Samantha Knight Email & Phone Number

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Accountable for the planning of all conferences and events at both the Marriott on the Falls Hotel and Conference Centre and the Marriott Fallsview Hotel and Spa, encompassing over 47,000 square feet of event and meeting space. The dual Marriott properties are located right on the edge of the Falls with luxurious amenities and incredible views. As the leader of the Events and Conference Services department and reporting to the General Manager, responsible for event planning, client satisfaction, department operations, staff management and team building, and revenue optimization. Additionally responsible for managing internal relationships with group sales, banquet operations, culinary teams, and other hotel operations teams to ensure that clients enjoy exceptional experiences during their events.

St Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Co-Founder, Social Media Strategy Manager, Craft Creator & Teacher. Strategy and content creation for all social media channels. Develop and implement social media strategy, in accordance with established SMART goals. Measure and track performance based on predetermined KPIs.Design & Teach Ladies' Craft Nights.

St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Co-Founder and Social Media Strategy Consultant for local digital restaurant ordering and delivery service. Developed the initial social media strategy, and provide regular consulting on ongoing performance and changes required. Assist in analysis of social and digital marketing performance.

Niagara Falls, On

As the top luxury conference property in the busy Niagara Region, Fallsview Casino Resort offers exceptional spaces, food and beverage options, and production capabilities to organizations around the world looking for special experiences in their conferences. Hired by the Director of Resort Sales and Operations I was quickly recognized as the leading planner on the team and given responsibility for the most complex and creative client engagements. I have been formally recognized for my efforts in the form of a Gold Recognition award in 2015, a finalist for the top associate at the Casino in 2016, and a Great People Award in 2016.-Consistently exceeded client experience expectations on large complex events including the first ever food show held in the Casino, the annual Seafood Gala, and several key client programs including Rogers, TD, Egg Farmers of Ontario, and Techtronic Industries.-Delivered the highest client rebooking rate and client service upsell rate in the department every year resulting in record performance for the Resort Sales & Operations area each year since joining the team.-Recognized as the senior event planner on the team and assigned responsibility for standardization of the Banquet Event Orders (BEO), training of new staff on BEO standards, and weekly validation of all BEOs generated by the department to ensure consistent event communications with supporting teams.-Responsible for implementing internal process improvements for inter-departmental interactions resulting in a more seamless client experience during event production and smoother pre-conference planning activities.-Consistently recognized by leaders across the events delivery teams for my exceptional attention to detail and client experience resulting in a Gold Recognition award in 2015, a finalist for Casino associate of the year in 2016, and a further Great People Award in 2016.

Niagara Falls, On

Oversaw all activities and staff within the VIP Player Services and Limo department. Promoted, developed, and maintained relationships with VIP casino patrons to encourage repeat business. Responsible for organizing and managing VIP events and tournaments. Promoted and booked reservations for accommodations (including managing the nightly hotel inventory), special events, concerts, dining, transportation, and tournaments for VIP guests. Responsible for training and coaching of the department team members focusing on customer service, performance development, resolution of customer disputes, and interdepartmental support. Key accomplishments included:-Consistently demonstrate superior conflict resolution skills through responding to and resolving customer concerns in a positive and professional manner-Recognized for making solid business decisions in client care resulting in ongoing improved business results-Implemented procedural and training improvements including a new VIP Pre-Shift resulting in significant improvement in employee engagement within the department and business results-Effectively managed hotel inventory and was recognized for maintaining near 100% occupancy on a consistent basis-Recognized for developing trusted relationships with many of the key VIP guests resulting in continued strong repeat business-Consistently exceeded management performance expectations on an annual basis

Niagara Falls, On

In addition to the premium experiences within the traditional gaming floor, Fallsview Casino runs many premium events for players throughout the year including world class tournaments such as the World Poker Tour and special themed players only gala events. Hired by the Director of Entertainment and Events Programs in April 2008 to cover a maternity leave within the department I leveraged my experiences from the VIP Player Services department to create exceptional players experience through our special events.-Led the execution of large ($200k-1M) special events for Casino players and executives, delivering exceptional experiences through strong planning and management of budget, design, and event production.-Led the creative process for several signature events resulting in the conception of several recurring themed events, some of which continue to exist today including the Halloween Haunted House, Asian Spring, and the monthly birthday event.

Niagara Falls, On

Provided administrative support to the Director of Entertainment and Events Programs. Responsible for all office administrative duties including writing business correspondence, formatting proposals, maintaining schedules, and managing meeting minutes. Maintained Director's daily schedule including on and offsite meetings and travel. Maintained entertainment contracts and files including administering artist payments. Organized initial profit & loss budgets for monthly entertainment schedules. Monitored departmental time and attendance budgets.

Hamilton, On

With over 100 years of experience delivering financial services to clients, CIBC Wood Gundy has consistently been rated one of the world’s top investment firms, delivering exceptional returns to their clients since 1905. Hired by the Branch Manager as a Marketing Assistant I delivered several key special events which created strong community connections. Based on strong performance I was given additional responsibility as a member of the Business Development Team in 2000, expanding my event and campaign work to connect directly with the firms’ High Net Worth client base.-Planned, organized and executed High Net Worth prospective client dinner seminars including event marketing, menu and event planning, and client follow up resulting in a strong client growth pipeline for the sales organization. -Developed print advertising campaigns and determined channels for maximum exposure within a limited budget which facilitated a strong prospect pipeline. -Successfully facilitated restoration of annual charitable ‘Skate-A-Thon’, creating a strong community presence and recognition for the company.-Secured and acted as liaison with local charitable organizations, sponsorship partners and advertising agencies including coordination and planning of community events further strengthening the community presence of CIBC Wood Gundy.

Social Media Marketing Certificate, Facebook & Instagram Marketing, Content Strategy, Social Media Analytics, Seo And Paid Search

Social Media Strategy & Digital Communication, Adult And Continuing Education And Teaching

Fashion Design, Continuing Education - Fashion Drawing, Pattern Sewing

Marketing And Advertising Diploma, Marketing And Advertising

Sociology