Renee Simpson Email & Phone Number

United States

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

• Leads the sales process within a multi-unit department to drive revenue and performance for a team of four catering sales managers responsible for a projected revenue of over $9.8M in FY24.• Author reactive and proactive sales strategies to achieve catering revenue goals for each location resulting in YOY market growth of $565k in FY23 with FY24 pace exceeding budgeted revenue targets by $760k. • Acts as a daily mentor to lead each team member through the sales life-cycle of prospective, tentative and definite business opportunities while analyzing compliance with organizational contractual standards. • Assures financial month end checklist is completed within established guidelines of company controls to ensure flow through and net operating income are shielded from erosion. • Heavily engaged with location stakeholders for sales strategy improvement and collaboration of multi-unit event opportunities with perceived value-driven RFP responses to win future business.• Acts as senior project and event manager to develop innovative catering concepts from origination to actualization and gathers post event data through surveys, post-convention meetings and virtual internal round-table discussion groups to uncover process improvement.• Serves as the primary sales contact for all executive-level events and manages the catering sales process from contract signing, to writing event orders, drafting critical paths, event execution and final billing. • Participates in required travel for on-site support of notable events, conferences, and large conventions annually across three locations that include the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), Kentucky Exposition Center and Kentucky Performing Arts. • Responsible for the recruitment, interviewing and on-boarding process of catering sales managers and applying foundational initiatives for an enhanced work experience that prioritizes development-seeking growth opportunities.

Greater St. Louis Area

• Directs catering sales and operations teams through communications and leadership to department managers and indirect leadership to a personnel team of 100+ to ensure proper execution as per contractual obligations and client expectations. • Responsible for opening The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA serving as sales team leader from November of 2020 – July of 2021. Including sales accountability for menu curation and design, client relations, banquet operations and revenue generation. • Manages all aspects of the catering experience for large scale events with attendance up to 5,000. • Acts as the public advisor for the catering team to include leading and conducting site visits, attending weekly sales meetings and being the first point of contact for client communications. • Regularly engages in executive level meetings to review the financial performance of each event and is responsible for developing processes for enhancing company profitability. • Prepares annual sales projections, reports weekly sales forecast, cross-checks month-end sales revenue reports and reviews sales pace to identify areas of opportunity for revenue growth. • Accountable for the growth of group sales revenue through strategic vendor partnerships, transparent sales processes and locational action plans to promote space, chef-crafted menus and catering amenities. • Hosts quarterly sales meetings to review sales manager progress, catering revenue funnel, build sales team morale and provide mentorship to sales managers for skills and leadership development.• Responsible for lowering monthly Accounts Receivable (AR) by partnering with finance department to accurately code billing folios and apply Levy payment policies to all shows. • Manages department research and analysis to include annual market-location comparisons of competitive vendors, off-site events, location accessibility for dock load-in and load-out, local transportation options and in-market hotel inventory.

Greater St. Louis Area

• Developed the hotel sales program to include the execution of tactical plans, quarterly marketing strategies, acquiring new accounts and negotiating local contracts for a 93 room independent hotel.• Partnered with revenue management to determine strategies across multiple segments including group, business transient and social room nights, and executed those strategies to achieve budgeted sales. • Acted as the property lead-catcher and content manager for online platform CVENT and responded to new sales opportunities. • Established a clientele base through direct outside sales efforts including weekly e-letters prospecting and qualifying new leads, cold calling potential accounts and visiting prospective clients on location. • Conducted site visits to showcase the hotel and provided excellent customer service by acting as a liaison between clients and hotel operations teams to proactively identify and address functional issues as they pertain to each group. • Acted as a mentor to operations departments through support, development and service measure(s) training to keep staff motivated and excited about the hotel.

St. Louis Marriott Grand Hotel

● Managed the client experience through all event-related activities including but not limited to hosting pre-convention meetings, accurately drafting banquet event orders, ensuring meeting room set-ups are correct, collaborating with banquet teams on event details and organizing logistics for vendor services for events from 25 – 1,500 guests in a 917 room hotel. ● Analyzed information from each event phase, pre-planning, on-site and post-event follow up, and communicated with executive, senior and associate-level team members to deliver on client requests and adhere to contractual revenue minimums. ● Managed revenue and profitability associated with events through forecasting group room nights, catering revenue and partnering with procurement for optimal results. ● Conduct customer site inspections with a focus on event planning to ensure operational expectations are achievable and profitable.

Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel

● Mentored and lead a small catering sales team, conducted weekly funnel reviews, provided solutions to sales objections and educated team on sales processes and goal achievement that resulted in exceeding 2016 catering and room revenue pace.● Exceeded 2015 Catering Sales goals with an individual productivity of $1,459, 270, an accomplishment of 115% to goal. ● Results for 2015 Annual Leadership Performance Review resulted in a Superior “K” rating – the highest rating available – across all measurable categories including Event Sales & Satisfaction, Business Functional Goals and Brand Discipline processes. ● Prepared and negotiated complex contracts for both corporate and social events through acute knowledge of the company Group Sales Agreement and pre-approved National Agreements with significant external accounts. ● Maintained positive relationships with operations departments by recognizing excellent service, successful up-selling efforts.● Created “WOW” site inspections for prospective customers and involved the appropriate departments applicable to each unique sales opportunity.

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel And Conference Center, Bethesda Md

● Individual 2014 Catering Sales revenue production totaling $3,277,721 with an achievement of 117% to goal. ● Awarded the Mid-Atlantic Catering Sales Manager of the Quarter for quarter two in 2014. ● Accomplished 142% of annual hotel room’s revenue target by negotiating and closing on large convention business within property sales parameters. ● Received Mid-Atlantic Catering Sales Top Booker distinction for quarter three with a revenue production of $894,000. ● Sales phase individual event satisfaction score of 82.9% in 2014 with a current score of 100% in 2015. ● Strategically partner with revenue management to create selling solutions for property and personal sales goals. ● Qualify, construct and close on new catering sales opportunities by conducting exemplary site visits, drafting creative menu proposals and negotiating contracts.● Collaborate with hotel operations to ensure client expectations are exceeded and Marriott brand loyalty is established.

Marriott Washingtonian Center, Gaithersburg Md

● Reached 101% of catering sales goal in quarter two with $305,412 in catering revenue booked. ● Attained personal Event Sales Satisfaction score for Overall Service at 87.5% with eight surveys returned. ● Proactively solicited local businesses to fill need dates for the hotel property. ● Properly qualified and negotiated sales opportunities and booked business in an advantageous manner for the hotel. ● Utilized marketing resources to create sales material for on-going promotions and quarterly customer events. ● Communicated effectively with operations outlets to ensure successful turnover and execution of each sales opportunity.

Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel

● Managed all aspects of the Food & Beverage Grand Bar outlet including labor and liquor cost, monitoring period sales and forecasting goals for 2012. ● Worked collaboratively with several operations departments to manage all details of specialty events held in the Grand Bar outlet and up-sold menu items that set a daily sales record for the department of $21,950.● Developed and facilitated new service standards that improved GSS to 77.3, up from 75.9 in 2011.● Conducted daily staff meetings with associates to ensure the achievement of daily sales goals in the Grand Bar outlet.

Greater New York City Area

•Consulted private collectors on acquiring blue chip wines andmonitored each portfolio to determine the correct approach for investing, cellaring, and drinking.•Formulated gross profit margins for exclusive event sales and collaborated with Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to determine optimum return for the events department.•Generated revenue for Italian Wine Merchants travel program through commissioned partnerships.•Extensive knowledge of all twenty-two Italian wine-making regions with heavy emphasis on Piedmonte, Toscana, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.•Conduct in-depth dialogue with clients on specific cuisine and fine wine pairings for private events.

Associate Of Arts And Sciences (A.A.S.), Hospitality Management - Travel/Tourism

Certificate Du Cours, Wine Regions Of France, Italy And The United States