Asst. Manager, Group Sales & Events (Hershey Chocolate World)

Location: Hershey, PA

Department: Hershey’s Chocolate World

Summary of Role:

Hershey’s Chocolate World is the most popular brand experience in the world. Nearly four million guests visit our location in Hershey, Pennsylvania, every year. Guests come to experience attractions, enjoy dining in the food court, and shopping for souvenirs, treats and gifts. Part of what makes our guests’ experience so amazing is the exceptional guest service our team provides.

The primary purpose of this job is to grow the Group Sales & Events business at Hershey’s Chocolate World.  This position is responsible for maximizing use of events spaces, including after-hours events and building rentals.  This person will collaborate with multiple departments to ensure they are ready to provide world class experiences to groups.  This position is responsible for leading the Group Sales & Events Team including hiring and training.  In collaboration with the Attractions Manager, this person will be primarily responsible for creating and executing a strategic vision and plan to drive incremental revenue. 

The incumbent supervises team members in the Events and Groups Sales departments and supports training functions to ensure maximum efficiencies, superior guest service, and world class service / experience.  Responsibilities include employee management (interviewing, hiring, monitoring performance) and labor planning. This position works with both internal and external customers.  The incumbent will support the Manager on Duty (MOD) team during, weekends, weekdays, holidays, and evening operating hours supporting Retail, Food Service, Attractions, and Marketing initiatives to deliver sales goals. Responsibilities also include making operational decisions,  creating or adjusting processes to efficiently and effectively serve guests.

Role Responsibilities:

Leadership & Sales Strategy

• Maintain a sales strategy with new offers and to drive incremental revenue
• Ensure maximum use of events spaces
• Meet bi-weekly with the Group Sales consultant to create important relationships with VIP bus groups and drive traffic
• Responsible for the Group Sales communication to all cross-functional teams
• Coordinate bookings, contracts and payments for all groups

• Conduct facility walk-through meetings with clients
• Upsell add-on options for all events
• Partner with Facilities Manager to maximize event space capabilities
• Responsible for achieving sales goals and coordinating daily operations
• Partner with Marketing on all seasonal event programs

Event Planning & Execuion

• Focus on promoting and selling after-hours events to drive incremental revenue
• Act as main operations point of contact for all scheduled meetings, events and experiences
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on planning event details
• Responsible for finalizing event details with clients for meetings and after-hours events
• Partner with Food Service team on Food and Beverage requests and creating new offerings to upsell
• Coordinate invoices with internal Finance team
• Train team members to prepare event space for each reservation and event
• Obtain RAMP and ServSafe certifications to support Food and Beverage program
• Participate in the creation of new experiences and events in collaboration with Marketing

Lead & Manage Ticketing Department

• Responsible for overall hiring, scheduling, training, and coaching of the Ticketing Team
• Ensure the team is delivering at the highest level of service
• Train Ticketing team to ensure proper communication at POS of all new Promos and coach team on all updates
• Partner with the Attractions Scheduler to ensure adequate shift coverage

Group Sales & Analytics

• Track and report group reservations, bus logs, FIT, sales and VIP reports
• Monitor Net Promotor Scores for Groups and Events and makes necessary adjustments to improve results
• Monitor and track all costs and revenue for each event

Scheduling & Interviews

• Partner with the Attractions Scheduler to ensure adequate shift coverage
• Conduct new hire Interviews for the Events and Group Sales teams
• Assist with creating the annual part-time labor templates for the Group Sales & Events teams
• Train the Group Sales & Events teams

Manager on Duty (MOD) 

• Deliver a high level of guest engagement and exceed daily sales goals while maintaining & elevating The Hershey Company brand reputation.
• MOD is responsible for overall satisfaction, safety and security of approximately four million guests annually.  MOD is also responsible for ensuring adequate staffing to meet the needs of the business; this includes adjusting schedules to ensure appropriate coverage within budget; making decisions about closing hours based on business levels (i.e. “soft closes”); and monitoring employee performance and attire.
• The MOD functions as the on-site incident commander during crisis events, serves as direct liaison to local emergency departments and corporate security and reports any unusual activity immediately.   
• MOD monitors guest volume & flow throughout the facility and ensures a maximized guest experience; this includes making critical decisions about queue management; parking lot operations; and redeployment of staff to manage business peaks and valleys.
• MOD monitors contract employees to ensure excellent customer service. 
• MODs are required to complete first-aid and CPR training.

Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Leadership skills: team work skills, employee motivation, coaching, and time management
• Managerial skills: scheduling employees for peak and non-peak seasons
• Presentation skills
• Project management
• Business analysis
• Communication/customer service skills
• Attention to detail
• Ability to meet tight deadlines/good follow-through
• Work under pressure and maintain problem solving skills.
• Ability to interact with all levels of people
• Ability to handle crisis situations/remain calm
• Ability to organize and handle multiple tasks
• Flexible
• Knowledge of budget, financial concepts
• Computer skills (work, excel, e-mail systems, power-point)
• Ability to work weekends, evening and holiday (special work hours—works a varied schedule)
• Operational background/instincts

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: 

• Education –
  • High school diploma or G.E.D.
• Experience –
  • At least 5 years management or supervisory experience in customer service and operations management preferably in an attraction, entertainment complex, or amusement park.

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