Sr. Executive / Assistant Manager – MICE, Events, Hotels & Travel Procurement

Job description

Role Overview The Sr. Executive – MICE, Events, Hotels & Travel Procurement will be responsible for managing end-to-end sourcing and procurement activities related to MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions), corporate events, hotels, business travel, employee travel, and related hospitality services. The role will be responsible for identifying and developing vendors, negotiating competitive commercial terms, managing RFQs/RFPs, evaluating proposals, coordinating bookings and event requirements, managing contracts, and ensuring cost-effective and high-quality services. The position will work closely with Business, HR, Administration, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Sales, and other internal stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of events and travel requirements while maintaining compliance with company procurement policies and approval processes. Key Responsibilities 1. MICE & Event Procurement ● Manage end-to-end procurement for corporate events, conferences, meetings, exhibitions, offsites, dealer/distributor meets, employee events, town halls, award functions and incentive programs. ● Understand event requirements including venue, accommodation, food & beverage, transportation, branding, audio-visual, production, entertainment, manpower and other event-related services. ● Identify and onboard suitable event management agencies, production houses, destination management companies (DMCs), and other event service providers. ● Float RFQs/RFPs and obtain competitive commercial proposals from multiple vendors. ● Prepare detailed commercial comparisons covering venue, food & beverage, room rates, production, AV, transportation, manpower and other event costs. ● Negotiate event packages, venue charges, minimum guarantees, cancellation terms, attrition clauses and other commercial conditions. ● Support business teams in finalizing venues and vendors based on commercial, quality, location, capacity, and service parameters. ● Monitor event budgets and identify opportunities for cost optimization. ● Ensure timely closure of event-related procurement activities and vendor payments. 2. Hotel & Accommodation Procurement ● Manage sourcing and procurement of hotels for corporate stays, employee travel, business meetings, conferences, offsites and events. ● Develop and maintain a network of preferred hotels across key business locations. ● Negotiate corporate rates, room tariffs, meal plans, conference packages, and other hotel services. ● Negotiate volume-based discounts and annual corporate rate agreements with hotel chains and individual properties. ● Compare hotel proposals based on room rates, inclusions, taxes, cancellation policies, location, amenities, and service levels. ● Manage hotel rate contracts and ensure timely renewal. ● Monitor hotel performance, service quality, commercial compliance, and stakeholder feedback. ● Identify opportunities for hotel consolidation and preferred-vendor arrangements to achieve better commercial benefits. 3. Travel Procurement ● Manage procurement and commercial arrangements for domestic and international business travel. ● Coordinate with travel management companies (TMCs), airlines, hotels, cab vendors, and other travel service providers. ● Negotiate travel service fees, transaction charges, corporate fares, hotel rates, cancellation charges, and other commercial terms. ● Evaluate and onboard suitable travel agencies/TMCs based on service capability, technology, geographical coverage, commercial competitiveness, and SLA commitments. ● Monitor travel spend and identify opportunities for cost optimization. ● Support implementation of preferred airline, hotel, and transportation arrangements. ● Review travel-related invoices and ensure adherence to agreed commercial terms. ● Monitor service levels and resolve vendor-related issues in coordination with internal stakeholders. 4. Transportation & Ground Handling ● Source and manage vendors for employee transportation, airport transfers, event transportation, intercity travel, local cabs, buses, and other mobility requirements. ● Negotiate vehicle rates, packages, kilometer slabs, waiting charges, driver charges, tolls, parking, and other applicable costs. ● Ensure appropriate service levels, vehicle availability, safety requirements, and compliance documentation. ● Develop alternate vendors for critical locations and large-scale events. ● Monitor vendor performance and resolve operational or commercial issues. 5. Vendor Management & Strategic Sourcing ● Identify, evaluate, onboard, and manage vendors across MICE, events, hotels, travel, and transportation categories. ● Develop a strong vendor network across major cities and event destinations. ● Conduct market benchmarking and periodic vendor evaluations. ● Maintain vendor database, commercial history, contracts, and performance records. ● Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews based on cost, quality, responsiveness, service delivery, and stakeholder feedback. ● Develop alternate sources to reduce vendor dependency and ensure business continuity. 6. Commercial Negotiation & Cost Optimization ● Prepare detailed comparative statements and commercial evaluation reports for events, hotels, travel, and related services. ● Negotiate pricing, packages, payment terms, cancellation charges, service fees, credit terms, and other commercial conditions. ● Benchmark proposed rates against historical prices, market rates, alternate vendors, and contracted rates. ● Identify opportunities for volume discounts, annual rate contracts, bundled pricing, preferred vendor arrangements, and rate standardization. ● Track procurement savings and cost avoidance achieved through negotiations. ● Support annual budgeting and spend forecasting for MICE, travel, hotel, and event categories. 7. PR-to-PO & Procurement Operations ● Manage the complete PR-to-PO procurement cycle for assigned categories. ● Validate requirements, scope of work, budgets, quantities, and commercial proposals. ● Coordinate with stakeholders for timely PR creation, approvals, RFQ/RFP, commercial evaluation, and PO release. ● Ensure POs/contracts accurately capture agreed commercial, service, cancellation, and payment terms. ● Coordinate with Finance for invoice validation and payment-related issues. ● Maintain complete procurement documentation for audit and compliance purposes. 8. Contract & Compliance Management ● Coordinate with Legal and other stakeholders for review and execution of vendor agreements, rate contracts, MSAs, SLAs, and event-specific contracts. ● Ensure contracts include appropriate provisions for cancellation, refund, force majeure, liability, service levels, confidentiality, payment terms, and dispute resolution. ● Track contract expiry, renewal dates, notice periods, and commercial validity. ● Ensure procurement activities comply with company procurement policies, approval matrix, and internal controls. ● Maintain complete documentation for internal and external audits. 9. Event Execution & Stakeholder Coordination ● Work closely with Business, HR, Admin, Marketing, Sales, and other teams to understand event and travel requirements. ● Coordinate with event agencies, hotels, travel partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure timely execution. ● Support venue visits, commercial negotiations, and finalization of event arrangements. ● Monitor vendor deliverables against agreed scope, timelines, and budgets. ● Resolve last-minute commercial and operational issues during events and business travel. ● Capture stakeholder feedback and incorporate learnings into future sourcing decisions. Skills & Competencies ● Strong understanding of MICE, corporate events, hotel procurement, travel, and hospitality services. ● Strong commercial negotiation and vendor management skills. ● Good knowledge of hotel contracting, corporate rates, event costing, and travel procurement. ● Strong analytical and cost-comparison capabilities. ● Ability to evaluate event proposals and calculate overall event/project cost. ● Good understanding of contracts, SLAs, cancellation policies, attrition clauses, and commercial terms. ● Strong stakeholder management and communication skills. ● Good working knowledge of MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. ● Experience with procurement/ERP tools and PR-to-PO workflows. ● Ability to manage multiple events, travel requirements, and procurement projects simultaneously. ● Strong attention to detail and ability to work under tight timelines. ● Problem-solving and negotiation-oriented mindset. Qualification & Experience ● Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Travel & Tourism, Commerce, Supply Chain, or a related discipline. ● 5–7 years of relevant experience in MICE, Events, Travel, Hospitality, Hotel Procurement, or Corporate Procurement. ● Experience in a corporate procurement environment will be preferred. ● Candidates with experience in event procurement, hotel contracting, travel management, TMC management, and commercial negotiations will be preferred. ● Experience handling large-scale corporate events, employee offsites, conferences, exhibitions, or incentive programs will be an added advantage. Preferred Candidate Profile The ideal candidate should be a commercially strong and execution-oriented procurement professional with hands-on experience in MICE, events, hotels, travel, and hospitality categories. The candidate should be capable of independently managing the procurement lifecycle from requirement understanding and vendor sourcing through commercial negotiation, contract/PO execution, event/travel coordination, and vendor performance management. The candidate should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, handling multiple requirements simultaneously, negotiating with hotels and service providers, and delivering cost-effective solutions without compromising service quality or stakeholder experience.