Vice President, Meetings and Events

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

We are seeking a visionary and strategic Vice President of Meetings & Events to lead our enterprise-wide conference services function. This executive role is responsible for driving top-line revenue growth, cultivating high-impact third-party partnerships, and ensuring operational excellence across all meetings and events. The VP will steward our reputation as Charleston’s premier destination for extraordinary meetings and experiences while aligning programming with the brand standards and long-term business objectives of The Charleston Place and The Cooper.

This role leads the shared services conference services team, oversees strategic relationships with key external partners including the Gibbs Museum, AV partners, and KLH, and sits on the Executive Committee of both The Charleston Place and The Cooper.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide executive leadership, vision, and direction for the conference services function across the hotel collection.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive meetings and events strategy that drives revenue growth, profitability, and market differentiation.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing conference services team, fostering accountability, engagement, and professional development.
• Own and manage strategic third-party relationships, including the Gibbs Museum, AV partners, KLH, and other key vendors, ensuring alignment with brand standards, service expectations, and financial goals.
• Establish and execute innovative service models and upselling strategies to maximize the potential of owned and partnered venues.
• Ensure all meetings and events reflect the highest standards of luxury, service excellence, and the unique character of each venue.
• Serve as an executive-level liaison between clients, internal stakeholders, and external partners to ensure seamless planning and flawless execution.
• Maintain strong cross-functional collaboration with operations, culinary, banquet, sales, marketing, and finance teams.
• Provide visible, hands-on leadership within the operation and maintain strong alignment with culinary and banquet leadership.
• Collaborate closely with the Event Design team to elevate event experiences through décor, floral, linen, furnishings, and curated enhancements.
• Oversee contract negotiations, pricing strategy, risk management, and financial performance for all meetings and events.
• Lead annual revenue and expense budget development and maintain disciplined forecasting and financial reporting for the hotel collection.
• Monitor market trends, conduct competitive and demand analysis, and identify new growth opportunities, partnerships, and offerings.
• Represent meetings and events strategy at Executive Committee, leadership, and ownership meetings.
• Other duties as assigned by the EVP.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in meetings, events, or conference services, with a strong preference for luxury hospitality or destination environments.
• Proven executive leadership capability with experience managing complex teams and multi-venue operations.
• Demonstrated success driving revenue growth, managing budgets, and leading strategic initiatives.
• Strong experience managing and negotiating third-party vendor and cultural institution partnerships.
• Exceptional communication, executive presence, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to think strategically while maintaining operational excellence and attention to detail.
• Deep understanding of luxury meetings, corporate, incentive, and high-profile social events.
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business Management, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a colleague to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

Mobility: Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout hotels, venues, and partner locations for extended periods.

• Lifting: Capability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds as needed for event oversight and logistics.
• Endurance: Ability to work extended and flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as business requires.
• Manual Dexterity: Ability to handle materials or assist with event-related tasks as needed.
• Visual and Auditory Skills: Strong vision and hearing to assess event quality, safety, and guest experience.
• Flexibility: Ability to bend, kneel, or reach in support of event setup and operational needs.

CLOSING DETAILS: 

BHC is an equal employment opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and are not based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, uniformed service, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other factor or characteristic protected by applicable law.  

BHC is an equal employment opportunity employer.  Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and are not based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, uniformed service, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other factor or characteristic protected by applicable law. BHC participates in E-Verify.