What’s in a day?
As conference and events administrator you’ll be responsible for all the correspondence that’s sent to customers who have booked functions. You’ll also get to hone your skills in telesales and marketing. Key responsibilities:
- Processing conference and events bookings
- Chasing up calls
- Liaising with other departments about customer requirements
- Preparing brochures for enquiries
- Selling conferences and events over the telephone
What sort of hours will I work?
The good news is that you’ll work office hours – unless there’s a really big event, in which case it’s all hands on deck.
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What’s the best bit about being a conference and events administrator?
As the team at Blend Recruitment point out, this role is usually only found in larger hotels, so it’s a great opportunity to get your foot in the door of a blue chip hotel or hospitality group that will train and develop you.
And the worst?
When the pressure’s on, you’ll be expected to think on your feet and help where necessary.
What skills do I need?
- Faultless communication and telephone skills
- Handling complaints and liaising with guests
- Strong organisational skills and good attention to detail
- Obviously your grammar needs to be sound as writing emails and letters is part of the job
What qualifications do I need?
You can train on the job as many hotel companies offer programmes to help sales staff acquire the necessary skills, such as:
- NVQ Levels 2, 3 and 4 in events
- NVQ Level 3 in events (temporary structures)
- NVQ Levels 3 and 4 in sales
As you progress, you can also consider:
- Qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
- Qualifications from the Managing & Marketing Sales Association (MAMSA)
- A part-time HNC in event management
- Join a professional organisation such as the Association for Conferences and Events (ACE)
Who would it suit?
It goes without saying that you’ll be personable, enjoy dealing with the public and that you can handle complaints calmly and effectively. You should also be comfortable using the telephone as telesales will increasingly become part of the job as you progress.
What sort of salary can I expect?
Usually, salaries average between £15,000 and lower £20,000.
Where can I go from here?
The natural progression is sales co-ordinator and then sales manager, but with the right talent you could consider moving laterally into other hotel departments.
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