Linda Butterfield
Santa Rosa,CA
Summary
Hands-on, safety-conscious hospitality professional with 11+ years of experience as event manager, 5+ years as director of banquets, and 3+ years as food and beverage outlet manager. Proven ability to successfully plan, execute, and manage high-end events, including corporate functions, social gatherings, and celebrity weddings. Inspirational leader who excels at developing loyal teams devoted to providing unforgettable guest experiences.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Banquet Director
Montage of Healdsburg
Healdsburg, CA
12.2021 - Current
- Ensures seamless orchestration of all aspects of banquet and catering events for 5-Star luxury hotel, including event schedule development, event execution, staff training and management, client coordination, budgeting, inventory control, vendor negotiations, and post-event client follow-up
- Facilitated higher employee engagement, reduced turnover, and generated higher guest satisfaction scores
- Latest Employee Engagement Score was 4.73/5 and Meeting Planning Score was 9.5/10
- Provides inspirational mentorship to receptive staff members, furthering their career development
- Mentorship has resulted in several employees procuring in-house/outside management roles
- Gives compelling presentations to wedding planers, meeting planners, and prospective clients, resulting in steady flow of new and repeat business
- Creates custom event designs for clients and purchases design materials
- Coordinates with clients to fully understand their needs/preferences and communicates those needs and preferences to staff
- Calmly resolves any issues arising during events and conducts post-event evaluations
- Keeps costs of goods/equipment in line with budgetary constraints through skillful negotiations with vendors
- Monitors event budgets and ensures cost-effective solutions
Senior Event Manager
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa
Sonoma, CA
03.2009 - 12.2021
- Managed all facets of onsite and offsite events for Sonoma, CA location of international luxury hotel chain
- Planned/staffed/oversaw multiple high-end events simultaneously and handled all event logistics
- Worked with client designers/departments and in-house departments to plan and create enticing event themes, resulting in high level of client satisfaction
- Updated event presentations to reflect contemporary themes and collaborated with chef to develop flexible menu offerings to accommodate guests with special diets
- Handled emergency situations in calm, timely manner
- Increased business annually (pre-COVID) by successfully executing event plans and logistics
- Placed in top 5% in Colleague Engagement Surveys for all U.S.-based Fairmont hotels, and in top 10% in JD Power Surveys
- Hired, trained, scheduled, developed, and mentored event personnel, and oversaw up to 60 event employees at any given time
- Engendered loyalty through strong leadership and open-door management style, resulting in low turnover and staff devoted to satisfying all customer expectations
- Ensured event staff employees requisitioned by other department heads were treated fairly
- Some event staff members had been working at this Fairmont location for 25 years
- Provided accurate accounting for P&L statements, purchases and payroll to ensure adherence to corporate budgetary mandates
- Consistently stayed within $1M annual budget for purchases and $500K per month for event staff payroll/benefits
Food and Beverage Outlet Manager
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa
Sonoma, CA
09.2005 - 03.2009
- Managed food and beverage operations as Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn food/beverage outlet manager
- Hired, trained, scheduled, and oversaw staff of 20+ workers; managed beverage inventories; ensured all F&B industry standards met; and coordinated offsite community events promoting Fairmont dining outlets
- Collaborated with chef to change menus based on guest requests
- Encouraged employee self-direction, resulting in staff willingness to act to forestall bad outcomes
- Example – during 2015, when area earthquake knocked out local power, kitchen staff acted independently to erect outdoor cooking facility that enabled uninterrupted guest meal service
- Attended chamber of commerce and rotary club meetings to ensure sound community relations
- Promoted to event manager in recognition of work that improved F&B outlet department
Hotel Manager
Lawson’s Station/Hopland Inn
Hopland, CA
04.2002 - 09.2005
- Operated two adjacent boutique luxury inns (12- and 22-room capacities) and associated 65-seat restaurant for offsite owners
- Played key role in opening restaurant by hiring/training/supervising staff, purchasing equipment and designing interior
- Handled daily accounting, purchased supplies, coordinated special in-house events, and networked locally to develop community support
Education
Liberal Arts
Stockton University
Pomona, NJSkills
- Staff Development
- Event Oversight
- Event Planning
- Food/Beverage Mgt
- P&L Accountability
- Inventory Control
- Staffing/Workflow
- Payroll/Benefits
- Operations Mgt
- Persuasive Presentations
- Client Liaising
- Budget Conscious
- Deadline-Oriented
- SOP Development
- Detail-Oriented
- Sound Communications
Timeline
Senior Banquet Director
Montage of Healdsburg
12.2021 - Current
Senior Event Manager
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa
03.2009 - 12.2021
Food and Beverage Outlet Manager
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa
09.2005 - 03.2009
Hotel Manager
Lawson’s Station/Hopland Inn
04.2002 - 09.2005
Liberal Arts
Stockton University