Private Event Manager

Description

Private Events Manager

Full-Time, Exempt • On-Site, Armada, MI • Reports to Director of Food & Beverage • Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill

Who We Are & About This Role

Since 1946, Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill has been a cornerstone of Michigan agriculture and agritourism: an 80-year family operation with deep roots in Armada and a genuine growth ambition. Our mission is to cultivate growth in our people, our community, and our business. We host thousands of guests every year across a working farm property with multiple event venues, orchards, tasting rooms, and restaurants.

People choose Blake’s for the moments that matter most to them. A wedding in the orchard. A shower for a first baby. A company bringing its leadership team somewhere that actually feels like somewhere. The Farm is our setting, the Community is who gathers here, and Family is what a guest should feel on the biggest day of their life.

The Private Events Manager is first and foremost a sales role. You own the private events book: you fill the calendar, you grow the revenue, and you convert inquiries into signed contracts. Weddings and social celebrations are the heart of it. Corporate business, from management retreats to holiday parties, is where the real growth is. You are the person responsible for both.

You also see every event through. From first inquiry to final walkthrough to the last guest leaving, you are the point of contact and the one accountable for how it goes. Selling it and delivering it are the same job here.

If you can sell a venue, close a wedding, win corporate business, and then run the day flawlessly, we want to hear from you.

Your Role With Blake’s: Key Responsibilities

Weddings & Social Events Sales

Weddings and social celebrations are the foundation of the private events business. Achievement & Accountability : you own the pipeline, the conversion rate, and the revenue that comes with it.

Own the full sales cycle for weddings, showers, rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and family celebrations: inquiry, tour, proposal, contract, and close

Respond to every inquiry quickly and personally; speed and warmth win bookings in this category

Conduct onsite tours that sell the property, the orchard, the venues, and the experience of getting married or celebrating at a working farm

Build custom proposals using Blake’s event packages, seasonal menus, orchard add-ons, and property experiences

Guide couples and hosts through planning, tastings, walkthroughs, and final detail meetings with genuine care for what the day means to them

Track pipeline, conversion, and booking pace against targets; know your numbers at all times

Corporate Events Sales & Business Development

Corporate is where this business grows. Learning & Innovation : this market needs building, and you are the one to build it.

Actively pursue corporate business including management retreats, leadership offsites, team-building days, client appreciation events, holiday parties, and company celebrations

Develop outbound relationships with local and regional businesses, corporate planners, chambers of commerce, and professional organizations rather than waiting for inquiries to arrive

Build corporate-specific packages and proposals that speak to what companies actually need: meeting space, catering, timing, professionalism, and a setting that feels different from a hotel ballroom

Cultivate repeat corporate accounts; a company that holds one great event here should book the next three

Represent Blake’s at networking events, industry showcases, and venue tours to grow the corporate pipeline

Revenue Generation & Upselling

Every booking has room to grow. Passion & Positivity : the best upsells make the event better, which makes them easy to sell.

Maximize per-guest revenue through enhancements such as coffee bar upgrades, signature cocktails, orchard photo opportunities, wedding arches, flower walls, and seasonal experiences

Build and update event packages including wedding offerings, corporate menus, holiday party packages, and property upgrades

Support leadership on dynamic pricing, event minimums, menu engineering, and optimizing food and beverage margins

Partner with leadership on annual revenue goals, upsell targets, contract terms, pricing structures, and performance tracking as the business evolves

Event Planning & Property Coordination

A booking is only as good as the day it produces. Trust & Communication : clients trust you with something they cannot repeat, and the internal teams need to know exactly what is coming.

Create detailed event timelines, floor plans, BEOs, and setup sheets tailored to Blake’s multi-venue layout

Coordinate across departments and ensure every team is aligned well before event day

Manage setup needs including ceremony chairs in the orchard, floor plans, wagon load signage, décor, and host arrivals

Oversee day-of execution: ceremony timing, vendor coordination, food and beverage service, guest flow, and transitions between event spaces

Schedule, assign, and lead event staff for setup, execution, and teardown; support property-wide festival staffing as needed

Operational Excellence

Good systems are what let you sell more without dropping anything. Integrity & Commitment : every contract honored, every detail delivered, every standard upheld.

Own Tripleseat workflows and templates for proposals, contracts, BEOs, and cross-functional communication

Develop and refine SOPs for event execution, guest communication, day-of roles, and interdepartmental processes

Uphold Blake’s brand standards throughout: farm-forward hospitality, polished presentation, and guest-centered service

Troubleshoot in real time, maintaining professionalism while solving operational challenges and guest or staff escalations across a working farm property

Ensure compliance with insurance, legal, health, and safety obligations

Identify and implement process improvement and cost savings measures while protecting service quality, including linen, labor, and food and beverage efficiencies

Work closely with the Head Chef and tasting room beverage leadership on menus, dietary needs, cost-effective offerings, service flow, and annual menu and pricing updates

Marketing & Seasonal Initiatives

Partner with Marketing on seasonal event promotions, cider cocktail photography, and content for social media and the website

Support launches of new offerings including holiday cocktails, cider experiences, VIP events, and wedding packages

Collaborate on farm-wide programming for peak season, slow season traffic drivers, and crossover restaurant experiences

Build the Blake’s private events presence with wedding and corporate venue directories, review platforms, and referral partners

Team & Cross-Department Leadership

Private events touch nearly every department at Blake’s. Teamwork & Character : you succeed by making other teams want to work with you.

Train, coach, and support event and kitchen staff on service expectations and communication standards

Work with leadership on staffing plans, scheduling needs, and cross-department coordination

Assist departments with event-related preparations including cocktail classes, ServSafe sessions, holiday programming, and VIP experiences

Requirements

What Great Looks Like: Qualifications

This role needs a seller who can also execute. Backgrounds vary: venue sales, wedding and event management, hotel or catering sales, hospitality operations. What matters is that you have closed business and delivered on it.

Required

Minimum 4 years in event sales, event coordination, venue sales, or a comparable hospitality management role

Demonstrated success selling events and hitting revenue or booking targets

Skilled in hospitality-driven communication and guest relationship management; you build trust quickly and keep it

Highly organized