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Overview:
The Toronto Blue Jays are building a new hospitality business focused on hosting private events in Rogers Centre’s one-of-a-kind spaces. The Director, Hospitality Events will be an experienced events professional capable of building and leading a hospitality events business (e.g., meetings, corporate events, holiday parties, etc.). They will have the ability to craft innovative event concepts, a passion for executing memorable experiences, and be excited about building a new venture from the ground up.
Key Responsibilities:
Hospitality Event Business Planning and Development
- Research industry trends, competitor offerings, and client preferences to inform the development of unique event packages and services.
- Develop a go-to-market strategy including target audiences and marketing and sales plans.
- Develop relationships with vendors and establish price and service agreements to enhance the event experience.
- Work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to design operating processes, including event booking, event set-up (e.g., catering coordination, IT/AV set-up), and event clean-up.
- Establish and manage operational procedures and protocols for hosting hospitality events within the stadium, ensuring adherence to safety, security, and regulatory standards.
- Build a hospitality events team as the business scales.
Sales and Marketing
- Build relationships with tourism organizations (e.g., Destination Toronto), convention and conference hosting organizations (e.g., Metro Toronto Convention Centre), and destination management companies to create a sustainable pipeline of leads.
- Attend trade shows, conventions, and events to promote Rogers Centre hospitality events.
Event Planning and Execution
- Work with prospective clients to understand objectives and requirements for events, ideate solutions, and schedule events.
- Work with clients, vendors, and internal stakeholders to plan events and coordinate logistics.
- Oversee all aspects from initial concept to event execution to deliver memorable client experiences.
Business Oversight
- Oversee budget planning and financial performance for the hospitality events business area, monitoring expenses and revenue generation to achieve profitability goals.
Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, Business Administration, Marketing, or related field.
- Event management experience: minimum of seven years of experience in event management, including both planning and execution, preferably in a stadium or large venue setting.
- Relationship building: ability to proactively engage with industry stakeholders to build strategic relationships, leverage connections to gather feedback on event offerings, and create a sales lead pipeline
- Strategic thinking: ability to frame problems, analyze solutions, and make well reasoned decisions.
- Project management: ability to organize and manage a diverse range of assignments and projects with high efficiency and meticulous attention to detail.
- Entrepreneurial spirit: desire to build a business from the ground up, ability to flex cross-functionally, and a willingness to tackle tough challenges.
- Collaboration: willingness and ability to partner with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and clients to create memorable experiences.
- Flexible Scheduling: availability for a flexible schedule to accommodate after-hours and weekend events and meetings.
- Budget management: experience in budget planning and financial management, with a focus on achieving revenue targets and controlling expenses.
- Strong leader that coaches and develops their team in a meaningful way
- Legally able to work in Canada.
Blue Jays has a strong commitment to diversity, accessibility and inclusion. Everyone who applies for a job will be considered. We encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply and join us in shaping the future of our club. Together, we will build a team that reflects the richness of the game and the communities that we represent.
Throughout the recruitment process, we are dedicated to working with candidates who have accessibility needs to ensure they have the necessary support to perform at their best. Questions regarding accessibility throughout the recruitment process can be directed to tbj.careers@bluejays.com
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
