Inside the role that makes meetings seamless
What is the job description and training involved in being a concierge?
As a Meeting Concierge, my job description, for the most part, entails the following:
- Coordinate meetings with convention service managers, sales managers and catering managers to review and confirm all details for upcoming group events.
- Conduct on-site inspections of meeting rooms to ensure they are arranged in line with the meeting or banquet event order.
- Support the supervision of banquet set-ups, AV, IT and other operational teams to meet the clients’ specific event needs.
- Perform walkthroughs of convention and meeting spaces before and after events to ensure there is no damage and that they meet planners’ expectations.
- Oversee all break and refreshment schedules, ensuring timely service delivery that aligns with meeting planners’ expectations.
- Participate in all pre-convention meetings, providing in-depth insight and ensuring the success of client events.
- Assist the convention services manager with current in-house groups while they focus on upcoming events.
In a nutshell, we are the boots-on-the-ground team that acts as the liaison between our in-house groups and the resort’s operational teams. We are a one-stop catch-all that can assist with any group guest needs.
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Our training for this role is very comprehensive. We have several weeks dedicated to meeting with integral operational departments and key players to gain an understanding of their day-to-day operations. This gives us a chance to grow accustomed to providing the highest levels of service to our guests to meet and exceed their expectations.
How can meeting planners tap into this resource when they are on site and even before they arrive for the site inspection and the event?
Pre-arrival emails are sent to introduce the team and begin building rapport with the planners as an added layer of support. Once the client comes on-site, we will initiate a group chat with the visiting teams. This creates a streamlined effect and helps get the client solutions fast.
What could they ask you vs. their convention services manager?
Being “on the floor” gives us inside knowledge of happenings at ARIA and its convention space. We can help with tasks like supporting daily events, local recommendations for dinner or a fun activity for the team. We can also assist with needs as simple as a guest looking to retrieve their missing phone, as we have direct communications with all of the property’s support teams.
“We are a one-stop catch-all that can assist with any group guest needs.”
— Preston Naglieri
What do you wish meeting planners knew about working with a concierge?
We like to think of ourselves as an extension to a planner’s team. We are here to ensure their program’s success and smooth operation. MGM Resorts International embodies a “say yes” mentality that empowers us to take care of the client and find creative solutions to challenges.
We take pride in offering our personal touches to everything we do and look for new and innovative ways of creating “wow!” moments.
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Preston Naglieri is a meeting concierge at ARIA Resort & Casino, part of MGM Resorts, where he partners with meeting planners and property teams to deliver seamless, high-quality events
