
HONOLULU – January 7, 2011 – Marriott in Hawaii is pleased to announce that Todd Castor, Area Director of e-Commerce for Marriott International's portfolio of resort hotels in Hawaii, has been named by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) as one the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality and Travel Sales and Marketing.
The honorees, who have habitually exemplified traits indicative of the best sales and marketing professionals in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries, will be honored during a private ceremony preceding the HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala on Jan. 31, 2011, at the New York Marriott Marquis, and recognized at the Gala.
"We are proud of Todd's e-commerce accomplishments, with outstanding results in increasing room sales and revenues," said Chris Tatum, Vice President, Marriott International – North Asia, Hawaii and South Pacific.
Castor joined Marriott Resorts Hawaii in 2007 and is responsible for identifying, developing and maximizing online exposure via electronic channels for the Hawaiian resort hotels, including Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Maui, JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa on Oahu, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Oahu, Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach on Kauai and Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on Hawaii Island.
Castor also oversaw Marriott's successful 2009 "Tweet Yourself to Hawaii" sweepstakes. The social media campaign is also being recognized by HSMAI with a Bronze Adrian Award for excellence.
Recipients were nominated through a "call for entries" to the industry at-large and judged by a panel of senior industry executives. Nominators were asked to submit specific sales and marketing accomplishments of the nominee with examples that support the individual's implementation of an innovative strategy, the story of overcoming a specific challenge, or the development/implementation of a cutting-edge campaign.
The "Top 25" recognition program is held in conjunction with HSMAI's annual Adrian Awards, which honors the "best of the best" in travel and hospitality marketing in the categories of advertising, public relations and digital marketing. Winners will be recognized at the annual Adrian Awards Gala, and at a ceremony and VIP reception co-hosted by Expedia Media Solutions prior to the Gala. Tables and tickets for the HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala are on sale now. HSMAI will also be holding a Digital Marketing Strategy Conference Feb. 1, the day after the Gala, at the New York Marriott Marquis. For more information on the Top 25 and the Adrian Awards Gala, please contact Desiree LaFont at (703) 506-3297, email AdrianAwards@hsmai.org, visit www.adrianawards.com, or follow Adrian Awards news on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AdrianAwards and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AdrianAwards.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,500 lodging properties in 70 countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; licenses and manages whole-ownership residential brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Residences, JW Marriott Residences and Marriott Residences; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and had approximately 137,000 employees at 2009 year-end. It is recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the best companies to work for, and by Newsweek as one of the greenest big companies in America. In fiscal year 2009, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of nearly $11 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.
For More Information, Contact:
Bernie Caalim or Noreen Kam
McNeil Wilson Communications
808-741-2609 or 808-741-2843
Bernie.Caalim@mwc-anthology.com
Noreen.Kam@mwc-anthology.com