Smart Meetings

hospitality school

A new grant from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation will be used to provide personalized progressive career preparation and leadership development strategies to students enrolled in the School of Hospitality Leadership at DePaul University.

The $1.8 million grant will help establish The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Center for Student Development and Engagement in DePaul’s School of Hospitality Leadership. One of the goals of the new center is to provide students a greater opportunity to engage with industry leaders and alumni for career success. The new center, based in downtown Chicago, is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

“This center will offer all prospective and enrolled hospitality students a visible and effective gateway into the hospitality profession and create important organizational and leadership advantages,” said Misty Johanson, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership.

Coupled with a highly specialized and cutting-edge four-year curriculum, the one-on-one development of soft and professional skills at the center will give DePaul students a competitive advantage as they advance in their careers, Johanson said.

The center’s curriculum will also offer a new ambassador program that will give hospitality leadership students the opportunity to work one-on-one in a mentor relationship at the executive level within the industry in Chicago. “Because of DePaul’s ideal location and tremendous industry support for the program, executives are eager to be involved in the School of Hospitality Leadership and the lives of its students,” Johanson said.

This new center provides DePaul’s School of Hospitality Leadership with additional key tools to help train students for leadership roles in hotels, restaurants and other tourism ventures. The demand for young professionals with advanced knowledge and business skills necessary to successfully compete in a global environment is accelerating, and with the help from this center will allow students to stand at the front of this rapidly growing and complex industry, according to Johanson.

Tools of the Trade

A new physical space, which will open in the fall, will include networking and professional development rooms equipped with updated technology and a space for one-on-one career coaching for students and industry leaders. In addition to the updated space, the grant will provide students a professional development and hospitality industry engagement plan that will be the focus of the center and encompassing the following:

–Individualized mentoring and career guidance.
–Customized internship planning.
–Leadership and soft skill seminars with workshops to include etiquette training and international service culture training.
–Networking events with programs to engage students with alumni and industry leaders.

“This investment will significantly enhance the ability of the School of Hospitality Leadership to offer generations of diverse students a competitive advantage of academic preparation and professional development, befitting one of the best applied hospitality management programs in the nation,” said Johanson, who is also an associate dean at DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business.

Equipping ‘Next Generation’ of Hospitality Leaders

The hallmark of the programming of the new center, which will be led by assistant professor Nicholas Thomas, is one-on-one individualized mentoring and career planning with the goal of creating innovative, comprehensive approaches to forming and educating the next generation of hospitality leaders.

The curriculum of the center will create, integrate and expand student development and engagement activities. The new center will also introduce processes for guiding and assessing each individual student’s development of knowledge, competencies, skills and dispositions sought in a successful hospitality industry professional, Thomas said.

The School of Hospitality Leadership, which launched in 2010 and is housed in DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business, is one of the nation’s leading business programs. The school developed an industry reputation as a leader in training students with a customized and innovative industry-endorsed curriculum.

A 2015 study by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education found DePaul’s School of Hospitality Leadership to be the top-rated most recognized program in Illinois. The study evaluated the status, challenges and opportunities of hospitality programs in the state and used DePaul’s program as its benchmark due to its significant growth over the past five years as a result of a well-structured curriculum and increased visibility of the program on campus and in the local community.

hotels in hawaii

It seems as though the Pacific Trade winds have brought a spirit of change to the Hawaiian Islands. As new restaurants, attractions and venues take root across the volcanic archipelago, there has never been a better time to visit—especially for conferences and incentive groups. Hotels on all of the islands have undergone numerous updates, revealing refreshed guest rooms, lobby spaces and additional meeting space. Take a look at these five tropical hotels that are guaranteed to offer a rejuvenating and inspiring experience for every attendee.

1. Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay overlooks the scenic inlet where the Wailua River meets the ocean. The hotel boasts 216 newly remodeled guest rooms with ergonomic furniture and modern island decor. Conveniently located on Kauai’s East coast, the hotel is just five miles from Lihue Airport (LIH) and a short drive to Kapaa town.

2. Further South, Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu has been selected by Marriott’s Autograph Collection to join its exclusive portfolio of luxury hotels upon completion of a multi-million dollar renovation in 2017. The 306 studio and villa resort has 12,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including seven breakout rooms, 6,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space and two 8,000 sq. ft. event lawns.

3. On the Big Island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has unveiled the brand new Kauna’oa Ballroom, adding nearly 3,500 sq. ft. of indoor function space to 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting space the hotel shares with Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. The new ballroom has floor-to-ceiling windows with Kauna’oa Bay in full view. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel offers 252 guest rooms, while Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel has 348 guest rooms.

4. After Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel nearly closed earlier this year, the property received new ownership and a name change to Pagoda Hilo Bay Hotel last February. Located on historic Banyan Drive along Hilo Bay shoreline, the hotel will retain its local-style hospitality and traditions established by founder and longtime owner William “Uncle Billy” Kimi, Jr. Pagoda Hilo Bay Hotel offers 145 guest rooms, meeting facilities, an oceanfront pool and a general store.

5. Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Oahu completed updates to its lobby and Kona Moku Ballroom earlier this year. The 7,000-square-foot ballroom is now configurable into three separate rooms and features new multicolored chandeliers, refreshed carpeting and wallpaper. It offers a total of 29,585 sq. ft. of meeting space and 18 meeting rooms. The 1,310-room hotel is steps away from world-famous Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head Crater.

DoubleTree-by-Hilton-Orlando-at-SeaWorld-New-Foyer-Space Lobby rendering

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld broke ground May 17 on an expansion project that will add 40,000 sq. ft. of new indoor/outdoor meeting space to the 1,004-room property, which already features 60,000 sq. ft. of conference center space, 36 breakout rooms and 7 outdoor venues.

With the expansion, DoubleTree by Hilton is underscoring its commitment to its meeting and events business. The business/leisure hotel is within walking distance of Orange County Convention Center. It features many high tech amenities, including wireless internet access, large-screen image magnification technology, high-definition teleconferencing capabilities and business center services.

DoubleTree-SeaWorld-Outdoor-Lawn Outdoor lawn rendering

“Our hotel is one of the largest DoubleTree properties in the world, so it is important that we continue to branch out and expand our already-impressive portfolio of services, amenities and onsite venues,” said Director of Sales & Marketing Steven Green in a press release. “Once complete, the new conference center and event space and accompanying services will result in more productive meetings, more seamless events and more memorable special occasions, all enjoyed in a more beautiful setting.”

The picturesque resort sits on 28 acres and boasts 3 swimming pools, 7 restaurants, L’Esprit Day Spa, a fitness center, a miniature golf course and a putting green. Located just 15 minutes from Orlando International Airport (MCO), the hotel offers free shuttle transportation to the theme parks.

Growth in the Orlando Market

DoubleTree-SeaWorld-New-Ballroom New ballroom rendering

Orlando Business Journal reports that AWH Partners, the group that owns DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, is carefully eying the Central Florida market, and alludes that the organization may initiate further projects in the region. AWH also owns the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort near Walt Disney World.

“We believe we need more space and a larger single ballroom [at DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando]. So we will have a single ballroom over 20,000 sq. ft. that alone will allow us to take on some new groups we otherwise couldn’t take,” Russ Flicker, co-manager and founding partner of AWH Partners, told Orlando Business Journal.

He notes that Orlando has become a four-season market, with hotels achieving an 80 percent occupancy rate year-round.

Orlando Tourism is Exploding

DoubleTree-SeaWorld-Outdoor-Event-Space Outdoor event space rendering

In early May Visit Orlando reported that the city drew a record 66.1 million people in 2015, a growth of 5.5 percent since 2014. It holds the title as the most visited destination in the United States. Over the past two decades hotel inventory has grown by more than 37 percent, rising to 117,000 guest rooms in 2015, and visitation to the destination has more than doubled.

The anticipated opening of new attractions at Orlando’s famed theme parks is expected to further drive tourism.

Luxury Travel

Global consumers are increasingly spending their disposable income on experiences rather than material goods. Their desire for these life experiences is spurring a growth in luxury travel that is outpacing the rest of the travel industry, according a new report commissioned by global travel technology company, Amadeus.

“Luxury means different things to different people and this is especially true today. As emergent middle classes seek the material aspect of luxury travel, more mature markets are craving a new, evolved kind of luxury,” says Rob Sinclair-Barnes, strategic marketing director at Amadeus IT Group. “This is why offering luxury customers a relevant personal and exclusive experience will become even more crucial than it is today–it will be a differentiating factor between old and new luxury.”

The report, Shaping the Future of Luxury Travel, reveals fresh challenges and opportunities that the luxury travel market will face over the next decade.

Some key findings from the report include:

–We have entered a new age of luxury travel, where luxury is curated, real-time and experience-led.
–A human desire for more rewarding experiences provides an essential catalyst to evolve and improve quality and service standards in the travel industry.
–A hierarchy of luxury travel needs is identified, ranging from five-star quality and service standards to exclusive VIP privacy and security.
–North America and Western Europe account for 64 percent of global outbound luxury trips, despite only making up 18 percent of the world’s population.
–From 2011-2025, the luxury travel market in Asia Pacific will see faster overall growth than in Europe, but this growth will decelerate from 2015-2025.

The report was developed with data from Tourism Economics and dozens of expert interviews with global luxury travel experts. They range from specialist travel concierge agencies, airlines, hoteliers and intermediary suppliers through Connections, a global networking event organizer for luxury travel providers.

“For travel companies, understanding their role in delivering an end-to-end luxury experience for a traveler is key to improving collaboration, and reinforcing an industry-wide push for consistent luxury service,” Sinclair-Barnes says. “Exploring the latest technologies and innovations for making the industry work better as a whole is key to achieving a new level of luxury that has never existed before.”

In 2015, Amadeus released a report called Future Traveler Tribes 2030, which identified six traveler tribes based on consumer behavior. The report recognized that purchasing patterns change depending on the circumstances of each trip. Using similar methodology, Shaping the Future of Luxury Travel identifies six luxury traveler tribes to help travel companies better target and serve the luxury customer market:

-Always Luxury: luxury is a minimum requirement rather than a perk.
-Special Occasion: luxury travel is a treat, not a given.
-Bluxury: their trip has a business objective, but they will extend it to enjoy a luxury leisure experience.
-Cash-Rich, Time-Poor: likely to seek and pay for third-party travel planning assistance.
-Strictly Opulent: seek the most glamorous experiences and will likely share on social media.
-Independent Affluent: often solo travelers seeking luxury travel to pamper themselves or try something new.

world's top meeting cities

Where are the top meeting cities around the world? Cvent, Inc. answers that question with its annual report based on meeting and event bookings through its Cvent Supplier Network. By sourcing nearly $9.8 billion in meetings and events globally through its marketplace in 2015, Cvent uses its data to create a repository of valuable statistics that can help meeting planners in a variety of ways.

The top three U.S. meeting and event cities, according to Cvent, are Orlando, Chicago and Las Vegas. Orlando has ranked No. 1 in four of the five years the ranking has been published. Chicago and Las Vegas switched places from the 2015 rankings.

In Europe, London, Barcelona and Amsterdam led the way. The Asia/Pacific market features Singapore, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“Meetings and events are critically important to the economies of cities of all sizes around the world,” says Kevin Fliess, vice president of marketing for Cvent’s Hospitality Cloud. “During the past five years we have tracked how cities across the U.S. compete. Factors that have often created a difference have included investments in infrastructure, hotel renovations within a city, economic factors that make a destination more appealing, and offering an alternative to mainstream destinations. More recently we have been tracking European and Asia/Pacific locations and are already seeing similar methods of competing. All of these cities can learn from multi-year leader Orlando that the only way to remain on top is to continue investing and innovating to remain competitive year after year.”

Cvent evaluated more than 5,000 U.S. cities to compile its fifth annual list. The rankings were based on activity from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2015, with the regards to the following criteria:

Unique request for proposals received
Total room nights
Awarded request for proposals
Awarded room nights
Percentage of qualified meeting venues
Number of profile views

Top Meeting Cities in U.S.

Orlando
Chicago
Las Vegas
Atlanta
San Diego
New York City
Washington, D.C.
Dallas
Nashville
New Orleans

Top Meeting Cities in Europe

London, England
Barcelona, Spain
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Paris, France
Berlin, Germany
Rome, Italy
Frankfurt, Germany
Madrid, Spain
Brussels, Belgium
Prague, Czech Republic

Top Meeting Cities in Asia/Pacific

Singapore
Sydney, Australia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Bangkok, Thailand
Hong Kong
Shanghai, China
Melbourne, Australia
Tokyo, Japan
Beijing, China
Seoul, South Korea

If you’ve been to a hotel lately, you may have noticed a curious phenomenon. In many establishments, the traditional front desk is morphing or disappearing entirely. This is part of a nationwide trend of more open and flexible lobby design.

As Jena Tesse Fox points out in a posting on hotelmanagement.net, the front desk used to be the definitive centerpiece of a hotel lobby. Today however, hotel lobbies are transforming to resemble residential living rooms, with small kiosks or hospitality stands replacing the imposing front desk. The thought is that this design is more friendly and inviting, and helps guests feel as though they are entering a home rather than a hotel.

Designer Lauren Rottet told Fox that in many cases the look of contemporary front desks is subtle, with the wall behind them becoming the focal point as opposed to the actual desk. In one design Rottet is working on, the desk faces a fireplace rather than the front door.

Ditching the Front Desk

In some cases, the concept of a front desk is being ditched entirely. In such scenarios, staff members approach guests as they enter the hotel, establishing immediate personal contact. The peripatetic front desk clerks then use portable tablets to quickly check guests in.

This approach is not confined to hotels. Some air carriers are exploring the same idea for flight check-in. In Melbourne, Australia, ticket counter representatives for Tigerair, a Singapore-based budget carrier, are abandoning the counter and greeting customers as they enter the terminal. Using an iPad mini equipped with a scanner, credit card reader and mini printer, they can check travelers in for their flights, print boarding passes and facilitate upgrade charges. An app then transmits information in real-time to the airline’s operations systems, allowing the ground crew to know exactly how many people have checked in, as well as the weight of their luggage.

Moxy is a new lifestyle brand from Marriott. Hip and stylish with a lot of unique features, it is designed to appeal to fun-loving, tech-savvy millennials. Instead of standing on a line at a stodgy front desk, Moxy guests can register using their smartphones or check-in in at the 24/7 bar, prominently located on the ground level. Moxy currently has three properties in Europe (Milan, Frankfurt and Munich), and two in the United States (Tempe, Arizona and New Orleans.) Three dozen more are slated to open in Europe and the United States by the end of 2017.

orlando-world-center-marriott

In my 10 years as a keynote speaker, I’ve spoken at hundreds of conferences and stayed in hundreds of hotels. As with anything any of us have done hundreds of times, many of those hotel experiences have been acceptably forgettable, neither so incredible or so awful that they merit a special place in my memory. I just walked into another hotel room, in fact, and this one hadn’t been cleaned, the bed was unmade, and all of the towels had been used. But even that isn’t a first.

Based on all of my conversations with the meeting planners who organize the events I speak at, many feel the same way. In 10 years I’ve heard a fair number of minor complaints (the cost relative to the quality of the venue, the speed of the service, etc.), but I’ve never heard a true horror story. Most of the time I don’t hear anything at all, which I assume means that the overall experience has been perfectly pleasant—nothing to write home about, nothing to sue over.

Orlando World Center Marriott

But earlier this month, I delivered the closing keynote at a conference at the Orlando World Center Marriott, and the meeting planner was absolutely raving about the hotel. She raved about it so much, actually, that I asked her to tell me what made the staff there so amazing. She was happy to tell me; and since it’s the first time in 10 years that I’ve heard anyone so enthusiastic about a venue, I thought I’d share some of the highlights with you so that you could see what true top-quality service looks like:

Staff Relentlessly Punctual and Professional

This one seems obvious, but Orlando World Center Marriott took this to the next level. I was speaking in the main ballroom immediately following lunch, which meant I was in the room before any of the attendees, and so was the entire wait staff, at least 40 of them standing like soldiers at attention beside their assigned table for a solid 15 minutes before the doors were supposed to open. It was so well-organized that it was almost eerie; and when the meeting planner was forced to delay the opening of the doors for another 10 minutes, they kept standing until the first attendees arrived. I’ve never seen a wait staff take their jobs that seriously, and the meeting planner told me it was merely one example of dozens.

Free Private Dinner For Organization President

The president of the association was something of a foodie, and he wanted to host a small dinner onsite for some VIPs; he had every intention of paying for. Originally, the plan was to hold it in the executive chef’s office; however, it only seated 10 people, and there were going to be 12. So the hotel emptied out the working kitchen, cleaned it up, polished everything and set a banquet table where the cutting table had been.

The executive chef prepared a special menu along with wine pairings. And then, and this is the kicker, he told them the hotel was going to comp the entire thing because he and the rest of the hotel staff had enjoyed working with their group so much. I don’t know what the final bill was, but a catered dinner for 12 people complete with reserve bottles of wine can’t have been cheap, and that doesn’t count the time it must have taken to convert a working kitchen into a banquet space.

Champagne and Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Surprise

It was the final day of the conference, which means everyone was twitchy and tired and ready to go home. So imagine how nice it must have been for all those volunteers, over a dozen of them, none of whom were getting paid to run around like mad for four days, to watch a giant cart with individual glasses of champagne and strawberries specifically for them. We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but that also happens to be true of women, and animals and pretty much everything else.

I don’t often mention anyone by name, usually because I spend a lot of time making fun of things and I don’t want to single anyone out. But when 10 years go by before I hear a story like this, I think mentioning names is in order. Well done, Orlando World Center Marriott. You’ve just made every other hotel in the world mad at you. I hope you’re happy with yourselves.

Jeff Havens is a professional development expert who addresses leadership, generational issues, and other areas of professional development through a unique blend of content and entertainment. He has been a regular guest on Fox Business News and featured in CNBC, BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News. To learn more about Jeff’s keynote presentations and corporate training, visit JeffHavens.com.

marriott-starwood

After overcoming a lengthy and tumultuous bidding war, Marriott International’s pending purchase of Starwood Hotels & Resorts has hit another snag. Bloomberg reports that hotel owners in Chicago and New York have sued Marriott and Starwood to block the purchase.

Cityfront Hotel Associates Limited Partners, which owns Sheraton Grand Chicago, and Dream Team Hotel Associates LLC, owner of The Westin New York at Times Square, sued Marriott and Starwood in New York state court, arguing that the purchase would violate exclusivity agreements that block Starwood from operating properties within a certain geographic radius of these hotels.

If the landmark purchase goes through, it will create the world’s largest hotel company. Marriott International, Inc. has more than 4,400 properties in 87 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of more than $14 billion in fiscal year 2015. S tarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has nearly 1,300 properties in approximately 100 countries.

As previously announced, the parties have cleared the prepurchase antitrust review in the United States and Canada and multiple other jurisdictions. Prior to the announcement of this lawsuit, the deal was on track to close mid-2016, pending remaining regulatory approvals, including those from the European Union and China, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

Marriott’s Starwood Purchase Timeline

Starwood accepts a $12.2 billion acquisition offer from Marriott in November
Starwood opts for a $13.2 billion bid by Anbang on March 17
Marriott sweetens offer to $13.6 billion, which Starwood accepts
Anbang allowed to continue negotiations, upping its offer to $14 billion
Anbang pulls out of negotiations on March 31
Special meeting of Starwood and Marriott stockholders approves transaction on April 8

The Envelope, Please

This is the seventh year Switchfly has commissioned its survey of top national and international carriers. (The actual survey and data was compiled by IdeaWorksCompany of Wisconsin.) It examined 25 frequent flyer programs, and included more than 7,000 fare inquiries and actual bookings.

Southwest, Airberlin and Virgin Australia placed within the Top Six each year; 2016 is no exception. In the most recent survey, Southwest and Airberlin tied for first place with scores of 100 percent, meaning that every flight queried provided seat rewards. Southwest offered a minimum of three flights for every query performed. Virgin Australia, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Air Canada all had more than 90 percent availability.

Mainstream American-based carriers did not fare as well. Alaska Airlines scored 72.9 percent; United Airlines came in at 72.1 percent; and Delta scored 68.6. American Airlines came in third from the bottom, with just a 56.4 percent score. Avianca, at 53.6 percent, and LAN at 45 percent brought up the rear.

The good news is that overall, reward seats were available for 76.6 percent of the queries made, which represents an improvement for redeeming reward points over the past three years. Overall availability was 74 percent in 2015 and 72.4 percent in 2014.

Other Notable Findings

Global carriers Turkish Airlines and Air China rose significantly in their rankings from 2015 to 2016. Turkish Airlines jumped from 15th to 4th place in reward seat availability, while Air China leapfrogged from 18th to 10th place.
Timing is everything. Customers who try to redeem reward seats in the summer will find that availability is limited, but it is easier to redeem reward seats in off-peak seasons. Month to month, the survey found that overall availability was 63.2 percent in July, and 84.8 percent in October.
Those who seek to redeem miles for long flights (those defined as more than 2,500 miles) will be happy to note that long-haul availability has improved significantly. In the Switchfly survey, Air Canada and China Southern came out on top with 88.6 percent each. United was the top U.S. carrier in this metric; 71.4 percent of rewards searches yielded seats. Eight airlines boasted availability scores above 70 percent for 2016, contrasted with just three in 2010.
This year, for the first time, researchers also analyzed reward payback, which they define as the overall value of rewards in relation to dollars spent. In this metric, JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program had the highest payback—7.9 percent. Alaska came in second at 7.8 percent; Southwest placed third at 7.3. The average for American carriers was 5.5 percent.

meetings industry Carmen Cruz

Carmen Cruz has been named general manager of Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa in Sausalito, California. She brings more than 25 years of international hospitality experience to the Bay Area property. In her new role, Cruz will oversee day-to-day operations and guest service. Originally from Barcelona, Cruz began her career in luxury, five-star, five-diamond and boutique hotels throughout Europe.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Carmen join the team at Casa Madrona, as we’re confident in her skills and passion for the hospitality industry,” states Gary Gutierrez, president of MetWest Terra Hospitality. “Carmen’s impressive background paired with her proven results will be instrumental in the continued success and momentum of the property.”

meetings industry Antonio Flores

Hotel Zeppelin appointed Antonio Flores as general manager of the newly opened San Francisco property. Flores brings more than 15 years of experience to his current role. Previously, he was general manager of Hotel Triton and The Prescott Hotel, both Kimpton Hotels in San Francisco.

“Antonio brings an extensive background and experience in hospitality, and an overall impeccable vision, conveying special attributes in local market expertise, leadership and creativity,” says Mike Walsh, senior vice president of hotel operations for Viceroy Hotel Group. “He is the perfect candidate to develop a unique sisterhood between Hotel Zeppelin and Hotel Zetta while executing optimal service excellence.”

Amanda Parsons

Thompson Hotels hired Amanda Parsons as general manager of the 158-room Seattle hotel, which will open next month. She brings more than 15 years of experience in national hospitality operations, management, and sales and marketing to her new position. Most recently, she served as general manager of Hotel Vintage Seattle, spearheading a multi-million dollar transformation and rebrand of the hotel. Parsons is an active member of the Seattle Tourism Improvement Assessment board.

“Amanda has an intimate understanding of the transforming downtown Seattle destination, and her knowledge will play a key role in delivering dynamic experiences to Thompson Seattle guests and locals alike,” said Niki Leondakis, CEO of Commune Hotels & Resorts. “Thompson Hotels creates luxury lifestyle properties that are reflective of the local community. Amanda’s extensive background and passion for the neighborhood will further that commitment.”

Alex Shelton

Alex Shelton has joined Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) as vice president of convention sales, services and sports. In his new role, Shelton guides the destination team to turn meeting, convention and sporting event leads into business for the New Mexico destination. Shelton serves as National Chairman of the Industry Issues Committees for Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).

“Alex’s impressive hotel and meetings sales background—along with his destination sales, revenue management and sports knowledge—make him an ideal fit for our team,” said ACVB President and CEO Tania Armenta. “With over 25 years of industry experience, Alex brings new ideas and perspective on the destination, which will be beneficial as we continue honing our approach to market Albuquerque as the Southwest’s premier destination to meeting and event professionals across the country.”

Peter Cronin

Discover the Palm Beaches welcomes Peter Cronin as director of sales for the Southeast region. Cronin brings more than 20 years of sales management experience to the official tourism marketing corporation for Palm Beach County. In his new position, he is focused on driving citywide conventions by using convention center and in-house hotel opportunities. He has worked for Gaylord Hotels, Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center, Associated Luxury Hotels International, Hilton Hotels and Renaissance Hotels.

“Peter brings exceptional hospitality and destination sales experience as well as business relationships to our Group Sales team. The knowledge he has garnered from highly respected destination marketing organizations will be invaluable to our mission to elevate the image and awareness of our expanding meetings and convention product,” said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO for Discover the Palm Beaches.

Jim Sichta

Charlestowne Hotels announced Jim Sichta as vice president of operations of the full-service hospitality management company, based in Charleston, South Carolina. As a member of the executive leadership team, Sichta oversees management developments for the group’s portfolio, which includes boutique hotels and resorts, franchised properties and condo-hotels in the United States. He brings more than 31 years of experience in hospitality management.

“Jim’s unsurpassed understanding of hotel operations and perception of the hospitality industry is an asset to our executive team and heightens one of our core competencies of a tailored approach for each client,” says Michael Tall, president and COO of Charlestowne Hotels. “Further, Jim is a supportive mentor, inspiring each property team member to aim higher with an unwavering commitment to excellence.”

Vivian Chambers

L.E. Hotels introduced Vivian Chambers as East Coast director of sales. She brings more than 15 years of experience in sales and business development within the luxury hospitality industry to her position. Before joining L.E. Hotels, Chambers worked for Waldorf Astoria Resorts, Global Hospitality Services and Leading Hotels of the World, a hospitality consortium. As director of sales for the East Coast, she will drive strategic sales and manage the New York office.

“Vivian’s extensive background in sales and luxury hospitality will make her an excellent addition to our growing team,” said Efrem Harkham, founder and chairman of L.E. Hotels. “I am confident that Vivian will help surpass our revenue goals for both the Luxe Collection and the entire L.E. Hotels portfolio.”

Chad Gaither

Chad Gaither has been appointed vice president of customer relationship management for Omni Hotels & Resorts in Dallas. Gather is responsible for leading the brand’s Select Guest loyalty program, driving customer engagement, evaluating analytics, and developing and overseeing the customer relationship management strategy. Prior to joining Omni Hotels & Resorts, Gaither served as senior director of customer relationship management and consumer insights at 7-Eleven. He has also worked for La Quinta Inns & Suites, where he was vice president of consumer insight and analysis.

“We are pleased to have Chad join the Omni family, and look forward to many successful years with him leading our customer relationship management and Select Guest loyalty programs,” said Peter Strebel, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales for Omni Hotels & Resorts. “His unique experience in both the retail and hospitality industries brings a new perspective to our company that will continue to improve on the guest experience, and build connections and incentivize new guests, while at the same time ensuring current customers feel valued.”

Paul Romero

Visit Anaheim welcomed Paul Romero as convention sales director for the mid-Atlantic region, as part of a strategic reorganization of its regional convention sales team. Romero brings more than 15 years of regional sales experience to the destination management organization for Anaheim and Garden Grove, California. He recently served as senior national sales director at Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau in California.

“Investing in sales leaders for our mid-Atlantic team is vital to understanding the uniqueness of region and the needs of our clients,” said Junior Tauvaa, senior vice president of sales and services for Visit Anaheim. “The newly formed team of Paul, Kimberly and Victoria bring in a wealth of regional knowledge and already established client relationships that, along with a seasoned services team, will help customers deliver memorable experiences for their attendees and successful events for their organizations.”

Rebecca Miller

Rebecca Miller has joined The ProvidenceG in Providence, Rhode Island, as director of sales and events. Miller has more than 10 years of experience managing weddings, corporate events, large banquet services and intimate social gatherings. She joins the boutique development after serving as general manager and director of catering for The Regatta Place and corporate events manager at OceanCliff Hotel, both located in Newport, Rhode Island.

“Rebecca is an incredible addition to the ProvidenceG team,” said Colin Geoffroy, president of GHospitality. “Her depth of experience, passion for collaboration and proven record of accomplishment are strongly evident in her daily work. We appreciate her attention to detail and effective hands-on management style and are so pleased to be the beneficiaries of her skills and warm personality.”

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