ON THE MOVE
Planners
Doty Goes to Alltech
Brian Doty, CMP, has joined Nicholasville, Ky.-based biotechnology company Alltech Inc., as events manager. A 10-year veteran of the meeting-planning industry, Doty was most recently production services director at association-management company AMR Inc., based in Lexington, Ky.
Hensley Joins National Trade Productions
Brandon D. Hensley has been hired by Alexandria, Va.-based National Trade Productions, an association trade-show producer, as senior account executive responsible for Coverings, a trade show for the tile- and stone-flooring industry.
Suppliers
Lacy Gibson has been named director of sales at the Hampton, Va., Convention & Visitor Bureau. Also named to the staff are Suzanne Roane, sales manager, corporate, education and Richmond area; and Jim Wulfekuhle, sales manager, hobbies, trade association and trade events.
Laurie A. Gabrielsen has rejoined the 629-room Adam’s Mark Denver as director of sales.
Jeffrey Heckard has been promoted from national sales manager to director of group sales at the 244-room Belleview Biltmore Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Clearwater, Fla.
Dori Marx, CMP, has joined the Austrian Tourist Office in New York City as manager of the Austrian business and conventions network.
Scott D. Mumma has been appointed director of sales for the recently reopened World Trade Institute Conference Center in New York City.
Kristina O’Neil has been promoted to manager of event sales and new business for studio special events at Universal Studios in Universal City, Calif. Also promoted is Monique Rife, now manager of event production.
Bruce Seigel has been appointed area director of marketing for Georgia’s three Ritz-Carlton properties: the Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta; Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead; and Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation.
"Every
evening I sit with the planner over a glass of wine, and we talk
about that day and the one to follow."
Mark Beaupre is executive chef at the 1,000-room JW Marriott
Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando. A graduate of the Culinary
Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., Beaupre has worked for
Marriott for 20 years. He presides over two restaurants and a staff
of 140 and handles the food requirements for the hotel’s meeting
and convention groups.
Do you meet the meeting planner before the
event? Yes, as the idea is to build relationships,
especially if the meeting is, say, three years away. I assist the
sales managers, and that really adds to the comfort level of the
person responsible for the event. By the time the group gets here,
I have talked with and e-mailed him or her many times. During the
event, every evening I sit with the planner over a glass of wine,
and we talk about that day and the one to follow.
What is the trend now in food? To keep dishes
fresh and simple, so I use lots of Florida seafood and citrus
fruits. Heavy sauces are out.
How are your banquet rooms designed? We have
stainless steel tables with black spandex covering the legs; we
also have tiled, wooden tables. I like cut glass, candles and
mini-spotlights, to give the room a clean look.
Do you work with your sister property, the [584-room]
Ritz-Carlton? Yes. My kitchen is joined to theirs, and I
work closely with their chief, Sean Woods. All the convention and
banqueting space is between our two hotel towers, and we combine
staffs when a group has bought out both properties.