Meeting News - September 8, 2008 - (Page 19)

People Making News Dallas Is Now Sims’ City In July, Alan Sims joined the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau as director of sales for the sales and service division. Sims, who will lead a 15-member sales team, has overall responsibility for achieving guest room night goals, increasing Dallas’ visibility through industry involvement, and guaranteeing clients’, members’, and associates’ satisfaction. Most recently, Sims served as director of convention sales and services for the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, leading his team to exceed definite room night booking goals for three consecutive years. “Alan joins [us] at an opportune time,” explained Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Alan’s leadership and drive will be a key component in the effectiveness of our sales team, and I am confident that his presence will directly benefit Dallas.” ways, airport and convention center expansions, and a major light-rail system. “We look forward to providing the top level of service that clients have come to expect from PRA Destination Management and are pleased to bring our first-class services to this great destination,” said Christensen. Fort Thomas resident is also chairman of the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority, and he sits on the board of Southbank Partners and serves as an ex-officio board member of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center and the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau. He is also an advisory board and board member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Porter, InterContinental Hotel Group’s President of the Americas, Dies at 53 InterContinental Hotel Group announced on August 7 that Steve Porter, its president for the Americas region, who had relinquished his responsibilities due to medical reasons in July, passed away in Los Angeles, following a short illness. David Webster, chairman of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, said: “Steve Porter served as a director of IHG with great distinction. He was an outstanding executive and a passionate supporter of the company. Steve commanded the fullest respect and affection of everyone in our industry. We are deeply saddened by his death, and our sympathies are with his family.” As previously reported, IHG’s finance director, Richard Solomons, has been appointed president of the Americas region on an interim basis, in addition to his existing duties. Super Bowl CEO Wardrop Touches Down at Phoenician The Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, AZ, has tapped former Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Debbie Wardrop as its director of event management. In her new role, Wardrop will manage the operations of the resort’s catering, convention services, destination services, and business services departments. Most recently an owner of a national events, project development, and hospitality services company, Wardrop spent two years coordinating activities for Super Bowl XLII, which was staged at the University of Phoenix Stadium in February. During this time, she served as the liaison between the state of Arizona and the National Football League, creating a not-for-profit organizational structure that included the hiring and training of a 20-person staff, as well as the establishing a $14 million budget. In addition to securing millions of dollars in funding and sponsorships, Wardrop was responsible for managing bid commitments from the hospitality industry, involving nearly 20,000 hotel rooms. She also established legacy and volunteer programs, which have impacted more than 20,000 youths throughout Arizona. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Debbie to the Phoenician,” said managing director Mark Vinciguerra. “Her national reputation as a talented and creative leader, evidenced by the numerous high-profile roles she has held throughout her career, will bring great strength to this position, especially as continued on page 20 September 8, 2008 MeetingNews 19 Christensen Heads PRA’s Utah Office PRA Destination Management Inc., a destination management services franchise, announced the ofﬁcial opening of PRA Utah, with Katherine Christensen, DMCP, CMP, as its president and leader. In addition to the PRA Utah ofﬁce, Christensen also owns the PRA Arizona ofﬁce, one of the leading destination management companies in the Southwest region. “The Salt Lake City and Park City region is growing in leaps and bounds, so from a business perspective it makes perfect sense to expand our operations into this thriving area,” commented Christensen. Park City is one of the U.S.’s most accessible mountain recreation destinations, located only 36 miles from Salt Lake International Airport. From fine dining, extensive shopping, and unique art galleries to hiking, biking, and golf, there are many off-site opportunities in the mountain town. Spurred by its host role in the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City began reinventing itself over the past decade. It started with improved infrastructure: rebuilt freewww.meetingnews.com Caradonio Joins DMAI Board Tom Caradonio, president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky CVB, has been elected to a three-year term on the Destination Marketing Association International board of directors. Caradonio will serve through 2011 on the 25-member board. DMAI president and CEO Michael Gehrisch said, “Tom is an excellent addition to the DMAI board. His commitment to advancing the destination marketing industry is a vital quality in serving in this role. We believe his experience will provide additional depth and insight as DMAI looks to the future.” Caradonio has served as bureau chief at Northern Kentucky since 1998. Under his leadership, the bureau set a record $325 million in total visitor spending in the three-county region it represents. Caradonio has more than 35 years in the hospitality business. The http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - September 8, 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor What's Up @ MeetingNews.com Social Scene People Making News Hotels & Resorts Convention Centers CVBs International Green Beat Insider Report: Golf Destination Insider MN Webcast Report Advertisers Index Live from the Forum Mexico Hawaii

Meeting News - September 8, 2008

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