Smart Meetings | Page 79 of 603 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

Rich Lopez and David Bishow

Westward Look Resort & Spa appoints new executives to its leadership team. Lopez will serve as director of food & beverage, bringing with him 21 years of experience in food and wine in the hospitality industry. He will manage all food and beverage processes and events and will establish and uphold exceptional culinary experiences for guests.

Bishow joins the team as executive chef, with over 20 years of experience planning, developing and implementing à la carte, banquet and specialty dining programs. He brings a particular expertise in the Tucson food scene. He will oversee all aspects of Westward Look’s culinary programming from banquets to dining outlets to in-room dining.

Gerard Spezio

Spezio joins Park Hyatt New York as executive chef. He will oversee all culinary offerings and implement his plans to introduce new seasonal menus, featuring as many seasonal ingredients from New York’s Hudson Valley region as possible. He grew up in New York, cooking at his family’s famed Neapolitan restaurant, La Palina of Brooklyn.

Colin Sato

Sato joins Forbes Five-Star rated dining outlet Mugen, onsite culinary outlet at ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki, as executive chef. This local talent will oversee the highly anticipated launch of the restaurant’s new dinner offering, which aims to bring Hawaii to the forefront of fine dining excellence.

Ron Stevens

The Allison Inn & Spa appoints Stevens as director of food and beverage. He will oversee all culinary programming at the resort, including its signature restaurant, JORY, and for events. Most recently, he served as director of food and beverage at The Statler Dallas, Hilton Curio Collection.

Andrew Gietzen and Marie Yoshimizu

The InterContinental Bellevue at the Avenue appoints new members to its culinary team, first with Gietzen as executive chef. He brings nearly three decades of culinary expertise to his new role overseeing CE LA VI Bellevue and Fresco as well as all meeting and event catering services in the hotel’s attached Avenue Conference Center.

He is joined by Yoshimizu, who will serve as lead mixologist. She holds numerous accolades, including just recently finishing Top 22 in the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition. She incorporates scientific thought as well as sustainability into her cocktails.

Senthil Krishnamurthy

Senthil Krisnamurthy, Goldener Hirsh, Auberge Resorts Collection

Krishnamurthy is appointed as executive chef at Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Resorts Collection. He brings over two decades of experience in fine dining and a deep understanding of the Salt Lake City culinary scene, have served in various positions at a number of local restaurants. His new menus will feature 70% locally-sourced ingredients to spotlight the high-quality produce of the Park City region of Utah.

Steve Uricchio

Everline Resort & Spa appoints Uricchio as director of food and beverage. He grew up watching his father work as a restauraneur and owning restaurants on the East Coast and in California and later on graduated from the Escoffier Culinary Institute in Versailles, France. He has since overseen the launch of over 50 new and remodeled restaurants mainly in the Las Vegas region.

Gastón Javier

Gaston Javier — Gastón Javier, Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel

Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel welcomes Javier as executive chef. He brings an extensive culinary background and a passion for creating outstanding dining experiences to his new role. He learned to cook at an early age from his grandmothers and grew up to earn a dual degree in culinary arts and business administration.

Mickey Lasater

Lasater joins the team at The LineUp at Wai Kai as director of food and beverage. He brings nearly two and a half decades of experience and an education from Le Cordon Bleu Academy in Orlando. He has served in numerous notable restaurants across Florida and Hawaii and looks forward to driving the hotel’s success through concept and menu development.

Danmy Nguyen and Oksana Kravcenko Dementev

Danmy Nguyen and Oksana Kravcenko F&B Smart Moves — Danmy Nguyen and Oksana Kravcenko Dementev, The Ballantyne

The Ballantyne, in Charlotte, North Carolina, appoints Nguyen as director of food & beverage. Most recently, she served as director of outlets at The Ballantyne. She began her career bartending while attending college and from there, decided to pursue a career in hotel restaurant management. She will lead in menu development and improving service efficiency.

Joining Nguyen is Dementev, as executive pastry chef. She worked in business management and finance before a career switch to hospitality, where she found a passion in pastry and attended school in both Barcelona and Paris. She has collaborated with wedding planners, catered corporate events and various fine dining restaurants as well as creating outstanding deserts for hotels.

Gary Murakami, CMP, saw his mother work in hotels throughout his childhood. “[She] had a passion and love for the industry,” he says, which carried through to him. “Her dedication and appreciation for the connections with guests and co-workers and the career opportunities hospitality provided for an immigrant coming to the U.S. with a minimal command of English inspired me to pursue a career in the industry also.”

He now serves as vice president of sales and industry relations at Teneo Hospitality Group. In addition to the CMP, he holds the GTP, GLP, CMM and DES designations.

Continuing Education

“In my early career,” Murakami says, “I found mentors and role models that ‘looked like me’ to be limited. Education was a critical component to career success that my parents had instilled in me, resulting in my focus to pursue professional education and learning to establish credibility and provide advancement and opportunities in a competitive landscape,” he said. He added that he pursued the CMP because “I wanted to understand further as an industry supplier the experience and knowledge of my clients and customers.”

Murakami has sought out these industry designations, along with learning from mentors and clients, to develop expertise in his specific field of the industry. He says, “My dedication to continuous learning reflects my belief in staying ahead of industry trends and honing the skills necessary for effective leadership in our dynamic and constantly changing industry.”

He has taken industry-specific courses, attended conferences and events, pursued leadership programs and continually pushed himself to take on accelerating roles and pursue different responsibilities throughout his career.

Earning the CMP

Murakami first discovered the CMP by attending industry conferences and networking events. Many of the thought leaders he met at these events took part in leading and shaping the overall industry, which inspired him. And, he says, many of them held the CMP designation.

“Recognizing the significance of staying at the forefront of the meetings and events industry,” he says, “I pursued the CMP certification as a strategic step in elevating my professionalism within the industry, enhancing my skills, and fostering meaningful industry connections.”

To study, Murakami developed a structured study plan for himself, which included utilizing official CMP resources and participating in peer study groups. He also spent time reflecting on his own practical experience and leveraging the industry resources he had access to. The study group was a particularly meaningful way to prepare. “They connected me with a community of other dedicated industry professionals focused on elevating their own professionalism within the industry,” he says. “Many of these connections have remained throughout the years.”

Where is He Now?

Murakami says, “Engaging in formalized education programs such as the CMP has not only equipped me with the confidence and foundation for continuous learning and has also motivated me to share my expertise through thought leadership and mentorship by volunteering in industry leadership roles, aspiring to serve as a role model for others.”

As an active CMP, he feels that his professional credibility and visibility is enhanced, which allows him to serve as one of those thought leaders he once looked up to. It has expanded his professional network and allowed him further opportunities to share his expertise.

He currently serves on the MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees, the board of directors for the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association and is the vice chair of the Advisory Board for the Corporate Event Marketing Foundation. He is the inaugural chapter president for SITE, Northern California Chapter, upon its 2024 relaunch, which he spearheaded following its disbandment several years ago.

Murakami is particularly passionate about DEI. He serves as an Equity Task Force member for EIC and sits on the MPI DE&I Advisory Committee. He is also co-chair of the DE&I Committee for CalSAE as well as co-chair for WINiT’s community & engagement committee. In 2019, he was awarded the MPI Meetings Industry Leadership Award, and in 2023, PCMA’s Groundbreaker Award as part of its Visionary Awards lineup.

Looking Forward

The CMP designation remains a mark of excellence and expertise for those who hold it. Murakami says, “It demonstrates a commitment to furthering one’s professionalism that hopefully opens doors to higher-level opportunities and to enhance one’s network and community.”

Over the years, he explains further, and as awareness of the CMP designation has grown, “the industry views these individuals as dedicated to the industry and knowledgeable with an unwavering commitment to high standards and best practices.”

The hospitality and meetings industries themselves, Murakami says, are “dynamic and ever-evolving.” Global demand of unique experiences, as well as enormous technological advancement, brings an undeniable air of excitement for future opportunities and expanded creativity.

“Our industry provides boundless opportunities for innovation and creativity,” he says. “There is an unmistakable influence and understanding of the social and economic impact to transform business events, which includes ongoing sustainability and socially responsible practices and a heightened priority on facilitating customized and personalized experiences.”

His favorite quote comes from Winnie-The-Pooh: “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

To him, this is a message of perseverance and confidence in one’s own abilities. “We sometimes feel self-doubt professionally and personally, and the quote is a reminder that we are remarkable in our own way and a gift to ourselves and others,” he explains.

He says that, in many ways, it correlates to the meetings and hospitality industries. They often require resiliency and adaptability. “[It] emphasizes the inner strength and capabilities that we may underestimate in ourselves with the challenges and opportunities we face daily,” says Murakami. “The ability to acknowledge one’s own bravery, strength and intelligence…is a crucial attribute to help navigate the dynamic landscape of organizing and providing successful and impactful events.”

Make your visit eco-friendly in the heart of Silicon Valley

The city’s main hubs for meetings and conventions, San Jose McEnery Convention Center, has acquired several certifications showcasing the city’s commitment to eco-friendly, sustainable practices, including the Santa Clara County Green Business and California Green Business Innovator certifications.

San Jose’s venues and communal spaces have been making grand efforts to create a more green and sustainable city for locals and visitors alike.

Embodying the Climate Smart Initiative

In 2022, San Jose City Council introduced a new plan, Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030, created with the goal of making the city a more sustainable place to live and meet. In 2023, WalletHub ranked San Jose as the second greenest city in California and the sixth greenest city in the United States.

San Jose McEnery Convention Center’s culinary team sources local ingredients within a 150-mile radius to create fresh, organic and customized meals for meeting professionals who bring their events to the more than 360,000-square-foot convention center. In addition to sourcing locally, the convention center is one of the few on the West Coast to compost food waste; in 2021, the convention center recycled more than 81% of all collected waste in partnership with Z-Best Composting Facility in Gilroy, California. Additionally, the convention center donates and delivers meals to local food banks and shelters.

“That’s 389 diverted tons of waste from the meetings and events that we host,” says Matthew Martinucci, vice president of sales and destination services for Visit San Jose. “That’s a staggering amount of waste that is diverted. If you were to come here for an event, every fork you touch, every piece of cutlery, all of that, in addition to the food, is recycled.”

The convention center sits 3.9 miles from Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), one of the country’s leading green airports, having implemented practices such as switching to San Jose Clean Energy, which provides 86% carbon-free electricity and building new construction to meet the U.S. Green Building LEED Silver certification, with a goal of earning LEED Gold certification. The convention center is home to two elegant ballrooms, plus 43 meeting rooms that can hold groups of 50 to 3,900.

Surrounding the convention center are 1,500 downtown and 2,500 city-wide hotel rooms. For added convenience, San Jose Marriott and Hilton San Jose are connected to the convention center. The 510-room San Jose Marriott features 21,957 sq. ft. of meeting space across 22 event rooms; Hilton San Jose is home to 354 guest rooms and 26,410 sq. ft. of meeting space. Hyatt Place San Jose, just across the street, houses 240 rooms and 6,865 sq. ft. of meeting space.

The convention center is also near four premiere theaters: San Jose Civic, Center for the Performing Arts, California Theatre and Montgomery Theater, all of which are available for private events. As Visit San Jose manages the four theaters, the eco-friendly practices of the convention center are also practiced there.

The convention center also gets its staff involved in its efforts, donating 1,000 hours annually (VTO, or volunteer time off) to community projects with organizations throughout the city and the Bay Area, such as Second Harvest Food Bank, Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, City of San Jose Department of Parks and Recs, and more.

How Meeting Profs Can Get Involved

San Jose offers numerous ways for meeting professionals to get involved in its efforts. That includes connecting with nature and wildlife at Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and Happy Hollow Park and Zoo, getting your hands dirty among colleagues at the six-acre community farm Veggielution, or even contributing to zero-emission coffeemakers Academic Coffee.

Guadalupe River Park is a 3-mile urban trail that can be traversed on foot or by bike. The trail runs through downtown San Jose, giving locals and visitors a place to unwind. The trail also includes several murals, and San Jose is working toward creating the longest public art trail in the Bay Area in collaboration with San Jose Walls.

Veggielution in Emma Prusch Farm Park has been in operation since 2008 and aims to connect people through food and farming. In addition to guided farm tours, Veggielution welcomes volunteers on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to help with planting, weeding, transplanting and other essential tasks.

Simply hosting your event in San Jose allows your organization to play a part in furthering your sustainability efforts. Martinucci says just last fall, a company that hosted a three-day event in the city gave the convention center a “carbon-neutral” rating. “That’s a phenomenal achievement,” he says. “It’s a good model for us to go to other groups and say, ‘Where else can you go where somebody can certify your meeting as being carbon neutral?’”

Plan a green event in San Jose!

Contact the team at Visit San Jose to learn more: sanjose.org/meet

“Know whom you know” is not just a double entendre but is also the title of my next book. You might ask, “What does this have to do with meeting planners?” As professionals who are entrusted with creating meaningful and productive events, ones that your attendees will talk to colleagues about and benefit from for many years to come (and from whom you will likely get repeat business), you may think you already “know whom you know” but I want to provide you a few strategies that have worked for me over the years—and I hope they work for you!

For me, the best benefits of organizing “networking” meetings are the benefits that accrue to the meeting attendees (and not to me!). Personally, I believe that makes the meeting memorable and successful.

Both of the examples I share in this article involve taking a very personal approach to networking meetings. While these methods may not work for every single meeting you organize, whether you are in charge of large conventions or small meetings, taking the opportunity to get to know your attendees and sharing insights about them with your audience can create great dynamics and prove to be a positive experience for all involved.

Here are two tips with examples of strategies from which my clients and I have continued to reap years of invaluable contacts and benefits.

Tip 1: “Dinner for 8”—Small is Beautiful

Periodically I arrange dinners in a private room where I invite accomplished professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries. I require each of them to provide me their bio/CV which, in advance, I share with all the attendees. I recently organized one which included leaders from global investment, real estate, tech and legal firms, as well as a community police relations foundation, a hacking expert who worked for the government and an up-and-coming artist who many compare to Andy Warhol.

It’s important for meeting planners to be the catalyst to create the best networking possibilities and take charge!

As the organizer, I make sure I am the catalyst who creates the best networking possibilities. At the onset of the meeting, I introduce everyone, talk about what each meeting attendee excels in, and direct them to impart meaningful insights about their business or their skills. I moderate the discussion, call on attendees indiscriminately and curate what they speak about.

As an example, at my last meeting I selected the hacking expert to be the first speaker and shared the story of how I met her (I happened to be at an interview she had with a major media company). I introduced her with a personal account of how she had stunned me by sharing her own story about the medical industry having no walls against hacking, and that pacemakers could be hacked and kill you! With that shocker in mind, I opened the discussion like this:

“Your knowledge and experiences are eye opening as we are all successful business executives and have limited personal knowledge of hacking. What should we know about hacking; do you think there is a potential disaster you are fearful could happen in the future? Her answer was ‘Yes, there is, and this is what you should know.'”

Everyone was immediately drawn into her discussion.

Meetings like this become a catalyst for new relationships and business possibilities. Providing this type of venue to grow business relationships is something that meeting planners can implement with great success (whether or not you have a pacemaker!).

Tip 2: Shared Experiences Can Reap Benefits

As a meeting planner, you collect a lot of valuable information about people, which can be mined in so many ways. When you meet people, make sure you add not only their names to a database, but as much as you can gather about their bios and other descriptive, searchable information. Do you have mutual interests? Contacts? Business experience? You never know when this information will come in handy.

Here’s an example where a personal situation turned into a tremendous networking opportunity:

I was undergoing an awful divorce. As I continued to sink lower, I didn’t know where to turn. Then I had an epiphany, much like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” I realized I had the solution the whole time—my database! I’d organize a networking meeting!

I sent an email to my database contacts with this subject line: “Divorced or Divorcing Dads with Young Children Luncheon.” In the email I talked about the emotional and financial horrors of my personal situation, the effects of divorce on children, along with details of a meeting I was planning to hold where we could strategize, vent and network! I had responses from 2,000 people (not a bad return on a database of 8,600 people). After contacting every respondent, I selected 70 people who had some commonality, and invited them to an event. I moderated the meeting, told my story and then was joined by many of the others who shared their stories and advice. From that meeting was born the “Divorcing Dad Council” followed by the launch of “DivorceForce,” the first online community for people going through divorce.

Did this help me? Yes. I got lots of actionable tips. Did it help others? Absolutely. Is this an example of how networking can help others (not only you)? Yes.

My advice: Know Whom You Know. And if you don’t, get to know them! It’s been a helpful and replicable strategy for me to create successful meetings and it can work for you too!

—

Author, entrepreneur and speaker Jeffrey Meshel is founder/chairman of the Strategic Forum, where business leaders exchange ideas, develop long-term and trustworthy personal and business relationships.

He has written three books, including “Trust Is a Double-Edged Sword: Trust Me,” and is an authority on several topics including forging strategic partnerships with trust, conflict resolution, ethics and team building. A successful entrepreneur and businessperson, his most recent venture is being founder/managing partner of Candor Capital Partners, a real estate acquisition firm and lender.

To watch the full webinar, click here.

The new year forecast on the state of hospitality

As meeting professionals launch into 2024, Smart Meetings sought out the wisdom of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) CEO, Michael Dominguez, for his outlook of things to come in the new year.

Moving Past Normal

With the Las Vegas CES setting record numbers for attendance in January, we asked Dominguez what this means for the meeting industry.

“We’ve learned that we’re not back to normal; we’re well past it,” says Dominguez, “Everyone’s hitting record attendance, and I think that’s a variety of things. The growth of small to medium businesses alone are telling me there’s a lot of growth that’s happening.”

Despite the issues of the pandemic, Dominquez believes the meetings industry has calibrated to move beyond it.

The Artificial Intelligence in the Room

AI has become a major hot topic in our industry, whether it is ChatGPT or computer-generated content.

“To me, ChatGPT is to AI what Bitcoin is to blockchain. ChatGPT is a product based on a technology we’ve been utilizing in our lives every day. Anybody who has ever talked to Siri or talked to Alexa, you are literally dealing with AI. What we’ve done now is put that on steroids,” says Dominguez.

Despite the fever pitch excitement about the advancement of the technology, Dominguez suggests being mindful and using the AI with calculated intention. “Make sure it works for you. Make sure you have a purpose. What is your objective and where do you think technology can help you? That’s where I think AI really has a purpose.”

Dominguez pointed towards Microsoft Co-Pilot as an AI that could potentially save planners a lot of time in their day, “That is where I think AI now starts to make us better. It makes us more efficient, and at the end of the day it makes us a little bit smarter, and I think that’s better for everybody.”

Inflation Is Going Down

According to Dominguez, inflation is dropping around the world.

“We’re headed in the right direction. The problem is, it’s still well elevated to long-term running averages. Which means there’s still going to be a little bit of that friction in there. You’re gonna feel a little bit of that inflation,” says Dominquez.

Based on the data he has seen, Dominguez states he does not see a recession in our future. So much so, that AI may be beneficial in the long run to the industry and the job market.

“We have the reverse opportunity right now. We have more jobs than people,” says Dominguez, “we’re becoming static, and we have declining populations in the advanced economies around the world, which means we’re not going to have enough people for all the jobs we have, so we need to find some use for technology to kind of fit that in.”

Major Cities Keeping Rates Consistent

For planners looking to host their next event in a major city but were hoping for rates to drop—you may have to keep waiting.

“I don’t think major cities are going to reduce rates,” says Dominguez, “The reason I can confidently say that [is because] we hit record revenue in 2023 and we’ve declined in profit year over year.”

The cost of maintaining buildings and managing labor also still poses a major issue.

Dominguez continues, “Over the last three years we’ve actually increased wages in our industry by close to 28%, and that’s why rates can’t come backwards.”

Fortunately, the rate of growth in major cities has slowed and is positioning itself into a more normal trajectory that the industry has not seen since before the pandemic.

Read More: The World is Open for Business

Good Eggs, Dry Olives

For planners looking at the cost of F&B, Dominguez has good news for you: it is getting better.

“Food cost is coming down …. [The cost of] eggs are now normalized because we don’t have a bird flu. But olive oil has had a 900% increase in the last 12 months. That has to do with a very dry Europe, a very dry summer, a very bad crop season.”

The industry is also improving on food waste. “I do think most of our industry is doing a really good job of focusing on how we serve,” says Dominquez, “You’re seeing small plates that are already pre-prepared. That’s all intentional because that cuts down waste. What we have found is that the smaller the plate we give you to begin with, the less waste we’re going to have.”

Destination meeting spaces for groups all about luxury

These new and renovated properties offer all you can imagine in the category of luxury—resort life like you’ve never seen it. Whether you head off to island paradise in Bermuda or Antigua, or you opt for a private vacation house right by Walt Disney World, your group is certain to leave with a renewed appreciation of just how good it can get.

Royal Retreat

New and Renovated Tea Rose Executive Meeting Room at Hamilton Princess — The Tea Rose Executive Meeting Room

Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club, fondly known as the “Pink Palace,” boasts over 22,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space and 10 function rooms. The property recently launched the Executive Meeting Floor, on the second level, which is made up of four new meeting suites of varying sizes and configurations. Each is equipped with a 98-inch TV screen with built-in cameras, set in light wood cabinetry and brings in ample natural light.

The Tea Rose room seats 24 guests and includes a terrace offering views of the spa pool and Bermuda’s Hamilton Harbour. The Lemon Grove Executive Meeting Room accommodates 35 guests theater-style, and the Heron’s Nest Executive Meeting right next door can be combined with Lemon Grove for larger meetings and gatherings. The Turtle Bay Executive Meeting Room completes the floor, accommodating 32 guests. This floor was developed with the intention of filling the growing need for more intimate spaces for boutique-style meetings and gatherings.

Numerous other meeting spaces across the property all offer their own charm and whimsy, from the 2,700-square-foot Trudeau ballroom to the up to 9,725-square-foot Princess Ballrooms and Regency Terrace.

Boutique and Unique

Guest room at Curtain Bluff — Guest Room at Curtain Bluff

Curtain Bluff, a leading health and wellness destination in the Caribbean, stands on a rocky outcrop between two secluded coves on the southern coast of Antigua. The property has completed an extensive multi-million-dollar renovation and now offers an adults-only Wellness Area complete with fitness facilities doubled in size, a standalone Yoga Pavilion and Zen Gardens. A newly built infinity pool and jacuzzi stand along the waterfront, so guests not only enjoy relaxing in the water, but also expansive ocean views.

The renovation also refreshed select guest rooms across the hotel’s two Hulford Collection Suites, Morris & Grace Bay Pool Suites and a number of Junior Suites. While visiting the property, guests can take part in a scuba diving excursion or one of the resort’s famed annual tennis competitions, which has welcomed stars like Gene Mayer and Tracy Austin.

With 72 luxurious guest rooms, two onsite restaurants and one exclusive, versatile 850-square-foot Tamarind event room, Curtain Bluff is a prime destination for a signature small destination event experience.

Resort Like Never Before

Guesthouse at Evermore Orlando Resort — A guesthouse at Evermore Orlando Resort

Evermore Orlando Resort has opened its doors, bringing a new billion-dollar, 10,000-room resort next to Walt Disney World. Guests have their selection of 60 guest houses ranging from five to eleven bedrooms, 206 four-bedroom flats, 41 two- and four-bedroom villa suites or 433 contemporary guest rooms and suites.

The 1,100-acre luxury space includes a 20-acre tropical beach complex and an 8-acre crystalline water amenity by Crystal Lagoons. Also onsite are 15 restaurants, bars and food markets as well as two 18-hole gold courses. The property boasts over 150,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space, including a two-story Boathouse.

Evermore Orlando Resort brings a brand-new approach to resort life, with the integration of privately owned and managed homes complete with upscale amenities and luxury resort services. Guests can enjoy both resort-style indulgence and the comfort of a private home, together.

Read More: Orlando: Work Hard, Play Hard

Fairfax County, Virginia is the ideal place to hold your next meeting, conference, convention, or special event. Our proximity to Washington, D.C., our unique attractions, and our affordable pricing make us the best event value in the National Capital region. Visit Fairfax is not only committed to helping you find the perfect meeting venue but also has the expertise within our team to make that happen. Here are 3 ½ reasons why Northern Virginia is the perfect location for your next event.

Reason No. 1: Making the trip is easy.

No matter how you’re arriving, Fairfax County is easy to get to. Northern Virginia is served by: three major airports – Washington Dulles International, Ronald Reagan National, and Thurgood Marshall Baltimore/Washington International; three major Interstates – Interstate 66, Interstate 495, and Interstate 95; and if you prefer rail travel, Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express, and the Washington Metrorail system all have stops in Fairfax County.

Reason No. 2: We can help increase your attendance.

Fairfax County offers its enticing mix of must-see attractions, sightseeing opportunities with proximity to D.C., and world-class museums, out-of-this-world adventures, and iconic performance venues. Also, more than 10 percent of Fairfax County’s 398 square miles is dedicated to public park space, so you’ll have access to all the big-city amenities that meeting planners need while never being too far from Mother Nature’s quiet retreats.

Reason No. 3: We’ve got meeting space galore.

You’ll find more than 100 hotels and 18,000 hotel rooms in Fairfax County alone, ranging from economy lodging to 4-star luxury properties. These hotels are ready and waiting to be your home away from home, and you can also bank on many of these hotels offering free parking.

Read More: Coastal Virginia

Sixty of these properties are meeting hotels that offer a variety of space layouts that can accommodate your convention and conference groups. For larger groups, we also have more than 20 hotels that feature over 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

If you’re looking for unique settings to host your attendees, we’ll be happy to introduce you to over 80 unique and distinctive venues and spaces that are perfect for corporate meetings, retreats, reunions, and social events of any nature. The options include beautiful historic property venues, performance spaces, and more for your groups to gather.

We encourage you to use our virtual site inspection tool to scout any of these potential venues for your next event. From conference hotels to unique spaces to attendance-building attractions, you can tour Northern Virginia right from your desk.

Reason No. 3 ½: We work on your BeHALF.

It is always our pleasure to work on your behalf to ensure a successful meeting because your success is our success. Visit Fairfax’s team of sales and service professionals who can help make your Fairfax County convention, meeting, or conference everything you imagined it could be. Visit Fairfax’s personalized services are free of charge, and we can give you the unbiased information you need to make your event in Northern Virginia a successful one. We will be delighted to assist your group with site selection, hotel options, activities, special events, and more.

John P. Rees

John P. Rees, Hard Rock International

Rees is senior vice president of hotel operations at Hard Rock International. He will support all facets of hotel operations across the Hard Rock International profile. He brings over 30 years of experience and a drive to target industry challenges such as procurement of talent through impactful leadership. Most recently he served as vice president of resort operations and guest experience at Marriott Vacations Worldwide.

Manfred Steuerwald

Manfred Steuerwald, Grand Hyatt Seattle

Grand Hyatt Seattle appoints Manfred Steuerwald as general manager. He brings over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, most recently having served as general manager of Resort at Squaw Creek, a Destination by Hyatt property. He began his hospitality career as a sous chef at Hyatt Recently Grand Cayman.

Adan Montoya

Montoya is appointed as senior business travel sales manager at The Kimpton Pittman Hotel. He began in the hospitality industry as a concierge and moved through ascending positions at numerous distinguished brands. Throughout his 15 years of experience, he has shown his ability to apply market trends, diligent strategic outreach and achieve corporate revenue and direct sales goals.

Shaun Yates

Shaun Yates, Visit Oklahoma City

Visit Oklahoma City (Visit OKC) welcomes Yates as vice president of convention sales and services. He will work to bring large-scale meetings and conventions to Oklahoma City by promoting the destination’s new and growing convention offerings. His over 20 year career across different sales roles has brought him through hotel sales, catering and convention services.

Neil Johnson

Johnson joins the esports division and newly re-branded Strategic Advisory Group at Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) as vice president, esports and strategic advising. With over 20 years of experience and a nuanced understanding of the impact of esports on tourism, meetings and convention, he will manage the intersection of meetings and conventions, gaming and esports and work to introduce luxury into it, along with providing advisory services for destinations and DMOs.

Nik Pereira

Nik Pereira, Meet Boston

Meet Boston announces the appointment of Pereira as senior vice president of sales and services. Most recently, he served as vice president of sales for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has spent over 20 years in sales and operations experience in the hotel and tourism industry and in the Northeast, bringing a special connection to the destination.

Pennelope Wright

Pennelope Wright, Indian Wells Golf Resort

Indian Wells Golf Resort appoints Wright as assistant general manager. She brings over 28 years of experience and across Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott, the majority of which she has spent in California. She has worked on the team that helped to open Westin Anaheim Resort and a major rebrand of The Radisson LAX to the Hyatt Regency LAX.

Stephen Magee

Stephen Magee, LGRCVB

Magee is appointed as group sales manager at The Lake George Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau (LGRCVB). An outdoor enthusiast, he brings over 30 years of experience in the outdoor recreation industry as well as extensive experience as a customer service professional and sales manager. He will focus the CVB’s sales and marketing efforts to bring year-round group business to the area and its hospitality partners.

Stuart Evans

Stuart Evans, Visit Phoenix

Evans joins Visit Phoenix as vice president of sales. He brings 23 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has developed a reputation as a leader in convention hotel, resort and destination sales. He has spent the past 11 years of his career across numerous leadership roles at Marriott International and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts.

Jill King

Jill King, The Allison Inn & Spa

The Allison Inn & Spa appoints King as marketing and communications manager. She spent the past four years in her previous role, director of website communications at Linfield University, where she attended college. She helped spearhead the rebranding of the institution from a college to a university. As someone who grew up in the area surrounding The Allison Inn & Spa, she, in particular, looks forward to furthering the luxury brand’s reputation.

Reimagined spaces for destination meetings large and small

A number of new and renovated properties bring meetings to life with an integration of luxury like never before. Treat your attendees not only to an exciting destination, but the opportunity to work that destination’s surroundings and culture into the innovative meeting or event you create for them.

Nature Inside and Out

Waldorf Astoria Orlando guest suite for New and Renovated — Waldorf Astoria Orlando

Waldorf Astoria Orlando completes a property-wide renovation from its culinary offerings to public spaces to all guest rooms and suites. Interior design firm Parker Torres Design sought to emphasize the property’s unique location, the 482-acre Bonnet Creek Nature Preserve.

The guest rooms and suites emulate the nature reserve and its indigenous wildlife and vegetation with a neutral palette, complimented by soft greens and pops of sunset oranges and pinks. The contours, shapes and textures of spaces throughout the resort speak to organic shapes and textures found in nature. Just in 2022, the resort unveiled the brand-new 8,000+ square-foot ballroom and 2,600 sq. ft. of additional pre-function space, adding to its overall nearly 60,000 sq. ft. of multi-function meeting space, complete with two ballrooms, two boardrooms, 13 meeting rooms and a number of outdoor spaces.

Bleisure at its Finest

AC Hotel Honolulu Guest Room — AC Hotel Honolulu

The grand opening of AC Hotel Honolulu marks the opening of the first AC Hotel on Oahu. It is a business-traveler driven concept with a distinct boutique feel. The hotel offers 112 guest rooms and 2,500 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space and event venues. All welcome expansive natural light, sleek furnishing and commissioned artwork for a productive, yet upscale feel.

Its location near Oahu’s Chinatown offers access to nightlife, art and incredible restaurants. Landmarks such as the Hawaii State Capital, Honolulu Hale and Iolani Palace are right nearby. The hotel’s open layout creates a feel of seamless ease for business travelers. There’s no need to sacrifice luxury for innovative work, or vice versa—here, it all fits together.

Signature Luxury

Aloft Hotels celebrates the grand opening of Aloft Santo Domingo Piantini. The new hotel unites luxury, comfort and urban living in metropolitan Piantini. All 192 rooms emulate an artistic, loft-style design complete with 55-inch televisions—and guests have the luxury of a Mobile Key on the Marriott Bonvoy app on their mobile phone or Apple Watch as their room key.

At the Aloft brand’s signature Re:mix lounge and W XYZ bar, guests can enjoy live music performances as well as cultural, design and technology events. During downtime, your attendees won’t want to pass up a visit to the Re:charge fitness center and Splash pool. Tactic offers an invigorating space for small meetings. Rich with natural light and equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment, it’s the perfect space to incite creativity and connection.

A top priority for hospitality leaders is fostering a great workplace culture, but the word “culture” is frequently used in many different contexts, often losing its true meaning. Many companies claim to have a great culture, underscoring the word’s importance, but what does that really mean in practical terms?

When I think about workplace culture, I understand it as a verb—an action or a call to action. Culture isn’t merely what you declare it to be; it’s what you do. It’s about actively modeling your values on a daily basis and setting expectations for your team.

This realization about culture struck me profoundly several years ago when I led the opening team for a new hotel in Portland, Oregon. It was during an orientation meeting for around 200 new employees and the room buzzed with excitement.

The leadership team had met days before to plan the meeting, covering standard topics like HR policies, time clock procedures, uniform standards and department trainings. The meeting proceeded well until, unexpectedly, I posed a question that shifted the entire dynamic in the room. Acknowledging the high energy from the group, I made an offhand comment, saying, “Everyone seems excited to be here today!” The response was a chorus of the word “yes,” smiles and even applause.

Then came the pivotal question that changed the course of the dialogue and my perception of workplace culture forever, “If you’re this excited today, I bet you were equally as excited to start your last job, right?” The room quieted and the team exchanged nervous glances.

I continued, “Whether it was five years or five months ago, I bet you were so excited to start the first day at your new job. Yet, for some reason, you’re here today, now equally as excited about this one. What happened before? What aspects of your last job, which initially excited you, led you to leave and be in this room today?”

The response was immediate and eye-opening. At least fifty hands shot up, revealing issues ranging from lack of feedback and inconsistent management to team discourse and unaddressed concerns. “I never had a review,” one person replied. “My managers never talked to me, and I never got feedback on how I was doing,” said another. “One manager would say one thing, then one the other manager would tell me something completely different and you never knew who to go to or trust,” said one more.

The comments kept coming. Some notable concerns included:

“The team didn’t get along and the vibe was awful.”

“No one ever said I was doing a good job and I was.”

“My paycheck would be missing hours all the time.”

“I was never trained properly.”

“No one was ever held accountable.”

In our recap meeting the next day, I shared the comments with the leadership team noting that the new employees had just shared with us everything we need to know. They had specified what is crucial to their happiness and success and that if this didn’t work, it would be our fault and not theirs.

This brings us back to the initial question about what culture truly is and how it is created and fostered in the workplace. It’s about establishing and clearly communicating expectations from the start. It’s keeping promises—all of them. It’s maintaining consistency as a leader and living up to your commitments. It’s showing genuine compassion and care for every team member. It’s embodying the principle of treating others as you want to be treated, making it a daily practice. It’s recognizing victories and learning from losses. It’s establishing an environment that shows it’s acceptable to make mistakes, but not acceptable to not learn from them. It’s having difficult conversations with underperformers and, when necessary, making tough decisions to remove them from the team.

On the surface, these seem like very basic principles to lead by, yet they are so often missed or forgotten because things like consistent communication and development take time to practice. Showing genuine compassion and caring for your team takes time because to do it you need to create the time to communicate and connect with people.

As leaders, we’re under a great deal of pressure to deliver results on a multitude of levels.

Too often, we mistakenly place more importance on the transaction or the bottom line as opposed to the experience that our teams are having. This is the complete opposite of what a healthy and vibrant workplace culture should be. Taking the time and making it a priority to focus on creating a robust, and meaningful experience for the team is how culture is established and maintained. When this type of culture is thriving, the transactions tend to take care of themselves as they manifest in low turnover, higher productivity and happier teams.

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As the general manager at Central Station, Troy Dixon oversees day-to-day hotel operations, guest relations and team development for the property. A seasoned hospitality executive, Dixon brings more than a decade of leadership experience to the team.