CVBs

William Sherry has been named CEO of Team San Jose (California). Sherry, currently director of aviation at San Jose International Airport, will continue to oversee the airport in addition to his new duties. Sherry replaces Dan Fenton, who resigned late last year. Also at Team San Jose, Julie Davis-Petit has been named director of event services. Davis-Petit was previously general manager with Equity Office Properties, a commercial real estate company in San Jose.

The High Point (North Carolina) Convention & Visitors Bureau has named Timothy Mabe as its new president. Mabe was most recently CEO at the Valdosta-Lowndes County (Georgia) Convention & Visitors Bureau, Conference Center and Sports Commission. He also previously served as CEO of the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas, and as executive director of the NorthWest Georgia Trade & Convention Center Authority in Dalton, Georgia. Mabe succeeds Charlotte Young, who recently retired.

Patrick Kaler has been named president and CEO of Visit Loudoun (Virginia). Kaler was most recently senior director of travel industry and tourism development for LA INC., the convention and visitors bureau of Los Angeles.

Visit Charlotte (North Carolina) has named Lyn Acocella-Bagley national sales manager. Acocella-Bagley was previously a senior account executive for Marriott International.

The Monterey County (California) Convention & Visitors Bureau has named John Ehlenfeldt regional director of sales. Ehlenfeldt was most recently director of meeting and incentive sales development for the Canadian Tourism Commission. He also formerly served as director of sales at the Long Beach (California) Convention & Entertainment Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Fred Brodsky has been named group sales manager at Snowmass Tourism in Colorado. Brodsky previously founded and operated three hospitality companies in Las Vegas: AdVenture Group, a marketing and team-building company; Vegas Props, a provider of design and décor services for events; and Paramount Destination Services, a destination management company.

Terese McInnis has been appointed group sales account executive at the Traverse City (Michigan) Convention & Visitors Bureau. McInnis was previously vice-president of sales and marketing and general manager for the Lansing Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, also known as the Waterford Estates Lodge Lansing.

The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau has appointed Vicki Lemasters as an account executive. Lemasters most recently was senior sales manager for three San Antonio hotels—the St. Anthony Hotel and two Holiday Inns.

The Breckenridge (Colorado) Convention & Visitors Bureau has named Stacy Long outside sales representative and Angela Miller sales coordinator. Long was previously national sales manager for Breckenridge Hospitality, a hotel and property management company. Miller previously worked as a sales specialist for the central reservations division of the Breckenridge Resort Chamber.

HOSPITALITY & SUPPLIERS

Craig Reaume has been named general manager of the Fairmont/Vancouver Airport. Reaume was previously hotel manager of the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. He succeeds Dan McGowan, who now oversees the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary, Canada.

David Berger has been appointed general manager of the Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel & Executive Meeting Center. Berger was previously general manager of the Sheraton/Orlando Downtown. He also formerly managed various Hilton and Marriott properties.

The Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas has made two new appointments. Harold Rapoza has been named general manager and Lauren Diaz has been named Southeast regional sales manager. Rapoza was previously general manager of the Hilton/Anaheim in Southern California. Diaz previously worked at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Northland Inn, a hotel and conference center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, has named Mike Brunkow as general manager. Brunkow was most recently managing director of the Hotel Minneapolis.

Marilyn Miller has been named director of sales and marketing at the Sheraton/Bloomington-Minneapolis South. Miller was most recently director of sales and marketing for Marcus Hotels & Resorts.

The Hilton Orrington Hotel in Evanston, Illinois, has named Mike McCahon director of sales and marketing. McCahon was previously director of sales and marketing for the Batterymarch Conference Center in downtown Boston.

M. Leo Hart has been appointed director of sales at Hilton’s Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. His 30 years of hospitality experience include senior-level leadership positions with the Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont and Hyatt hotel companies.

The Mandarin Oriental/Las Vegas has appointed Diane Yost as its new director of sales and marketing. Yost was previously director of sales and marketing at the Ritz-Carlton/Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.

Sheryl Tsugawa has been named sales and marketing manager of the Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort in Honolulu. Tsugawa previously worked for the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where she was most recently operations manager for IHG Army Hotels, lodging units located at Tripler Medical Center and Fort Shafter in Honolulu.

The Resort at the Mountain, located on Mount Hood in the town of Welches, Oregon, has appointed Alison Sadowski and Natalie Coury as sales managers. Sadowski was previously a front-desk agent with Hotel Fifty in Portland, Oregon. Coury formerly worked for the Paramount Hotel and for Wyatt Condominiums, also both in Portland.

The Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island, Michigan, has appointed Deborah Denyer as sales manager. Denyer most recently worked for Destination Michigan as a senior sales manager.

The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in Malaysia has named Paul D’Arcy as its CEO. D’Arcy was most recently the pre-opening general manager of the Qatar National Convention Centre in the city of Doha. Prior to that, he was opening general manager of the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre in Australia.

CONSTRUCTION & EXPANSION

The Ritz Carlton recently opened its first property in Canada: the 53-story Ritz-Carlton/Toronto, located in the downtown financial district. The hotel features 267 guest rooms and more than 12,000 square feet of event space, including a ballroom that can accommodate up to 700. All guest rooms and suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows, WiFi access and bathrooms with rain showerheads and deep bathtubs. The property also offers a restaurant, a bar and two lounges, and a large spa with a pool, fitness center, yoga studio and wrap-around terrace.

The Embassy Suites/Houston Downtown has opened overlooking Discovery Green Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center. The 262-suite hotel, which is pursuing LEED certification, offers several eco-friendly features including “smart switches” that turn off all the lights when guests leave their rooms. Hotel amenities include a business center, pool, fitness center, café and 6,000 square feet of event space.

In South Carolina, the Hilton Garden Inn/Columbia-Northeast has opened near the capital city’s business district. It offers 110 guest rooms, a business center and 3,500 square feet of meeting space, a glass-enclosed lobby with a lounge area, a grill and a fitness center.

The Westin Oaks/Houston has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its lobby, guest rooms and meeting space. The new lobby features mood lighting, a bar and a suspended sculpture, the property’s signature design feature. The hotel’s 406 guest rooms now offer updated technology, new beds and new bath amenities. All of its 23,000 square feet of meeting space has been renovated with new furniture, artwork, carpeting and lighting.

The JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, has completed a $50 million renovation project. Its 20,000-square-foot grand ballroom was completely remodeled and now features wireless connectivity, production-quality lighting, enhanced sound capabilities and electronic reader boards. The 453-room resort also added new restaurants and a courtyard and redesigned its lobby.

The historic Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona, has completed a $7 million renovation project that included the addition of a pool, an outdoor plaza, a farm-to-table restaurant and a new lobby. The 331-room property offers more than 100,000 square feet of event space.

In Southern California, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa has completed renovations of all its 517 guest rooms and its 110,000 square feet of meeting space. Guest rooms were redesigned in a contemporary bungalow style and meeting spaces were upgraded with, among other things, new carpeting and furniture.

In Pewaukee, Wisconsin, the Radisson Hotel Pewaukee has been rebranded as the Holiday Inn/Pewaukee-Milwaukee West and has received several upgrades. Hotel features now include guest rooms with high-definition, flat-screen TVs; new fitness equipment; new carpets; and a remodeled café. Further upgrades, notably to its business center, are also slated. The Holiday Inn offers 118 guest rooms and meeting and banquet space for up to 200 people.

AND FINALLY …

Marriott & Renaissance Hotels of Florida recently partnered with association clients to host a food drive in Tallahassee. The event resulted in the collection of 296 meals for America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend, a city food bank that serves the needy of greater Tallahassee. The event was co-chaired by Lisa Miller, national sales manager at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, and Tenille McLeod, director of sales at the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina in Stuart, Florida.

BOXED ITEM

The Philadelphia Convention Center has completed a massive expansion project that more than doubled its size, adding nearly 400,000 square feet of event space.

The expanded convention center, located in Philadelphia’s Center City area, now features 679,000 square feet of exhibit space (including 528,000 contiguous square feet), an 87,400-square-foot ballroom (the largest on the East Coast), a new floor-to-ceiling glass entrance and 79 total meeting rooms.

The convention center can now host two conventions simultaneously, something that was not possible prior to the expansion. This took place for the first time on March 9, when the center hosted the Philadelphia International Flower Show and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators convention.

The project aimed to preserve the building’s historic qualities. The Grand Hall and Ballroom are located in the historic Reading Terminal train shed, and the Reading Terminal Market, located on the ground floor, has been incorporated into the design.

The convention center is also located adjacent to the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, which offers more than 100,000 square feet of event space. There are 10,500 hotel rooms in the Center City area. For more information, visit philadelphiaUSA.travel/complete.