Bernadette Dennis named Managing Director of HSMAI Asia Pacific

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has named Bernadette Dennis, director of BD Concepts Pty Ltd, as the new Managing Director of HSMAI Asia Pacific.

“When HSMAI Asia Pacific was just an idea waiting to happen in 2005, we turned to a few industry leaders for guidance and support to establish our first regional chapter,” said Christine Toguchi, current Managing Director of HSMAI’s Asia Pacific Region who was recently appointed Corporate Director – Marketing for Carlson Hotels Worldwide in Asia Pacific. “Bernadette was among a core group of outstanding individuals that made up the founding board of directors and we are delighted that she will be stepping up as Managing Director to lead us in our next phase of development.”

Prior to opening BD Concepts Pty. Ltd in Melbourne, Australia in 2007, Dennis worked for more than 20 years with Marriott, previously holding the position of vice president of Asia Pacific for Marriott International, Inc.’s Global Sales Organization based in Hong Kong where she managed sales and reservations centres for Marriott’s network in the region.

Pursuant to her post in Hong Kong, Dennis was based in the US, in Florida, Kentucky and Michigan for almost ten years, after which she returned to Australia and joined Ritz-Carlton Sydney as Director of Marketing and Marketing Manager at the World Congress Centre, Melbourne.

Bernadette Dennis said, “The travel and hospitality industry is faced with unprecedented challenges due to the global financial crises, existing political turmoil in certain markets and the massive downturn in business activity. It’s times like this when a professional organisation like HSMAI can play an active role to foster collaborative industry effort and synergy, plus align HSMAI’s resources to support our members and the industry at large.”

In 2009, HSMAI Asia Pacific will host several events concerning learning and networking in Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau where it currently has country chapters established. Key events and initiatives will include:

- Special Interest Group (SIG) Strategy Sessions will also be held for hospitality marketers that wish to learn more about Internet Marketing and Revenue Management.

- For the fourth year, HSMAI Asia Pacific will conduct regional ASIA CONNECT conferences in Singapore and Hong Kong. The ASIA CONNECT series is a one day conference that brings speakers from around the region and other parts of the world, to address specific issues that the Asian hospitality faces in order to generate and facilitate discussion about challenges and solutions to those issues. Key topics featured include revenue management opportunities, internet marketing, latest trends and industry opportunities.

- In 2009, HSMAI will also continue to provide a series of breakfast meets that gather industry professionals to learn more about specific topics. In 2008 such events addressed issue like green meetings, profitability and F&B in revenue management for example. The breakfast seminars take place in Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau.

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