CONVENTION BUREAUS

The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau has appointed Don Welsh to be its president and CEO. Welsh had been serving as the CEO of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association. His appointment follows the resignation of previous Chicago CTB President and CEO Tim Roby, who left the bureau in December to become senior vice-president of North American sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

John Solis has been named vice-president of sales at the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Solis has been interim vice-president of sales at the bureau for the past six months and was formerly assistant executive director at the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Vicki Higgins has been appointed senior vice-president of marketing at Visit Newport Beach Inc. Higgins was most recently senior director of business development and strategic partnerships at LA Inc., the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Sallee Meier has been named director of client services at LA Inc. Meier was most recently special events manager for the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. She has also managed events for the San Diego-based Vision Event Productions.

Anna Blakeley has been appointed sales manager at the Frisco (Texas) Convention & Visitors Bureau. In the past, she has worked for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and NYLO Hotels.

Melissa Evans has been named convention sales manager at the Springfield (Missouri) Convention & Visitors Bureau. Evans was most recently sales director at the StoneBridge Village & Resort in Branson, Missouri.

HOSPITALITY & SUPPLIERS

The Ritz-Carlton/Palm Beach has named R. Michael King as general manager. King formerly had been opening general manager of the Waldorf Astoria/Orlando. Before that, he was opening manager of the Ritz-Carlton/Denver.

Atif Youssef has been named general manager of the Millenium Broadway Hotel New York. Youssef was formerly general manager of the Empire Hotel and manager of the Hudson Hotel, both in New York City.

Colman Conneely has been named general manager of Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, located in Teaneck, New Jersey. Conneely was more recently regional vice-president and general manager of the Hilton/Charlotte Center City in North Carolina.

The Skamania Lodge, located in Stevenson, Washington, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, has appointed Chris Kerr as director of sales and marketing. Kerr was previously director of sales and marketing at the Fairmont/Scottsdale in Arizona.

The London/West Hollywood has appointed Joe Velasquez director of sales and marketing. Velasquez has more than 20 years of hospitality experience including positions with Fairmont, Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt hotels.

Isabel Gracia has been appointed director of sales and marketing at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Gracia was previously director of sales and marketing at the Gansevoort Miami Beach.

MGM Resorts International has named Gary Murakami director of regional sales for the Ritz-Carlton/San Francisco. He has also worked for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.

CONSTRUCTION & EXPANSION

The Wilmington Convention Center opened in January in Wilmington, North Carolina. The facility features 107,000 square feet of event space, which includes a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 12,000-square-foot ballroom.

A new convention center has also opened in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Las Cruces Convention Center features 30,000 square feet of meeting space including a 15,000-square-foot exhibition hall, a 9,360-square-foot ballroom and six breakout rooms.

The W/Austin has opened in the Texas capital with 251 guest rooms and suites and 10,500 square feet of meeting space. Other features include a restaurant and bar, fitness facility and spa.

Hotel Blackhawk has reopened in downtown Davenport, Iowa. The historic building (constructed in 1915) underwent a $45 million restoration and now offers 130 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of event space.

The Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel & Executive Meeting Center (formerly a Wyndham hotel) has opened following extensive upgrades. The hotel near Miami International Airport features 405 guest rooms and 17,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Stowe Mountain Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, has added 173 guest rooms in its new South Wing - bringing the total room count to 312 - and opened a new performing arts center.

Construction has begun on the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center in Cleveland. The center is expected to open in September 2013 with 230,000 square feet of exhibit hall space and more than 92,000 square feet dedicated to meeting rooms.

Construction has also begun on the new Washington Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, D.C., adjacent to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The $520 million property will open in 2014 with 1,175 guest rooms and 100,000 square feet of meeting space.

AND FINALLY...

Isadore Sharp, founder and chairman of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, was inducted into the U.S. Travel Association Hall of Leaders during the association's winter board meeting in Phoenix. Sharp's well-received remarks centered on engendering trust and how his commitment to quality and striving to raise standards helped propel the growth and success of Four Seasons Hotels.