Assistant Manager – Events
About the job
Shangri-La Group - Sri Lanka
Shangri-La Hotel Colombo overlooks the Indian Ocean in the heart of the business district with direct access to the most extensive international shopping mall in Sri Lanka, Shangri-La’s own One Galle Face Mall. The hotel offers the finest accommodation in Colombo, an exciting new dining and social scene and the largest and extensive hotel conference and event facilities. The hotel comprises of 541 rooms and suites.
At Shangri-La, hospitality from the heart defines who we are. We are seeking an energetic, organized, and customer-focused professional to join our Events team as an Assistant Events Manager. In this role, you will support the planning and execution of exceptional events, ensuring seamless coordination, operational excellence, and memorable experiences that reflect Shangri-La's renowned standards of hospitality.
In the role, we rely on you to:
- Serve as the primary point of contact for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) guests, understanding their business objectives and delivering tailored event solutions.
- Collaborate with cross-functional hotel teams to plan and execute seamless MICE events, ensuring exceptional service delivery and a consistent guest experience.
- Manage end-to-end coordination of corporate meetings, conferences, incentive groups, exhibitions, and large-scale events, from initial enquiry and proposal development to on-site execution and post-event follow-up.
- Conduct site inspections, guest presentations, pre-conference meetings, and post-event reviews to ensure event readiness, guest satisfaction, and continuous improvement.
- Identify opportunities to maximize MICE revenue through strategic upselling of meeting packages, accommodation, food and beverage, audiovisual facilities, and other event-related services.
- Lead, coach, and motivate the Events team to achieve MICE sales targets, operational excellence, and consistently high service standards.
- Ensure all MICE events are delivered in accordance with signed contracts, event specifications, budgets, service-level agreements, and Shangri-La's brand standards.
We Are Looking for Someone Who has:
- Minimum 2 years of experience in MICE, event planning, or banqueting within a luxury hotel or a similar hospitality environment.
- Familiarity with Property Management Systems (PMS), Sales and Catering systems, Banquet Event Orders (BEOs), and conference planning processes.
- Proven ability to coordinate multiple MICE events simultaneously, manage competing priorities, and deliver events within tight deadlines.
- Strong attention to detail, with the ability to manage event specifications, function setups, guest requirements, and operational arrangements while maintaining luxury brand standards.
Why Join Us
- A workplace that values your passion and supports self-realization and personal growth.
- Structured learning and development pathways with real opportunities to advance your professional craft and leadership skills.
- Competitive benefits, recognition programs, and colleague stay/travel perks that reward your contribution and dedication.
- Teams that promote inclusion and respect, value diversity, and foster a secure environment where everyone can thrive.
We are an equal opportunity employer. Applications from all qualified candidates are welcomed. All information provided by applicants will be treated in and used only for recruitment purposes.
We appreciate your interest in joining us. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.