Proof Concepts / The Old Icehouse is looking for an outgoing, organized, relationship-driven Hospitality Sales & Events Manager to grow our catering and private events business throughout Edmond and the Oklahoma City metro.
This is a sales position first. We are looking for someone who enjoys meeting people, building relationships, developing new business, and turning an initial conversation into a booked event. You'll also serve as a knowledgeable guide for clients, helping them determine which of our venues, catering options, bar services, or combination of services best fits their event.
You'll have a diverse hospitality portfolio to sell. From a 15-person executive dinner to a 150-person company party, an office lunch delivered across town to an off-site wedding with full food and bar service, your job is to find opportunities and connect clients with the right experience.
What You'll Sell
The Hospitality Sales & Events Manager represents the full Proof Concepts catering and events portfolio, including:
The Old Icehouse
Our restaurant, bar, live music venue, and event space in Downtown Edmond. Opportunities include private and semi-private events, company parties, rehearsal dinners, celebrations, large gatherings, food and beverage packages, and full or partial venue rentals.
The Stables
An intimate private event space designed for private dinners, bridal and baby showers, birthdays, graduation parties, meetings, workshops, small receptions, and other gatherings.
Round Midnight
Our intimate cocktail lounge available for private events and buyouts. An ideal setting for cocktail receptions, corporate happy hours, client entertaining, birthdays, pre- and post-event gatherings, and elevated private parties.
Catering
Food catering from The Old Icehouse and our forthcoming deli/café concept, ranging from convenient office catering and boxed lunches to buffets, family-style meals, chef-driven dinners, holiday catering, and fully staffed off-site events.
Off-Site Bar & Beverage Service
Professional bar service brought to the client's location, including bartenders, craft cocktails, beer and wine service, non-alcoholic beverage programs, and custom beverage experiences.
Corporate & Business Hospitality
Office lunches, breakfast meetings, board meetings, employee appreciation events, client entertainment, company celebrations, holiday parties, happy hours, and recurring catering accounts.
Weddings & Social Events
Rehearsal dinners, wedding-related gatherings, showers, receptions, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, family celebrations, and other milestone events.
Seasonal & Holiday Programs
Holiday office catering, company Christmas parties, Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings, cocktail parties, seasonal entertaining, and other limited-time catering and event packages.
This position will also have opportunities to represent new venues, concepts, and hospitality offerings as they are added to our portfolio.
What You'll Do
Generate New Business
- Proactively identify and develop catering and event leads throughout Edmond and the greater Oklahoma City area.
- Build relationships with businesses, offices, event planners, wedding professionals, nonprofits, schools, churches, community organizations, and other potential clients.
- Conduct regular outbound prospecting through personal visits, phone calls, email, networking, referrals, and community involvement.
- Develop recurring corporate catering accounts rather than relying solely on one-time events.
- Maintain relationships with previous clients and actively pursue repeat business.
- Identify opportunities for seasonal sales, particularly holiday parties and catering.
Manage & Close Leads
- Respond promptly and professionally to incoming catering and event inquiries.
- Learn what the client is trying to accomplish and recommend the best venue, menu, beverage program, or combination of services.
- Prepare proposals, estimates, and event packages.
- Conduct venue tours and client meetings.
- Follow up consistently with prospective clients.
- Negotiate within established pricing and profitability guidelines.
- Convert qualified inquiries into booked business.
- Collect contracts, deposits, and required event information.
Develop Client Relationships
- Serve as a primary point of contact during the sales and planning process.
- Build long-term relationships with corporate clients and community partners.
- Create an experience that makes clients want to use Proof Concepts again for their next meeting, celebration, or event.
- Develop referral relationships with event planners, wedding professionals, hotels, businesses, and other organizations.
- Represent Proof Concepts professionally at networking events, community functions, and industry gatherings.
Coordinate With Our Operations Team
- Communicate event details clearly to venue managers, culinary teams, bar teams, and event staff.
- Ensure sold packages can be executed operationally and profitably.
- Participate in event handoff and planning meetings when necessary.
- Work with culinary and beverage leadership to develop packages and custom offerings.
- Maintain accurate event, client, sales, and follow-up information within our event management/CRM systems.
- Track sales pipeline, booked revenue, upcoming opportunities, and lost business.
Help Grow the Program
- Provide feedback on catering menus, packages, pricing, and sales materials based on what clients are requesting.
- Work with leadership and marketing to develop seasonal campaigns and sales opportunities.
- Help build our corporate catering database and prospect lists.
- Identify new revenue opportunities across our existing spaces and concepts.
- Help establish Proof Concepts as a go-to resource for catering, private events, and hospitality throughout the Edmond/OKC market.
What We're Looking For
The right person is naturally comfortable talking to people and isn't afraid to initiate a relationship. You should be equally comfortable walking into a local business to introduce yourself, conducting a venue tour, preparing a proposal, and following up with a client until a decision is made.
We're especially interested in candidates with experience in hospitality sales, catering, events, hotels, restaurants, wedding/event planning, outside sales, business development, or a similar relationship-based sales role.
You should be:
- Personable, confident, and genuinely hospitable
- Motivated by sales goals and performance-based compensation
- Comfortable with outbound prospecting and developing your own leads
- Highly organized and capable of managing multiple opportunities simultaneously
- An excellent written and verbal communicator
- Detail-oriented when preparing proposals and communicating event requirements
- Comfortable working independently while collaborating closely with restaurant and venue teams
- Familiar with the Edmond and Oklahoma City business/community landscape, or motivated to become so
- Available for occasional evening or weekend client meetings, venue tours, networking events, or major events as needed
Hospitality or event experience is valuable, but we are equally interested in a strong salesperson who understands relationship building, follow-through, and exceptional customer service.
How We Define Success
Success in this position isn't measured by how many inquiries you answer. It's measured by the business you create.
We'll look at metrics including new accounts developed, catering and event revenue generated, gross profit, conversion rate, repeat business, corporate account growth, venue utilization, average event value, and overall growth of the Proof Concepts catering and events division.
Our goal is to build a robust hospitality sales program that generates business year-round.
Compensation
This position includes base compensation plus performance-based commissions and incentives, creating significant earning potential for someone who can consistently develop and close new business.
Compensation structure may include commissions on catering and event sales, new-account incentives, and performance bonuses tied to individual and overall catering/event growth.
Full-time and part-time structures may be considered for the right candidate.
About Proof Concepts
Proof Concepts is an Edmond-based hospitality company focused on creating memorable places and experiences centered around food, drinks, music, and community.
Our portfolio includes The Old Icehouse, Round Midnight, The Stables, catering and off-site hospitality services, and additional concepts currently in development.
We're building something larger than a collection of restaurants. We're creating a hospitality platform that gives our guests multiple ways to gather, celebrate, entertain, and connect ... and we're looking for someone who wants to help us grow it.
Pay: $18.00 - $38.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
Work Location: In person
