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Events , Forbes Travel Guide Management Excellence Level 1 , Hospitality Management

Forbes Travel Guide Events Forum

Members Joined: 54 Members Joined

Total Views: 5933 People Visited

Duration: 04:34 hours

Free

The Forbes Travel Guide Events Forum is part of the Forbes Travel Guide Management Excellence Programme. It consists of three courses.

Event Sales

Booking group business and selling your property’s event spaces is a competitive business. We will discuss the effective techniques needed to win in event sales, properly prepare for the meetings and the importance of building relationships based on trust and credibility. Tips on closing the sale and staying connected will also be reviewed.

Event Management

Creating a memorable event requires a high level of coordination across many staff and departments. In this session, we will review different types of banquet service and compare that to restaurant service. We will also discuss the foundational service standards expected from the event team. The session will end with a discussion on common challenges in events along with service recovery techniques.

Leading with Different Personality Types

Gain insight into various personality types using the Enneagram method. The Enneagram defines nine different personality types from three “centers” including The Instinctive Center, The Feeling Center and The Thinking Center. Each participant will get a sense of their own personality type along with the strengths and opportunities of their corresponding leadership styles.

Event Sales

Duration
- Event Sales
  
  01:03 hour(s)
- Quiz 1
  
  00:30 hour(s)
Event Management

Duration
- Event Management
  
  01:00 hour(s)
- Quiz 2
  
  00:30 hour(s)
Leading with different personality types

Duration
- Leading With Different Personality Types
  
  01:00 hour(s)
- Quiz 3
  
  00:30 hour(s)

Megan Torrance

Director, Learning & Development, The Americas Forbes Travel Guide

Megan Torrance has spent over 15 years working extensively in luxury property operations. From large, prestigious resorts to small Relais & Châteaux hotels, Torrance has garnered broad management experience across virtually every operational function, including executive management roles at star-rated properties. Driven by the vision of delivering outstanding service, Torrance has been singularly instrumental in leading hospitality teams in the application of Forbes Travel Guide standards. Torrance’s passion for luxury hotels and service led to a degree in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University. Immediately following, she secured a career starter on food and beverage teams at Four Seasons hotels in Chicago and at the Aviara property in Carlsbad, California. While working in Telluride, Colorado, Torrance transitioned to the rooms division, gained critical human resources skills, and then progressed onto a management path where she gained experience across every operational outlet and oversaw a resort-based Homeowner’s Association (HOA). Equipped with an in-depth, comprehensive understanding of hotel management, Torrance went on to assume the role of Assistant General Manager of Lake Placid Lodge, eventually becoming the Residence Manager. Building upon this success, she later served as the General Manager of the Point resort, and Hotel and Residence Manager at Calistoga Ranch, an Auberge Resort. Prior to starting at Forbes Travel Guide, Torrance had become deeply involved in internal leadership development and the cultivation of in-house and new talent. Focused on guiding teams to achieve the highest luxury standard, she zeroed in on consistent training of hospitality staff, ensuring top level commitment that led to the regular extension of coveted star rankings. She now brings these superior service values to the table as an Director of Learning & Development for the Americas. Torrance has trained on five continents, from small boutique hotels in ski towns, to vast, multi-purpose properties in Paris, Tokyo, Saudi Arabia and Macau.

Melanie Whitaker

Executive Trainer - Forbes Travel Guide

Melanie Whitaker has a gift for developing hotel brand ambassadors that deliver outstanding personal service. Before joining Forbes Travel Guide in 2015, Whitaker spent more than 10 years at Starwood Hotels and Dorchester Collection in the United States and Europe. Over this time, she became professionally versed in implementing new learning initiatives and unfolding top-notch frontline staff capabilities. Most recently, Whitaker served as the Director of Learning and Development for Dorchester Collection’s hotels in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Following graduation from Appalachian State University with a major in hospitality and tourism management, Whitaker began her career in the rooms division of a Four- Star resort hotel in North Carolina. A few years later, she combined her enthusiasm for hospitality with her love of travel and moved to London to work at Starwood Hotels, where she gained invaluable experience and fine-tuned her skills. Her interest in developing others was apparent from the beginning of her career, and Whitaker began to pursue this passion in London, transitioning into learning and development full time. During her tenure with Dorchester Collection in Europe, Whitaker led the Learning and Development team that opened 45 Park Lane in London and Coworth Park in Ascot. In her role as Director, she successfully created an induction process and wrote leadership development courses that were launched at all hotels within this luxury collection. When Forbes Travel Guide expanded into Europe, Whitaker helped The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane achieve Five-Star status, and Coworth Park earn an Editors’ Pick. Now as an Executive Trainer, Whitaker brings proven expertise in shaping diverse talent to the table, with notable proficiencies in integrating new skills and behaviors, building team cohesion and cultivating the drive for high levels of performance. In addition to her degree and extensive knowledge of the luxury hospitality industry, she holds certifications as a Myers-Briggs and FIRO-B practitioner and is also a trained Gallup Strengthsfinder coach.