In front of a record crowd of 1000 attendees at the Grand Traverse Resort, Crystal Mountain’s president and chief executive officer Jim MacInnes and his wife, chief operating officer Chris MacInnes, together were named Michigan Hoteliers of the Year at the 2014 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The awards ceremony, held on Tuesday, March 10th, capped off a successful day of education, networking and collaboration among tourism stakeholders.
The conference’s awards dinner, Stars of the Industry, honored four other Northern Michigan hospitality employees and their organizations, in addition to naming Crystal Mountain Hotelier of the Year.
- Star Attraction: Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island.
- Sales & Marketing Star: Allen Ballard, Treetops Resort, Gaylord.
- Guest Relations Star: Shirley Allison, Pointes North Beachfront Resort, Traverse City.
- CVB Star (one of two): Ilene Geiss-Wilson, Grayling CVB, Grayling.
Additional awards for Michigan lodging include: Culinary Star: chef Jen Ozolins, Firekeepers Hotel & Casino; second CVB Star: Mary Kerr, Ann Arbor CVB; Food & Beverage Star: Sharon Krol, Fairfield Inn and Suites, Livonia; Good Earth Keeping Star: Rick Robbins, Crowne Plaza Lansing West; Operations Star: Eric Hassevort, J. W. Marriot; Outstanding Student: Amy Paruk, MSU & Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center; Room Attendant: Tam Nguyen, Amway, Grand Plaza.
2014 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism provides attendees with prime educational and networking opportunities. “Culinary Tourism,” was a focus for this year’s conference, sharing some of Northern Michigan’s finest culinary delights including wine and beer tours for those in attendance. Adventurer and awards-winning travel writer, Doug Lansky, opened the educational sessions and gave the group his thoughts on making Michigan an international destination. Additional speakers gave insights on how business meetings are changing, usage of Google analytics, government and private partnerships, trends in tourism and much more.
The Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism continues through Wednesday, March 12th; MyNorth Media staff attended and will provide notes on several sessions.