GOING PLACES
Erin Thornton, Rachel Davis and Steve Becker have joined Woodbury, N.J.-based event and meetings firm Carson Group as account executives. Call 856/251-9333; www.cgievents.com. ▪ Twinsburg, Ohio-based independent meeting planning firm Conferon has hired O. Gordon Banks, CAE, as business development executive, serving the Washington market. Call 330/425-8333; www.conferon.com. ▪ St. Louis-based La Chef and Co. has hired Scott Drake as a sales executive. Call 314/647-5350. ▪ Bruce William McIntosh, CHA, has been named vice president and general manager of The National Conference Center at Lansdowne, located in Lansdowne, Va. Call 703/729-8000; www.conferencecenter.com. ▪ Benchmark Hospitality, based in The Woodlands, Texas, has announced three new appointments at its properties. Shawn Anderson has been named director of sales for The Northland Inn, located in Minneapolis. Mark Ansteth has been named director of sales and marketing for Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo. Bradford D. Jencks has been named general manager of Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu, Hawaii. Call 281/367-5757; www.benchmarkhospitality.com. ▪ Richard Barmettler has been appointed food and beverage director for Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Call 712/328-8888; www.ameristarcasinos.com. ▪ The Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau in Tampa, Fla., has named Jane Han services manager. Call 813/223-1111; www.visittampabay.com. ▪ Sheri Wagner, CMP, has been promoted from creative director to vice president of creative services at Star Trax Corporate Events, based in Southfield, Mich. Call 248/263-6300; www.startraxcorpevents.com.
BRANCHING OUT
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has announced the opening of the Las Vegas Convention Center's 1.3 million-square-foot expansion. The expansion has increased the size of the convention center's exhibit space to a total of 2 million square feet, and includes 918,000 square feet of exhibit space, 51 new meeting rooms and a 600-seat restaurant. Contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau at 702/892-0711 or visit www.vegasfreedom.com.
KUDOS
Annie Revel, CSEP, owner of San Diego-based Revel Productions, has been awarded a position teaching Festival Management for the San Diego State University Hospitality and Tourism Management bachelor's degree program. Call 619/582-1849; www.revelproductions.com.
