Director Catering & Event Services

The Director of Catering & Events provides strategic leadership for catering and event operations at Wildflower Farms, an Auberge Collection retreat. This role drives banquet and catering revenue, oversees event execution, ensures exceptional guest experiences, and leads the Event Services team. Working closely with Sales, Revenue Management, Operations, Culinary, and Food & Beverage, the Director develops and executes strategies that maximize profitability while delivering luxury service standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and strategic direction for the Event Services team at Wildflower Farms, with direct accountability for banquet and catering performance, including revenue, food and beverage contribution, forecasting accuracy, pace, and guest satisfaction.
• Recruit, onboard, mentor, coach, and evaluate Event Managers and Conference Services Managers while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and service excellence.
• Own banquet and catering revenue performance by developing strategies to maximize topline growth, profitability, and event conversion.
• Lead banquet and catering forecasting, budgeting, and business planning in partnership with Revenue Management, Finance, and Sales.
• Establish and uphold luxury event service standards to ensure exceptional execution and memorable guest experiences.
• Optimize event space utilization, pricing strategies, and business mix to align with overall commercial objectives.
• Partner closely with Sales, Culinary, Banquets, Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, and Operations to ensure seamless event execution from contract turnover through post-event billing.
• Participate in site inspections, client meetings, and sales presentations to support business development and strengthen client relationships.
• Monitor operational performance, identify opportunities for continuous improvement, and implement best practices that enhance efficiency, profitability, and guest satisfaction.
• Ensure compliance with Auberge Collection and Wildflower Farms standards, policies, and operational procedures.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in Catering, Conference Services, or Event Management within a luxury hotel or resort environment.
• Proven success driving banquet and catering revenue, forecasting, budgeting, and financial performance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams while fostering a culture of collaboration and service excellence.
• Strong operational knowledge of luxury catering, conference services, weddings, and social events.
• Experience partnering with Sales, Revenue Management, Culinary, Food & Beverage, and Hotel Operations to achieve business objectives.
• Proficiency in Delphi/Salesforce, Opera PMS, and Google Workspace.
• Exceptional communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills with a passion for delivering outstanding guest experiences.