JW Marriott Miami Hosts GMBHA’s 1st Annual Hospitality & Tourism Leader Of The Year Award
MIAMI –The JW Marriott Miami hosted the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association’s (GMBHA) 1st Annual Hospitality & Tourism Leader of the Year Award, honoring one of the industry’s most respected professionals – William D. Talbert III, CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB).
Roger Dow, U.S. Travel Association President & CEO traveled to Miami for the event, and was one of numerous dignitaries present to honor Talbert, among them Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Beach City Manager Alina T. Hudak, Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon and numerous others.
The event, which was held on the property’s seventh floor event pool deck, served as a platform to introduce the inaugural William D. Talbert III Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT) Scholarships. The annual scholarship awards will be presented to deserving AOHT seniors.
“We were genuinely honored to host this event for Bill, someone who has so impacted Miami-Dade’s tourism for decades,” said Florencia Tabeni, Vice President of Operations & Development for MDM Hotel Group, owners of the JW Marriott Miami. “To say that the recognition was deserved is an understatement.”
“The recognition was appropriate in that it was not only the first annual, but it in essence became a ‘pivot’ from the COVID crisis that has been so devastating to our industry,” added Wendy Kallergis, President & CEO of the GMBHA. “It was a literal who’s who gathering of our industry.”
“We were extremely privileged to host such a prestigious event, for such an extraordinary group of industry professionals,” concluded Mildred Riscigno, General Manager of the JW Marriott Miami. “We all look forward to brighter days ahead.”