Corporate & MICE Sales Associate - Courtyard Brussels Hotel

Position Summary

The Corporate & MICE Sales Associate is responsible for driving revenue growth through a combination of proactive business development, account management, reactive sales support, and commercial coordination activities.

The role focuses on identifying, developing, and converting new business opportunities within the Corporate and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) segments, while maintaining and growing relationships with existing clients.

The successful candidate will be expected to manage a portfolio of accounts, conduct regular sales activities, build a strong pipeline of opportunities, provide valuable market intelligence, and contribute actively to the hotel's commercial objectives. The role requires a commercially driven individual who is comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy, taking ownership of their sales results, and collaborating effectively with internal stakeholders to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

The position may also support proposal generation, contracting, and event-related coordination activities based on business needs and departmental priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Proactive Sales & Business Development

- Identify, qualify, and develop new business opportunities within the Corporate and MICE segments.

- Conduct regular prospecting activities through telephone outreach, email campaigns, LinkedIn networking, client appointments, sales calls, and networking events.

- Generate qualified leads and convert them into revenue-producing accounts.

- Build, manage, and grow a portfolio of assigned accounts.

- Develop and expand the hotel's contact database and prospect pipeline.

- Establish relationships with key decision makers, executive assistants, office managers, travel coordinators, procurement teams, event planners, and corporate stakeholders.

- Conduct client meetings, presentations, hotel site inspections, and familiarization visits.

- Represent the hotel at trade fairs, industry functions, chambers of commerce, networking events, and Marriott sales initiatives.

- Develop account plans designed to increase market share, room revenue, meeting revenue, F&B revenue, and ancillary spend.

- Maintain regular communication and business review meetings with existing clients.

- Ensure consistent, timely, and strategic follow-up on all leads, proposals, quotations, and business opportunities to maximize conversion.

Account Management

- Manage and develop assigned Corporate and MICE accounts.

- Build long-term relationships that encourage repeat business and customer loyalty.

- Identify opportunities for account growth and increased market share.

- Maintain accurate customer profiles and account histories within CRM and hotel systems.

- Ensure a professional and proactive approach to client relationship management.

Reactive Sales & Contracting

- Act as a point of contact for incoming Corporate, Group, and Meeting enquiries.

- Prepare professional proposals, quotations, and contracts using approved hotel systems and processes.

- Negotiate rates, terms, and conditions within approved commercial guidelines.

- Apply upselling and cross-selling techniques to maximize revenue opportunities.

- Follow up on tentative bookings, proposals, and outstanding opportunities.

- Maintain accurate and timely records of all enquiries, opportunities, and confirmed business.

- Ensure prompt and professional communication throughout the sales process.

Event & Commercial Support

- Support the Events team with contracting, handover, and coordination activities when required.

- Assist with event planning and administrative support during periods of high demand.

- Facilitate effective communication between clients and operational departments.

- Support hotel site inspections, customer visits, and familiarization tours.

- Contribute to ensuring a seamless client experience from initial enquiry through event execution.

Market Intelligence & Commercial Insights

- Monitor market trends, economic developments, and business opportunities within the Corporate, MICE, Government, and local business communities.

- Track competitor activity, including pricing strategies, commercial initiatives, account movements, and market positioning.

- Identify emerging demand generators, new companies, office developments, conferences, exhibitions, infrastructure projects, and local events that may generate new business opportunities.

- Gather and share client feedback, market intelligence, and commercial insights to support business decisions and strategic planning.

- Prepare and contribute to weekly activity reviews, pipeline reporting, and monthly forecasting exercises.

- Participate actively in commercial and sales strategy meetings, providing recommendations, account insights, and market observations.

- Maintain awareness of industry trends and developments affecting the Brussels hotel, meetings, and corporate travel markets.

Reporting & Administration

- Maintain accurate records of all sales activities, prospecting efforts, client interactions, and opportunities.

- Produce regular activity reports, pipeline updates, account reports, and forecast information.

- Monitor conversion ratios and sales performance metrics.

- Support budgeting, forecasting, and business planning processes.

- Ensure compliance with Marriott standards, departmental procedures, and data quality requirements.

- Complete all assigned administrative tasks within required deadlines.

Autonomy & Decision-Making

The Corporate & MICE Sales Associate is expected to work with a high degree of autonomy, initiative, and accountability.

Within established commercial guidelines, the employee is expected to:

- Organize and manage their own weekly sales schedule and prospecting plan.

- Conduct client visits, networking activities, and business development initiatives independently.

- Proactively identify opportunities and develop action plans to secure new business.

- Prioritize sales opportunities to maximize revenue generation.

- Build and maintain strong customer relationships through regular contact and follow-up.

- Recommend commercial initiatives, market opportunities, and account development strategies to management.

- Take ownership of assigned revenue goals, account portfolios, and sales activity targets.

Regular coaching, strategic direction, and performance reviews will be provided by the Director of Sales and Events Manager.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be evaluated against agreed objectives, which may include:

Sales Activity

- Prospecting calls completed.

- Outbound sales emails and LinkedIn outreach activities.

- Client meetings conducted.

- Sales visits completed.

- Networking events attended.

- New contacts added to the prospect database.

Business Development

- Qualified opportunities generated.

- New accounts acquired.

- Growth of assigned account portfolio.

- Revenue generated from new business.

- Market share growth within target segments.

Conversion & Revenue

- Proposal-to-confirmation conversion rate.

- Corporate room revenue generated.

- MICE and meeting revenue generated.

- Upselling and cross-selling performance.

- Revenue contribution against individual targets.

Account Management

- Account retention and development.

- Frequency of client engagement activities.

- Client satisfaction and relationship strength.

- Accuracy and quality of CRM data management.

Market Intelligence & Commercial Contribution

- Quality and relevance of market intelligence shared with the commercial team.

- Identification of new business opportunities and emerging market segments.

- Contribution to sales action plans and commercial initiatives.

- Accuracy of pipeline updates and revenue forecasts.

- Active participation in commercial meetings and business reviews.

Professional Standards

- Accuracy and timeliness of proposals and contracts.

- Quality of reporting and administration.

- Compliance with Marriott standards and hotel procedures.

- Collaboration with internal departments and colleagues.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

- Previous experience in hospitality sales, business development, account management, events, or a related commercial role.

- Demonstrated ability to generate new business and develop client relationships.

- Experience within the Corporate and/or MICE segments is preferred.

- Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

- Self-motivated and results-oriented with a proactive sales mindset.

- Strong organizational and time-management skills.

- Ability to work independently while contributing positively to a team environment.

- Experience with Opera, Salesforce, CI/TY, Delphi, or similar hotel systems is advantageous.

- Fluency in English is required; French and/or Dutch are strongly preferred.

At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates.  We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.