Venue News
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, an award-winning resort nestled in the Texas Hill Country and just 20-minutes from downtown San Antonio, announces its menu of Texas-inspired outdoor team building experiences for 2022. The activities include everything from Flowrider surfing competitions and beach volleyball tournaments to the “Canvas, Corks, and Countrysides” painting class.
Remington Hotels, a leading third-party management company, has assumed management of the SpringHill Suites Austin West/Lakeway by Marriott in Lakeway, Texas. The 88-room property opened in August 2020 as a top business and leisure offering in the area. The all-suite hotel equips guests with maximum room to spread out with separate areas to live, work and sleep. Guestrooms include comfortable beds with soft linens, SpringHill Suites’ custom, three-in-one West Elm sofas which convert for additional sleeping space, and well-lit desks accompanied by a West Elm Swivel Chair. Beyond the spacious rooms, SpringHill Suites Austin West/Lakeway by Marriott includes an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, fully equipped boardroom, stylish lobby, and grab and go market.
Eat.Drink.Sleep (EDS), a privately-held, San Diego-based company offering integrated hospitality management services, including developing and managing hotels and restaurants, has received unanimous approval from the Placerville Planning Commission for a 106-room hotel located at 3001 Jacquier Road to be named Mackinaw Hotel. The property was designed by Eat.Drink.Sleep in partnership with Coston Architects and EDS’ design division, Second Sight Design. The hotel is expected to open in late 2023. Additionally, Second Sight Design announced it has been retained by Visit Bakersfield for social media management and content creation, and continues its work for Mackinaw Hotel, and other clients, from the Wise Ox Butcher and Eatery to Rare Society Solana Beach and University Heights, and Stone's Casino.
AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard (867 New Jersey Avenue SE; 202-488-3600) is set to become the third AC Hotels by Marriott in the nation’s capital on Feb. 3, 2022. Owned and managed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises, Whitman Peterson and Greystar Real Estate Investments, the new hotel offers the brand’s intuitive and timeless European-inspired travel experience to guests perfectly situated between D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, bustling waterfront Navy Yard, and the attractions of the National Mall. A convenient retreat, the hotel is set amongst the energy of Capitol Hill and the stadiums and restaurants lining the Southwest Waterfront and Navy Yard neighborhoods. This spectacularly designed full-service property is just blocks from The Wharf, the Smithsonian Museums and memorials that dot the National Mall, Nationals Park, Audi Field, and is easily accessible from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport via the Metro’s Green line.
Hyatt Regency Morristown, one of the area’s premier downtown hotels for business and leisure travelers, unveils a reimagined hotel experience following a multimillion-dollar renovation. Designed by Gensler, a global architecture and design firm with a Morristown office, the hotel debuts today a complete transformation of the property’s guestrooms, lobby, food and beverage offerings, and indoor meeting spaces. The property is located in the center of Headquarters Plaza, which is a multifaceted mixed-use development comprised of the hotel, three office towers, a gym, restaurants and covered parking, owned by the Olnick Organization and Fisher Development Associates, LLC.
Hot Off the Presses
In early April 2022, Main Light, LLC, a preeminent dry hire rental partner, will be opening a new facility in Nashville, TN. The new 70,000 sq. ft. Main Light, South shop—under the direction of Main Light General Manager, Randy Mullican—will be located at 12630 Old Hickory Blvd, Antioch, TN. Locally, Main Light, South will be led by Rental Account Manager, Cathie Berbena Lloyd and Operations Manager, Jim Gregory. This will expand Main Light’s operations to a third location, joining Main Light, East in Wilmington, DE and Main Light, West in Las Vegas, NV. Main Light’s expansion into Nashville builds upon their well-deserved reputation for efficient, responsive, and cost-effective customer service.
Orlando Wedding and Party Rentals (OWPR), a full-service event rental company serving the Orlando area for nearly two decades, with tailored event rentals and superior customer service, is recapitalizing with EventWorks, the Southeast’s largest event rental provider. Headquartered in Charleston, SC, EventWorks offers clients an extensive line of highly scalable and diverse products with unparalleled service from some of the industry’s most seasoned event professionals. The strategic decision to unify the organization will span EventWorks locations across five states and eight cities, including Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville and Orlando. Leadership and staffing will remain the same at the EventWorks Orlando location. The name change and rebrand in the upcoming months will signify its commitment to growing its reach, resources and abilities to enhance the client experience. All inventory will also be aligned under one company’s internal rental systems, offering event planners and professionals a premium and effortless client experience.
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) once again hosted its annual CMP breakfast at PCMA on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 at Caesar’s Forum in Las Vegas. This year’s entertainment was provided by three-time Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards nominee Lindsay Ell who performed for more than 200 attendees. (L-R) Taylor Abbate, Attendee Experience Manager for Bishop-McCann, singer Lindsay Ell, Christina Pino, Director of Conference Design and Logistics for Stellato Meeting Solutions, and Marcus Urquhart, Business Events Manager for National League of Cities pose for a photo at the event.
Association Updates
Each year, the American Rental Association (ARA) Foundation awards numerous scholarships in effort to attract talent to the equipment and event rental industry. For the 2022-2023 academic year, $128,500 will be available to students seeking higher education through trade schools, universities, and community colleges. In total, 66 individual scholarships are available with amounts ranging from $750 to $5,000. Students may apply for multiple awards if eligibility requirements are met. Applicants must be associated with the equipment and event rental industry either as a student member of ARA or with an equipment and event rental operation or a manufacturer/supplier of rental equipment and be pursuing a career that supports the industry. The equipment and event rental industry operation does not need to be an ARA member but must qualify for membership with the association. New for this program year, five $2,000 scholarships are available to ARA student members. This new membership category is open to individuals enrolled in high school or a post-secondary institution. Student membership, which is free of charge to those who qualify, opens a variety of opportunities to learn about the industry and network with other members.
People on the Move
RealTime Reservation LLC., the leading centralized inventory management software for resorts and hotels, announced today that Dawn McGowan has joined the team as Senior Account Manager, responsible for Luxury Brands and Asset Managed Hotels and Resorts. RealTime Reservation provides real-time inventory management reservation software to the hospitality and travel industry, this includes pre-arrival integrations with Property Management Systems as well as integrations with credit card processing. As the travel industry continues to acclimate to COVID-19 restrictions, RealTime Reservation has experienced rapid growth and expects continued global expansion into 2022. McGowan will join the team as a Senior Account Manager, handling Luxury Brands and Asset Managed Hotels and Resorts, following the company’s many recent hires in support of client operations. This includes Dennis Dean – Application Support Analyst, Lauren Kushner – Application Support Analyst, Albaro Rivas – Customer Success Advocate, Andrew Kahn – Administrative Assistant, Siddharth Baireddy – Software Engineer and Patrick Wszeborowski – Software Engineer.
