PARADISE POINT CATERING & CONFERENCE SERVICES TEAM EXCITES WITH 5-STAR EXPERTISE

Transcription

1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PARADISE POINT CATERING & CONFERENCE SERVICES TEAM EXCITES WITH 5-STAR EXPERTISE SAN DIEGO, CA. (NOVEMBER 11, 2010)- Paradise Point, the newest addition to Destination Hotels & Resorts Southern California Collection, has assembled the cream of the crop talent for their catering & conference services team. With an eclectic background of top- tier hotels, world- class restaurants and prestigious locations under their belts, each member of the team brings a unique voice and experience to San Diego s Island Resort. With the acquisition of the property, DH&R sought out passionate, driven & hard- working individuals with tremendous knowledge of the market as well as long standing relationships with wedding & meeting planners. We are very excited about assembling such a talented and experienced catering team and their future efforts to continue to position Paradise Point Resort as San Diego s preferred island wedding destination said Dave Griffin, director of sales & marketing for Paradise Point. Leading the team as the director of catering & conference services is Rosanna Harrison, CMP CPCE, a native Australian and newly sworn in United States citizen. Harrison has resided in San Diego since 2005 and began her career in the states for Starwood Hotels. Prior to this, Rosanna worked for Marriott International and Interstate Hotels including the JW Marriott Resort Desert Springs, the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles and the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, planning premier corporate and social events. She has received numerous awards for her efforts including being named Catering Sales Person

2 of the Year while working for Marriott and Westin properties, three years consecutively. She was honored to receive the Spirit to Serve Award by JW Marriott Jr. for her customer service efforts. With over 20 years in the hospitality industry, Rosanna has a wealth of experience, having ensured guest satisfaction ranging from star- studded Industry Weddings for both Film and Television personalities, to corporate and social events for Fortune 500 Companies, Destination Management Companies, and Incentive Houses throughout the nation and even Heads of State. Over the years, Rosanna has had the honor and pleasure of working such with individuals as the Honorable Desmond Tutu, the late, President Benazir Buto, General Tommy Franks, Former President Bill Clinton, and Vice President Richard Cheney to name a few. Over the years she has been an active participant with various organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation, the National Kidney Foundation, American Cancer Society, Make a Wish Foundation, City of Hope, The Globe Guilders, and now the Asian Business Association. Rosanna was delighted to accept the 2008 Member of the Year Award from the Asian Business Association ( ABA). In 2009, she was elected to the ABA Board of Directors and has served for the past year. She is honored to serve as this year s Co- Chair for the ABA s fundraising Gala. In 2011, Rosanna will take on another challenge as a member of the Asian Association, assuming the role of Vice Chair, heading membership growth and development. Paige Graham, catering sales manager, joined the Paradise Point team from L Auberge Del Mar where she held reign as wedding extraordinaire with over 5 years experience in the market. Prior to joining Destination Hotels & Resorts, Graham worked at Arizona Grand Resort for 5+ years as catering sales manager. Licia Manton, conference services manager has been with Paradise Point Resort going on 4 years. Prior to joining the team, Manton was a catering sales manager for Marriott. Her career in hospitality started off at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and La Jolla Shores Hotel as both a catering sales manager and

3 conference services manager. Prior to that, she has strong retail experience working for Timex for 8 years in the capacity of marketing and promotions for the Retail Division. Karen Cipolla, catering sales manager, is originally from San Jose, California and came to San Diego in 1998 to attend San Diego State University. She graduated with a degree in Business Management and soon moved to Los Angeles to join Jig Saw Editorial, a post- production facility for television commercials and music videos. Cipolla moved back to San Diego in 2006 to work for the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, where she accepted a position as a catering coordinator specializing in social events and particularly weddings. Karen joined the Catamaran Catering family in early 2008 and was a valuable addition to the team. As an active member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, she is known and well- respected amongst many of the local, high- end San Diego wedding coordinators, for her dedication to her clients and their guests. She brings a tremendous amount of knowledge to her market. Annette Berg, catering sales manager is responsible for selling and coordinating meetings and events for the local Corporate and Military markets. Prior to joining the team at Paradise Point, Graham worked at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix where she held numerous positions such as business center and shipping manager, grand destination services sales and transportation manager, guest services manager and assistant front desk manager. Berg has well rounded herself in many facets on the hospitality industry and her experience is a tremendous asset to the collection. She has also spent time at La Quinta Inns in Phoenix as well as their front office manager. Brent Haines began his hospitality career by serving 12 years with the Hyatt Corporation and has now been with Paradise Point Resort & Spa for 4 years, starting off as a Catering & Conference Coordinator and is now holding the position of Conference Services Manager. Prior to Paradise, Brent worked with a

4 local Destination Management Company for 3 years. Even before that, Haines took a break from hospitality for a few years to work for a Mortgage Banking Company. While working for Hyatt, Haines held the Meeting Concierge position as well as Small Market Coordinator. He currently resides in North County. Holly Schade, catering & conference services assistant, is a graduate from the Ohio State University with a degree in Hospitality Management. Previously, she worked for the Hyatt in Columbus Ohio as a Front Desk Agent and was promoted to catering coordinator. Schade has 7 years of customer service experience in restaurants and retail. About Paradise Point Paradise Point is a 462- room bungalow- style resort set on Mission Bay in the heart of San Diego. Established in 1962 by famous Hollywood Director Jack Skirball, this island getaway features over one- mile of sandy beach encircling the resort, five swimming pools, a freshwater lake and tranquil lagoon. Among the resort s various amenities are a luxurious Asian- themed spa, two dining venues, an 18- hole putting golf course, fitness center, and private marina equipped with sailboats, jet skis, kayaks and more. Secluded yet centrally located, the resort is just minutes from top attractions including SeaWorld, Old Town, the Gaslamp District, Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. For more information, visit www. paradisepoint. com. About Destination Hotels & Resorts Destination Hotels & Resorts is the fourth largest independent hospitality management company in the country with 34 luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and conference centers. To protect and preserve the unique communities in which the company operates, Destination launched Destination Earth, an environmental sustainability program in New for Destination Hotels & Resorts is the 582- room Terranea Resort situated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California. Opened in 2009, the 102- acre ocean front resort features a 25,000-square- foot destination spa, three swimming pools, three restaurants

5 and a Todd Eckenrode- designed par three golf course. In addition to Terranea in the greater Los Angeles area, Destination operates properties in key metropolitan areas and resort markets including Washington, D. C., Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Palm Springs, Houston and Lake Tahoe. Destination is a subsidiary of Los Angeles- based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www. destinationhotels. com. Media Contact: Pamela Devaney, Regional Director of Public Relations, Destination Hotels & Resorts , pdevaney@destinationhotels. com Amanda Feld, Public Relations Manager, Destination Hotels & Resorts , afeld@destinationhotels. com