Senior Event Manager

Description

About Appellation

Born from the elegant merger of the culinary and hospitality worlds, Appellation is much more than a typical hotel company. Inspired by its name, this new hotel brand brings together the best of local elements in a new way: a hotel collection powered by people, connected by food, and defined by place—all designed to celebrate its destinations’ culture, community, and craftsmanship. Developed by visionary co-founders Charlie Palmer, one of America’s best-known, award-winning chefs and pioneer in the American hotel-restaurant model, and Christopher Hunsberger, a 30-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and its former president of North Americas. Join Appellation as its first hotels and resorts take root in 2025.

The Senior Event Manager is a strategic, client-facing leader responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of complex, high-profile, and high-revenue events. This role manages the most sophisticated programs and serves as a mentor to Event Managers, ensuring operational excellence, financial discipline, and a consistently elevated guest experience that reflects the hotel’s brand standards.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Event Leadership

• Own the planning and execution of large-scale, multi-day, and VIP events
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex client needs or on-site challenges
• Translate high-level event vision into executable operational plans
• Anticipate risk and proactively resolve issues before they impact the guest experience
  
  

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build trusted relationships with top-tier clients, planners, and repeat partners
• Lead high-level planning calls, executive site visits, and final detail meetings
• Partner with Sales to support client retention, rebookings, and strategic accounts
• Represent the hotel in a polished, confident, and consultative manner
  
  

Operational Excellence

• Lead cross-functional alignment with Culinary, Beverage, Banquets, AV, Front Office, Housekeeping, Spa, and Engineering
• Conduct and lead pre-event meetings for complex programs
• Oversee on-site execution, service flow, and team performance during events
• Ensure flawless transitions between event components, spaces, and days
  
  

Financial & Contractual Oversight

• Review and interpret complex contracts, including attrition, concessions, and custom clauses
• Manage budgets, guarantees, and final billing with a high level of accuracy
• Identify strategic upsell opportunities while protecting margins
• Ensure events meet or exceed revenue and profitability targets
  
  

Team Leadership & Development

• Mentor and support Event Managers through coaching, shadowing, and feedback
• Assist in onboarding and training new team members
• Share best practices, templates, and process improvements
• Provide leadership coverage in the absence of the Director of Events
  
  

Systems, Process & Standards

• Serve as a power user for event management systems (e.g., Delphi, Amadeus, Social Tables, Tripleseat)
• Ensure documentation is thorough, accurate, and timely
• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend process improvements
• Champion brand standards and consistency across all events
  
  

Requirements

REQUIRED

• 5–8 years of event management experience, preferably in a hotel or resort setting
• Proven experience managing complex, high-revenue events and multi-day programs
• Strong financial acumen with experience in contracts, billing, and event profitability
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and decision-making skills
• Ability to remain calm, decisive, and guest-focused under pressure
• Flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays
  
  

Preferred

• Luxury or lifestyle hotel experience
• Experience mentoring or leading event teams
• Advanced knowledge of banquet operations, F&B and AV coordination
  
  

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Executive-level client service
• Operational leadership
• Financial discipline
• Team development
• Brand stewardship
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds
• Ability to be on-site during event execution
  
  

Equal Opportunity Employer

Appellation Hotels is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants regardless of race, color, national original, ancestry, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other status considered unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

Job Type: Full-time, On-site, Salary Position,

Salary BOE: $80,000-$90,000

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance