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This week in Opportunities:

Cruise Companies Report 10.8% Growth in Q2
Quarterly Results Show Gaming Business Still Hot
Marriott Ranked as Among Best Companies for Latinas
Opportunities Watch!
Opportunities Networking!
Opportunities Resource!
Executive Movers! See who's going where?
Travel Executive Employment Report

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OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS!

Cruise Companies Report 10.8% Growth in Second Quarter

The cruise industry continues to generate impressive growth following a strong performance in early 2004. The member fleets of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) carried 2,604,544 worldwide guests in the second quarter, a 10.8 percent increase over the same period in 2003. North American passengers grew 14.3 percent during the same period, to 2,255,975 guests in the second quarter of 2004, up from 1,973,591 second-quarter guests one year ago. The 2004 second-quarter passenger figures are new statistics released today by CLIA, whose member lines represent over 95 percent of the cruise capacity marketed in North America. In addition to the growing passenger totals, CLIA cruise lines also continued to sail full, posting a 100.7 percent occupancy factor in the second quarter of 2004. Overall, statistics for the first half of 2004 show a 10 percent increase in worldwide passengers to 5,024,465 from 4,567,855 for the same period in 2003. First-half North American passengers grew 10.6 percent, to 4,327,772, while foreign-sourced passengers climbed by 6.5 percent to 696,693 for the same period. CLIA's first half passenger carryings statistics also include: Itineraries of one to five days accounted for a 31.2 percent share of the cruise market; itineraries of six to eight days accounted for 55.8 percent; nine to 17-day itineraries accounted for 12.6 percent; and itineraries of 18 days or longer accounted for 0.4 percent of the market. The average length of a cruise in the first half was 6.99 days versus 6.97 days for the same period in 2003. First-half occupancy factors totaled 102 percent versus 101.1 percent during the same period in 2003. For more information, visit www.cruising.org.

Quarterly Results Show Gaming Business Still Hot

The gaming business continues to report improved financial numbers, even among those companies set for merger. Mandalay Resort Group last week reported net income in the second quarter of $58.2 million, compared with $42.3 million in the same period in 2003. "Despite the absence of a strong convention component this quarter, Mandalay still performed impressively, delivering all-time record results for its second quarter by a distance," said Glenn Schaeffer, president and CFO. Operating cash flow at the company's Las Vegas Strip properties increased $17.6 million, or 14 percent, in the second quarter, driven by a 12 percent increase in revenue per available room, and an 8 percent increase in casino revenues. Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur all reported record second quarter results. So even with the pending merger with MGM Mirage, Mandalay continues to grow, which may result in more job creation.

Marriott Ranked as Among Best Companies for Latinas

Marriott International continues to win accolades as one of the best companies to work for if you're a member of a minority group. For the sixth year in a row, Marriott has been named to Latina Style magazine's list of the "50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work for in the U.S.," according to the August issue. Marriott was the only lodging company on the list. Marriott is recognized for its continued commitment to diversity and women's leadership. For example, Marriott conducts women's leadership conferences, offers tuition reimbursement and provides alternative work arrangements and a directory for discounted childcare in all 50 states. Other recent awards recognizing Marriott as an excellent workplace include: The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) included Marriott in its "2004 30 Best Companies for Executive Women." Essence magazine named Marriott as one of the publication's "Best Companies for Black Women." Working Mother Magazine recognized Marriott as one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" for the 13th year. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ranked Marriott number one in the organization's annual lodging report card for the sixth time. Marriott ranked 25th on DiversityInc's "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" list. Marriott also ranked fifth for Asian-Americans and ninth for executive Women. Hispanic magazine's "Corporate 100" recognizes Marriott as one of the 100 "Best Places to Work for Latinos." Marriott was among the top 10 U.S. companies for diversity in the "Best of the Best: Corporate Awards for Diversity & Women" by Diversity Best Practices and Business Women's Network. Finally, Marriott was ranked among Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For."

OPPORTUNITIES WATCH!

Starwood Adds Hotels from Paraguay to Las Vegas

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide lately has been busy opening W hotels around the world. But last week it unveiled a new Sheraton and plans for a revamped Las Vegas property that will come under an entirely different brand. Starwood announced the grand opening of Paraguay's first international hotel, the Sheraton Asuncion. The newly built hotel, located in the heart of Asuncion, Paraguay's capital city, is designed to attract both the regional corporate market as well as international business travelers. Separately, Starwood announced that the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas is now officially a member of its portfolio of hotels and will soon to be flying a Sheraton flag, though the property itself will be known as the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, a Sheraton Hotel.

Accor Expands Mercure Brand Throughout Asia

Major hotel companies have been announcing the development of new Asian properties at a record clip--and France's Accor Group is now exception. Accor has added the Fortune Hotel Bangkok hotel to its growing network of Mercure properties in Asia. The 400-room hotel is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar refurbishment program to meet brand standards, and will be rebranded Grand Mercure Fortune Bangkok when work is completed in December 2004. Accor also recently rebranded the Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel Singapore and the Grand Mercure Phoenix Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Three additional Mercure hotels will open in Indonesia before the end of 2004, including the Mercure Resort Sanur in Bali and Mercure Convention Centre and Mercure Marina Ancol both in Jakarta. Accor will also open its first Mercure hotel in Japan, Mercure Ginza in Tokyo on Oct. 1. In Thailand, Accor also manages the Mercure Hotel Chonburi and last year announced Mercure Pattaya, which will open late 2005.

Globus Parent GVI Buys Seattle-Based Brennan Vacations

Here's a major tour operator and wholesaler on the growth path. Group voyagers Inc. (GVI), parent of the Globus, Cosmos and Monograms by Globus brands, has purchased Seattle-based Brennan Vacations. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. A North America specialist since 1978, Brennan operates deluxe escorted tours in Canada, the United States and Mexico's Copper Canyon. It also sells Ireland escorted tours in a reciprocal agreement with Brendan Vacations, a deal that won't be affected by the sale to GVI. Founder and CEO Robert Brennan will continue to manage the Brennan brand under Group Voyagers. GVI President and CEO Philip Gordon said Brennan Vacations would make Littleton, Colo.-based GVI a "one-stop travel shop addressing the needs of today's diverse traveler." Earlier this year GVI launched Monograms by Globus, which provides deluxe independent travel programs. GVI also unveiled Avalon Waterways, a European river cruising product.

Job of the Week: Fairmont Hotels Seeks New EVP & CFO

Here's the potential job opportunity of the week: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is seeking an executive vice president and CFO to replace M. Jerry Patava, who has decided to retire (see item in Executive Movers!). Patava will stay on until Jan. 1, 2005 in order to allow for an orderly transition period. Meanwhile, Toronto-based Fairmont's search is on--both internal and external--for a new CFO.

OPPORTUNITIES NETWORKING!

Meet Top Hospitality Marketers at HSMAI/NYU Conference

Want to network with some of the best marketers and top executives in the hospitality business? The Fourth Annual HSMAI/NYU Industry Strategy Conference will be held in New York on Sept. 23. Themed as "The Morphing of the Business and Leisure Traveler: An Insight into Changing Attitudes and Behavior," the event will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The program is divided into four components: a keynote lunch address; panels and discussions on both business and leisure travel; and a closing session formatted as one-on-one interviews with non-hospitality entities in the travel arena. Two panel discussions will address the state of travel today, consumer changes over the past three years, and expectations for the near-term. Both panels will begin with a presentation by Doug Shifflet, president and CEO of D.K. Shifflet & Associates, on specific shifts in attitudes and behaviors of the traveling public. Scheduled to participate on the Business Travel panel will be: Richard Markus, general manager, supplier relations, Expedia Corporate Travel; Richard Cunningham, director, corporate business development, InterContinental Hotels Group; Joe Sharkey, business travel columnist, The New York Times; and panel moderator Maureen O'Hanlon, partner, The Prism Partnership and chair of HSMAI. The Leisure Travel panel will include: Jeff Kinder, senior vice president hospitality and leisure, Cendant Travel Distribution Services and NEAT Group; Jean Cohen, vice president and general manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman; Dale Brill, senior vice president marketing, Visit Florida; and moderator Sal Dickinson, CHME, chief executive, Dickinson & Associates. Jim Carroll, a leading international futurist, trends and innovation expert, will deliver the keynote address at the opening lunch entitled: "What Comes Next with Business and Leisure Travel, and What Should You Do About It?" The final session will be one-on-one interviews with individuals from companies, such as Microsoft Meeting Live, that represent new, non-traditional competition to the hospitality industry as they discuss which market segments they are targeting and by what means. Registration fees are $195 for members, $345 for non-members, which includes a year of membership to HSMAI. For more information, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at 703-610-9024, fax 703-610-9005, or visit www.hsmai.org.

OPPORTUNITIES RESOURCE!

Seatrade's Cruise Community Web Site Updates the Industry

Want to get a daily handle on the top news in the cruise industry? Sign up at www.cruise-community.com for the free Seatrade Insider News. All you need is to enter a user name and password to get daily reports on cruise line moves, new ships, port news, and executive moves. The site, brought to you by the people behind the Seatrade conferences, the top meetings in the cruise business, also features a limited job listing, a list of top cruise lines and operators by company name and country (with contact information), a list of suppliers to the cruise industry, a rundown of top ports and destinations, plus information on Seatrade events and publications. For all this information, simply visit www.cruise-community.com.

OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS!

AIRLINES: US Airways said James Schear will return to the company in a new role as vice president of restructuring, effective immediately. Schear will report directly to US Airways President and CEO Bruce Lakefield. He will handle the company's organizational re- engineering responsibilities and priorities as identified by the senior management team. He also will work with members of management, employee task forces, advisors and partners to ensure that the company operates as efficiently as possible, and assist in transforming the processes and programs that follow best practices and new industry efficiencies. Schear joins US Airways from the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, where he was vice president of safety, responsible for safety direction and assurance in all facets of the National Airspace System and international leadership of the FAA's global safety efforts. He also was deputy for aviation operations for the Transportation Security Administration. In that role, he was responsible for an operational chain of 159 Federal Security Directors, and managed over 60,000 employees at 440 airports. Schear started his aviation career with Pacific Southwest Airlines in 1975, which was merged into US Airways in 1988. At US Airways, he served in a variety of management functions, including manager of flight operations and director of business planning-flight operations...Delta Air Lines unveiled changes in leadership for the airline's maintenance division and operations control center. Effective Oct. 1, Tony Charaf will become senior vice president-TechOps, a transition from his previous role as senior vice president of Delta Air Logistics. Charaf joined Delta in 1996 as director, engine maintenance, moving to vice president-engines, components and ground service equipment before assuming leadership of the Air Logistics group. As senior vice president-Air Logistics, Charaf helped create and implement the U.S. Joint Sales Venture, the U.S. export arm of SkyTeam's Cargo alliance. Effective Sept. 1, Neil Stronach, formerly director-Aircraft Base Maintenance, will lead the Operations Planning, Control and Reliability division as vice president. Stronach joined Delta in 1998 as a director TechOps, and was instrumental in implementing Six Sigma and Lean techniques in Delta's Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Tampa base maintenance operations. Charaf and Stronach will report to Joseph Kolshak, senior vice president and chief of operations. They assume positions formerly held by Ray Valeika, senior vice president-Delta TechOps, who will retire after 10 years with the company and 40 years in the commercial aviation industry on Oct. 1, and Bill Wangerien, vice president of OPCR, who will retire after 42 years with Delta and Pan Am on Sept. 1.

CRUISE LINES: Riccardo Benzo, former marketing manager (UK and Ireland) of Festival Cruises, has joined Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines as marketing manager. He will report to marketing director Nigel Lingard. Benzo began his career in the spirits industry and his experience extends to retailing, public relations and marketing, as well as business development. Prior to joining Festival, he spent a year at City University's Cass Business School studying for an MBA.

HOTELS & RESORTS: Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, a top manager of ultra-luxury hotels and resorts throughout the world, promoted Richard Baker to regional vice president-Dallas. Baker will be responsible for overseeing the operations of The Mansion on Turtle Creek and Hotel Crescent Court, both Rosewood Hotels. Baker has been the managing director at The Mansion on Turtle Creek for over three years. During his tenure, the hotel was named as the top hotel for service by Travel + Leisure magazine, marking the first time an American hotel has received this honor. Baker has maintained the hotel's five-star, five-diamond rating; and recently, he oversaw the addition of the health and fitness center. His expertise will now benefit the Hotel Crescent Court, which has been awarded accolades as one of the "Greatest Hotels in the World" by Travel + Leisure magazine, while The Spa at The Crescent is consistently rated among the top spas in the country. Baker is a veteran hotelier who brings a wealth of industry experience to the Rosewood group. He began his career over 15 years ago in management positions at the Four Seasons group of hotels and resorts, where he served in executive roles at the Beverly Hills, Toronto and Las Colinas properties. In connection with Baker's promotion, two new property general managers have been appointed in Dallas. Linda Wan has been promoted to general manager at Hotel Crescent Court and Shane Krige has been hired as general manager at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. Wan has been the hotel manager at Hotel Crescent Court for the last four years, and has distinguished herself over the past 13 years in senior management leadership positions in leading city center and resort properties. Krige has held senior management and food & beverage positions with Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt Hotels. As executive assistant manager, he helped launch the five-diamond Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., and has most recently overseen operations at the Grosvenor House Hotel and Residences in London...Pyramid Advisors LLC, a full-service, Boston-based development, management and advisory firm, serving clients in all phases of the hospitality industry, appointed Alan Bednowitz as vice president-sales and marketing. In his new position, he will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing initiatives at the company's 38 owned, managed and asset-managed hotels. Bednowitz joins Pyramid Advisors with more than 20 years experience in hospitality industry marketing. Prior to joining the company, he was vice president of sales for Starcite, Inc., a leading corporate and meeting technology solution provider. Previously, he was senior director of national sales for Promus Hotels Corp. Bednowitz rose through the ranks at Doubletree Hotels Corp., which merged with Promus. He began as director of marketing for several properties in Philadelphia and New York City, before being promoted to oversee national sales for the company's multiple hotel brands. In addition, he served in a variety of sales and marketing positions for Guest Quarters Suite Hotels and as director of sales for a number of hotels managed by the Peabody Hotel Group...

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that M. Jerry Patava, executive vice president and CFO, has decided to retire from Fairmont. Patava has agreed to continue in his role until Jan. 1, 2005 in order to allow for an orderly transition period. During this time, Fairmont will be seeking to appoint a new CFO...Crestline Hotels & Resorts named David Bartek as general manager for the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place, Ga. Bartek is a 20 year hospitality veteran who has a proven track record in hotel management, sales growth and guest satisfaction. Bartek began his hospitality career in 1984 with Interstate Hotels Corporation in engineering. In 1997 he joined the Davidson Hotel Company where he became a general manager for the Nashville Crowne Plaza, followed by the Kansas City Airport Hilton and the Tampa Airport Hilton. In 1999, he joined Crestline as the general manager of the Marriott Bay Point Resort, Florida, and then the Wyndham Hotel Salt Lake City. Prior to rejoining Crestline, Bartek was with Merritt Hospitality as general manager of the Atlanta Marriott Northwest. Crestline also appointed Eddie Vergara as general manager for the Hilton Garden Inn Dallas Market Center. Vergara has been with Crestline since 2002, previously as general manager of The Hilton Garden Inn in Independence, Mo. Vergara began his career as a rooms manager at the Colonnade Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla., and moved on to be director of operations for the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Ft. Lauderdale. He also held management positions at The Adams Mark Hotel in Mobile and the Marriott Grand Hotel Resort and Golf Club in Point Clear, Ala., before joining Crestline. Vergara has served on the board of directors for the Kansas City Hotel & Lodging Association and the board of directors, City of Independence Tourism Council. Crestline also promoted Robyn Rojek to director of sales for the new Hilton Garden Inn in Albany, Ga.. The hotel, which will be the largest conference and catering facility of its kind in Albany, is schedule to open in the spring of 2005. Rojek was formerly sales manager at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta. Both hotels are managed by Crestline. Rojek joined Crestline in 2000 as a conference planning intern and was subsequently promoted to assistant conference planning manager-conference planning manager, and in 2002 to sales manager. As a sales manager at the Emory Conference Center Hotel, she helped to grow the corporate meeting business, as well as the day meetings market. In 2002 she was awarded "Sales Person of the Year" by Crestline.

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