost controls.
• Strong computer and technical skills, including Micros and Birchstreet preferred.
• Ability to track and analyze department turnover trends with demonstrated ability to identify and implement…