Banquet & Events Manager
Crescent Harbor Hotel & Suites · New Orleans, LA
Mar, 2021 · Present
• Own 180–220 banquet and event bookings per year across ballrooms, courtyard, and rooftop; average event revenue ~$28K.
• Cut setup overtime 18% by standardizing floor plans and a 90-minute pre-shift briefing checklist with banquet captains.
• Renegotiated AV and floral preferred-vendor rates, saving ~$42K annually while keeping guest satisfaction scores above 4.7/5.
• Lead a cross-functional team of 12 (captains, servers, stewards) for high-volume Mardi Gras and wedding season peaks.
• Built a BEO QA pass that reduced day-of missing items/mis-fires by 35% over two seasons.
Assistant Banquet Manager
Maison Vieux Carré · New Orleans, LA
Jun, 2018 · Feb, 2021
• Coordinated plated and buffet service for 40–250 guests; managed linen, china, and station resets for back-to-back turns.
• Partnered with culinary on menu costing; held food cost within 1.5 pts of target on signature wedding packages.
• Trained 20+ seasonal banquet staff on service standards and allergy protocols.
• Owned weekend wedding block schedules and vendor load-in windows to avoid lobby/kitchen collisions.
Banquet Captain / Server
Riverbend Catering Co. · Baton Rouge, LA
Aug, 2015 · May, 2018
• Ran floor service for corporate lunches and socials; escalated VIP and dietary issues to kitchen in under 5 minutes.
• Mentored new servers on tray service, wine pour, and clearing sequences for plated dinners.