Category Archives: Meetings

Visit Plano Appoints New Convention Services Coordinator

Meetings

Visit Plano has promoted Lalaina Alvarez to the position of Convention Services Coordinator.

Alvarez has held an internship with Visit Plano for over a year. In her new role, she will manage all logistics, arrangements, and services for Visit Plano clients once they have been booked in Plano by the Visit Plano sales team. She will also assist meeting planners in coordinating events in each of Visit Plano’s targeted market segments including corporate, association, government, sports, and SMERF (social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal).

Alvarez earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs degree in May 2018 from the University of Texas at Dallas, where she will also complete her Masters of Public Affairs degree in May 2019.

Source: Visit Plano

Visit Anaheim Welcomes New Meeting Sales Manager, Kelly Piva

Meetings

Kelly Piva is Visit Anaheim’s new meeting sales manager. Stationed in Chicago, Kelly will oversee self-contained group, meeting and convention accounts based in the Midwest that are in need of 999 sleeping rooms on peak and under. This will allow her to deliver a broad range of options across Anaheim and Orange County.

 As an event professional with over eight years in the industry, Kelly has served as the operations manager at Hannover Fairs, USA. Prior to that, she was an event manager at SmithBucklin, one of the world’s largest association management companies.

“Kelly’s drive and enthusiasm make her an ideal fit for Visit Anaheim’s meeting sales team,” said Mariles Krok, senior director of meeting sales for Visit Anaheim. “Additionally, her experience working as a planner for clients in the association, incentive, and corporate space will help her anticipate planner needs and be a critical extension of their teams.”

Kelly graduated magna cum laude from Taylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. She is originally from Arkansas and has spent the last seven years in downtown Chicago. Additionally, Kelly speaks fluent Portuguese as she lived in Brazil during her teenage years.

Source: Visit Anaheim

Iberostar opens its first hotel in Rome

Meetings, Travel

Situated in the heart of the Italian capital, in a historic building next to Rome’s most famous fountain, the Iberostar Fontanadi Trevi will be opening with five-star status following comprehensive renovation work.

The opening of the company’s first hotel in Rome, set for 2019, is the latest action in its strategy to boost its city hotels segment.

The Iberostar Fontana di Trevi will showcase a large mural by Daniel Buren, a leading artist and major figure on the contemporary art scene for more than 50 years.

Palma de Mallorca, October 29, 2018. 2019 will see the opening of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel in the center of Rome, the Iberostar Fontana di Trevi. The company has set its sights on Italy to boost its city hotels segment with this five-star boutique hotel.

The new hotel is situated on one of the main streets in Rome’s historic center, between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, two of the city’s most outstanding architectural treasures. Standing just off Via del Corso, the hotel boasts a prime location in one of the city’s most popular shopping areas, offering easy access to all the Italian capital’s major tourist attractions.

The Iberostar Fontana di Trevi is housed in a magnificent six-story, 19th-century building that combines Renaissance and Neo-Renaissance style elements. In addition to 67 rooms and a wide range of exclusive services, the hotel also features a spectacular rooftop terrace, the perfect venue for admiring Rome’s spectacular skyline.

World-famous artist Daniel Buren is responsible for one of the hotel’s greatest attractions: a masterpiece of contemporary art that will be unveiled on November 9th during an event to be held in Rome. The French master was commissioned for this project due to his outstanding work on creating a connection between modernity and classical architecture, two concepts that will form a quintessential part of the hotel’s identity.

The Iberostar Fontana di Trevi in Rome brings the number of properties in the company’s city hotel portfolio to 10, joining those located in New York City, Miami, Lisbon, Havana, Madrid, Barcelona and Budapest. It also represents a further move forward in its city hotels expansion strategy, designed to boost the company’s presence in the world’s leading tourist capitals with hotels offering prime central
locations that reflect the authenticity and charm of the cities they are located in, providing guests with unique experiences.

“We are really excited about this new project. Rome is one of the top international destinations attracting both business and leisure travelers, and Iberostar Fontana di Trevi is designed as a boutique hotel tailored to cater to both types of guests. The building is truly unique and boasts an unparalleled location, and we are working hard to offer first-class services and facilities to provide guests a memorable stay with us in Rome,” said Aurelio Vázquez, Iberostar Group’s Chief Operations Officer.

ABOUT IBEROSTAR

The Iberostar Group is a 100% family-owned Spanish multinational company based in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) that has been operating in the tourist sector since 1956 and whose business activity dates back to 1877. Its sales network covers 35 countries, it has a staff of more than 32,000 employees and handles 8 million customers a year. Hospitality is the company’s core business, with a portfolio of more than 120 four and five star hotels located in 18 countries on three continents. In addition to the hotels, the Group has a further three business units: travel and incoming activities, a holiday club and real estate.

Iberostar Group is owned by the Fluxá family and chaired by Miguel Fluxá Rosselló, founder of the Group’s current hotel unit and the Iberostar Hotels & Resorts brand. His daughters Sabina y Gloria are the Company’s two Vice-Chairwomen. Sabina is also the Group’s CEO and Gloria holds the post of Chief Sustainability Officer.

Source: Iberostar

Hispanic Leaders to Gather at UN for the First Hispanic Leadership Summit

Meetings

We Are All Human, the global non-profit organization devoted to championing our common humanity, announced today that it is hosting its first-ever Hispanic Leadership Summit on December 10, 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Hispanic Leadership Summit will explore ways in which to better unify America’s Hispanic and Latino communities.

“It was imperative that we used our organization’s mission to unify this community and promote greater awareness of its vitality and future, especially at a time when negative rhetoric about American immigrants, particularly from Central and South America, have risked alienating the Hispanic and Latinx Americans who make up $1.7 trillion of America’s spending power,” Claudia Romo Edelman said, founder of We Are All Human Foundation.

The Summit is a nonpartisan event that plans to go beyond sectoral interests and insights from the November midterm elections to discuss and reflect on what unites America’s many Hispanic and Latino communities and what should be done to ensure their importance to the U.S.’s future is understood.

Joining Romo Edelman as co-hosts of the summit will be the following Hispanic and Latino leaders:

– Sol Trujillo, co-founder and co-chairman of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), a nonprofit organization devoted to reframing and advancing the public perception of Hispanics and Latinos in American society. He also is the former CEO of U.S. West, Orange SA and Telstra, Australia

– Henry Cisneros, also co-founder and co-chairman of LDC, and the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the former mayor of San Antonio, Texas

– Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, vice chair of Greenberg Traurig, the Miami-based international law firm

– Cid Wilson, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility, which promotes the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America

Romo Edelman also noted the recent findings of We Are All Human’s “Hispanic Sentiment Study,” conducted by Zeno Group. The study further affirms the importance of convening leaders of Hispanic and Latino communities to explore the future of an economic force that represents $2.3 trillion of annual U.S. GDP, as Hispanics and Latinos launch more new businesses, achieve higher levels of education and reach the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies in greater numbers.

“I’m optimistic that the value of America’s Hispanic community will continue to be recognized by citizens of all walks of life,” Romo Edelman said, “but as our organization’s work has shown, much work is needed to dispel misperceptions and to unify this community of 55 million that is so important to America’s future.”

“It’s time for perceptions to catch up with the many significant contributions we’re making to this country,” said Menéndez-Cambó of Greenberg Traurig. “There is an urgent need for the Hispanic Community to unify its strengths and efforts to unlock its potential.”

Summit sponsors include Greenberg Traurig, Ulta Beauty, Dairy Management, Inc., HARMAN, Aflac, the Alumni Society, Chevron, Cultura Colectiva, Hispanic Executive, Western Union and Zeno Group (Sponsorship opportunities are still available).

This Summit is in coordination with the Latino Impact Summit on December 11-12, 2018.

SOURCE We Are All Human

Geraldine Zaragoza has been named hotel manager of Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta

Meetings, Travel

Geraldine Zaragoza has been named hotel manager of Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In her new role, she is responsible for the adults-only hotel’s 80 designer suites with luxury amenities, celebrated cuisine and special gourmet happenings. A member of SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World), Casa Velas is the only boutique hotel on the Mexican Pacific coast to hold Four Stars from Forbes Travel Guide. A member of the Velas Resorts’ team since 2010, Geraldine Zaragoza most recently served as Director of Groups and Conventions at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit. With a background with other luxury hotels and resorts including the St. Regis, W Hotels and the JW Marriott in Mexico City, she focuses on ensuring high quality standards of service and facilities. She will also bring her special expertise to bear on planning, organizing and developing tailored unique experiences. Casa Velas is a luxury all-inclusive boutique hotel and ocean club for adults only, reminiscent of a Spanish hacienda.

Source: Velas Resorts

Johnson Appointed Regional Sales Manager- East Coast Division For Mexico’s Velas Resorts

Meetings, Travel

With world-class meeting venues in Los Cabos, Vallarta – Nayarit and Riviera Maya, Mexico’s Velas Resorts announces it has appointed Heather Johnson as Regional Sales Manager – East Coast Division. The appointment is effective immediately.

“With a genuine passion for travel, Heather has a consistent track record of meeting and surpassing sales goals in both onsite and remote roles and possesses demonstrable knowledge of working with meeting and incentive planners, wedding planners, travel advisors and wholesalers,” says Cynthia Kunz Global Sales Director – Meetings & Incentives. “She is passionate about excellent service and has thrived on curating bespoke luxury experiences for the most discerning of clients.”

With over 12 years of sales experience in the luxury market, Johnson most recently served as Sales Manager for Malliouhana, An Auberge Resort in Anguilla. She has also spent time in the sales departments for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in the Caribbean and Latin America and Morgans Hotel Group in New York City. Now based in Connecticut, she graduated from New York University with a Master’s degree in Tourism and Travel Management.

Velas Resorts consists of Casa Velas and Velas Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta and the Grand Velas Resorts in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit.

Velas Resorts has catered to MICE Industry needs for over 25 years with resorts that feature excellence in service, world-class hospitality, beautifully appointed accommodations, signature Luxury All-Inclusive, superb facilities and expansive Convention Centers. For more information on Velas Resorts Meetings or to make a reservation, please call 1-888-505-8399, email info@velasmeetingsmexico.com or visit http://velasmeetingsmexico.com/.

Source Vleas Resorts

Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas announces the opening of a new ALOFT Hotel in Lima

Meetings, Travel

Peru’s most distinguished hotel group, Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas, is pleased to announce the opening of the 164-room Aloft Lima bringing innovation, modern style and a vibrant new social scene to the Miraflores district. This will be the first Aloft hotel in Peru and will feature bold and stylish design throughout as well as tech-forward features such as SPG Keyless entry.

Guest rooms are gracefully spread among 10 floors with a variety of intriguing social spaces located on the mezzanine and two relatively small stylish restaurants, Quinoa and Barrio, on the ground floor. The reception and lobby areas are seamlessly connected as a multifunctional open space that serves as a welcoming breakfast and lounge area or as an ideal co-working place during the day.

Designed to serve the increasing number of hyper-connected global business and leisure travelers visiting Peru’s buzzing capital, the hotel is located in the heart of Miraflores and is part of a new pedestrian friendly multi-use complex. Additional dining options include Re:fuelSM by Aloft, a café created for breakfast and lunch “on the go” and signature cocktails and light bites can be found at the WXYZ® Bar.

Other onsite amenities include Aloft’s signature Re:chargeSM fitness center and a splash pool to unwind and relax. Aloft Lima guests will be able to enjoy programming unique to the Aloft brand, including access to exciting emerging artists and musicians via Live At Aloft Hotels. There is also 278 square feet of meeting space.

“We are pleased to introduce the first Aloft in Peru, which will significantly change the hospitality scene in Miraflores in so many inspiring and vibrant ways,” said Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas CEO Jorge Melero. “The Aloft is in an unbeatable location and will serve as an excellent complement to the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center in the city’s central business district of San Isidro.”

Source: Libertador Hotels

Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Attains AAA’s Four Diamond Rating

Meetings, Travel

Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach has officially received the coveted Four Diamond Rating from AAA. Awarded to less than six percent of the more than 27,000 properties inspected and approved by AAA on an annual basis, this achievement ranks Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach among a select group of esteemed establishments.

“The attention to detail that went into this project by Summit Hospitality Management Group is evident by this prestigious honor,” stated property General Manager Androse Bell. “From guest rooms and meeting space to common areas, amenities and more, this property sets a new tone in Daytona Beach, which has been recognized on a national scale by AAA.”

Based on a scale of one to five, a Four Diamond Rating with AAA requires a property to represent a refined, stylish environment with upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail. The hotel must meet approval requirements through an unannounced on-site inspection by a team of AAA inspectors. Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach was notified on Sept. 28, 2018, of its official designation.

Opened in March 2018, the highly-anticipated Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach has taken center stage as the destination’s newest beachfront hotel and the fourth Hard Rock Hotel in Florida. The new music-inspired oceanfront property has introduced exclusive offerings, innovative programming and guest amenities previously unavailable in the Daytona Beach market.

For more information about Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, visit hardrockhoteldaytonabeach.com.

VISIT PHILADELPHIA® Names Jeff Guaracino President & CEO

Meetings, Travel

The Board of Directors of VISIT PHILADELPHIA® today announced that following an extensive national search, Jeff Guaracino, current president and CEO of Welcome America, Inc., has been selected to lead VISIT PHILADELPHIA and its talented staff as president and CEO beginning on October 29, 2018.

Guaracino has been part of VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s growth since its early days. He joined the organization in September 2001 and spent more than a decade in leadership roles. In 2012, he left to serve as chief strategy and communications officer for the Atlantic City Alliance (ACA), a New Jersey-based destination marketing organization and later became that organization’s executive director. In 2016, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney recruited Guaracino to serve as president and CEO of Welcome America, Inc., a non-profit organization in a public-private partnership with Philadelphia to produce citywide events.

“After an extensive search that identified top-tier national candidates, Jeff was the unanimous choice of our search committee,” said Manuel N. Stamatakis, chair of VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s Board of Directors. “With more than 20 years of national and international tourism industry experience, a proven track record and deep Philadelphia roots, Jeff is uniquely qualified for this position. He has built a remarkable career in destination marketing, and we are confident that Jeff’s leadership will further elevate Philadelphia’s stature for both U.S. and global audiences.”

“Jeff is passionate about Philadelphia, and I’m confident in his expertise to become the president and CEO of VISIT PHILADELPHIA,” said Mayor Kenney. “This new role is a natural expansion of his longstanding enthusiasm for Philadelphia and will enable him to leverage his expertise to drive tourism to our great city.”

SOURCE VISIT PHILADELPHIA

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