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This week in Opportunities:

Hawaii Open for Business
42% of Travelers Would Rather Stay in a Hotel for the Holidays
Conde Nast Traveler Announces Readers' Choice Results
Executive Movers! See who's going where?
Travel Executive Employment Report

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OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS

Hawaii Open for Business

According to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, just days after being rocked by an earthquake, Hawaii is open and ready for business. "We continue to welcome visitors to our state," said Marsha Wienert, tourism liaison for the Governor's office. "The quake caused quite a bit of apprehension yesterday but this morning Hawaii is largely back to business as usual. There is no widespread damage and no loss of life or serious injury. We have made a speedy return to normalcy." The 7:07 a.m. Sunday morning quake measured 6.7-magnitude. It was centered under the ocean off the northwest coast of Hawaii's Big Island and was felt on all the major islands. A 5.8 magnitude quake followed seven minutes later and numerous smaller aftershocks were registered over the next few hours. The first quake immediately triggered power failures that lasted most of the day on the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. The loss of electrical power caused disruptions at airports that resulted in flight delays and cancellations of some transpacific flights into and out of the Islands. Electrical power was restored to most airports by early afternoon. Honolulu International Airport, which saw the most delays in service, was online again by 5:45 p.m. All affected communities throughout the islands had electrical service restored by midnight Sunday. In a press release released by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, they state that despite the inconveniences caused by the power outage, visitors to the state were generally in high spirits yesterday. Damage assessments were still being made Monday morning, but the effects of the quake continue to appear minimal. All major highways statewide are open. Hotels and other accommodations that were closest to the quake on the Big Island remain open for business, although some have reported light damage. The quake generated a small seismic wave of three inches in height at Kawaihae Harbor on the Big Island according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on Oahu.

42% of Travelers Would Rather Stay in a Hotel for the Holidays

Expedia.com introduced the latest issue of its quarterly report, Expedia Travel Trendwatch, focusing on the upcoming fall and winter travel seasons. In the latest report, 20-year travel industry veteran and Expedia Travel Trendwatch Editor, Chris McGinnis, reveals the findings of a recent Expedia.com consumer survey conducted by Harris Interactive. It shows that more than 42 percent of U.S. adults would prefer to stay in a hotel than with their family if they were visiting family out of town for the holidays. "There's no doubt the upcoming travel season will be a busy one, with millions of Americans leaving their homes to be with their friends and families," said McGinnis. "Many people are looking to reduce stress by giving themselves more space and the privacy of their own hotel room, rather than crowding in with their family." Other findings include: During the upcoming Thanksgiving/winter holiday season, crowding on airlines, at airports and on freeways will likely echo this past summer's full loads. Smaller airline fleets and fewer seats, coupled with increasing demand, mean holiday flights this year may be as crowded as those this past summer, when planes were flying 90 to 100 percent full (typical load factors are in the 65-75 percent range). The addition of winter coats, shopping bags and holiday gifts carried on board will make flights feel even tighter. Despite the crowds and frustrating changes in TSA carry-on rules, U.S. adults are still planning to travel this fall and winter. The Expedia.com consumer survey, reveals that of those who plan to travel by air this holiday season, 80 percent plan to travel as much (45%) or more (35%) than they did last year. The same poll indicates that nearly a quarter (23%) of U.S. adults (about 55 million people) plan to travel by air during the upcoming Thanksgiving and winter holiday seasons. Despite higher rates, more holiday travelers are bedding down in hotels. In fact, more than 42 percent of U.S. adults said they would prefer to stay in a hotel if they were visiting family out of town for the holidays. For more results, visit: www.expedia.com/trendwatch.

Conde Nast Traveler Announces Readers' Choice Results

The November 2006 issue of Conde Nast Traveler celebrates the 19th annual Readers' Choice Awards. The results are derived from the largest independent poll of consumers' preferences, the Readers' Choice Survey, second in size only to the U.S. Census. With over 21,000 travelers voting this year, the lists show an even greater global variety and depth. This year many perennial favorites hold on to their top spots. Singapore Airlines is again the #1 International Route Airline, and has led this category for 18 of the past 19 years (in 1994 Swissair took the top spot) and remains the only carrier ever to earn an overall score above 90.0. San Francisco, the #1 U.S. City, has also been #1 for 18 of the past 19 years (in 1992 Santa Fe won the honor). But there are some surprises this year, including the Maldives, which is the first island since the inception of the Islands category 13 years ago to beat Maui for the #1 Island ranking. Buckland Manor in the Cotswolds, England, gained the distinction this year for being the highest-scoring hotel in Readers' Choice history by receiving perfect scores for Rooms, Service, Food, and Location. Another property to receive 100s in Rooms, Service, Location, and Design in the Hotels category was Budapest's Four Seasons Gresham Palace. Also of note is Regent Seven Seas (formerly Radisson Seven Seas), the #1 Large Ship Cruise Line that edges ahead of the nine-time winner and close contender Crystal Cruises. Many Asian properties scored well into the 90's in the Resorts category, led by the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan with a near-perfect 99.6, placing the resort as #1 on the overall Top 100 list this year. The complete results of the awards can be found in the November issue, on newsstands October 24th. The Readers Choice Awards gala took place on Monday, October 16th in New York City at the American Museum of Natural History. The program titled Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards will premiere on the Travel Channel on Wednesday, October 25th at 8 PM (ET/PT).

OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS!

AGENCIES: LeisureLink Inc. has announced that veteran sales and marketing executive Steve Reich has joined the management team as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. Reich has over 15 years of sales & operations experience in both public and private technology companies. He has held executive positions with Digital Insight Corporation and Treasury Services Corporation. As SVP Sales and Marketing, Reich was responsible for helping to position Digital Insight as the leading Internet banking ASP solution while driving sales from $4 million to $55 million in less than 3 years. While at Treasury Services, Reich was responsible for building the sales organization and increasing sales from $4 million to $35 million in a five-year period. Treasury Services was sold to Oracle Corporation for $120 million. Reich will provide critical leadership to LeisureLink in developing and managing the sales- and marketing-related activities of the company. He will be responsible for sales to property managers, as well as managing relationships with existing clients. Reich will also be working with major industry trade groups such ARDA, VRMA, C.A.R.E., and NACHO, to advance the vacation rental industry as a whole. He will also oversee the company’s relationships with its clients, and with key strategic partners in vacation rental management software and services industries.

AIRLINES: Southwest Airlines recently announced Bob Jordan as the carrier's Executive Vice President of Strategy, Procurement, and Technology, and Ron Ricks, Executive Vice President of Law, Airports, and Public Affairs. Both Leadership positions, effective in September, report to Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chief Executive Officer. In their new roles, Jordan is responsible for Southwest's Technology, Purchasing, Facilities, Fuel Management, and Airport Security Departments. He also will direct the development and implementation of the Company's Strategic Plan. Ricks leads Southwest's Legal and Properties (corporate real estate) Departments, airport relationships, and governmental and regulatory affairs (federal, state and local). Jordan began his 18-year career at Southwest as a Programmer Analyst in Technology. He then held various positions in Finance, including Manager of Sales Accounting, Director of Sales Accounting, Director of Revenue Accounting, and Controller. Bob was promoted to Vice President of Purchasing and Fuel, served as Vice President of Technology, and most recently, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Spend Management before moving into his current position. Bob earned his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and MBA from Texas A&M University. Ricks serves on the Senior Management Committee, the airline's senior officer group, and the Executive Planning Committee, the eight-member executive officer group for strategic and longrange planning. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and earned his law degree in 1976 from The National Law Center at George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Southwest also announced three additional leadership changes: Jan Marshall, recently Chief Development Officer, has been promoted to Vice President of Technology and Chief Information Officer, reporting to Bob Jordan; Kerry Schwab, recently Director of Application Architecture, has been promoted to Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, reporting to Jan Marshall; Lori Rainwater, new to the Southwest Airlines Family, has been named Vice President of Internal Audit, reporting to Gary Kelly... NetJets Inc. has announced that John Colucci has been promoted to the position of executive vice president, sales. Colucci who joined NetJets in 1993 and previously held the position of senior vice president, will now be responsible for guiding the NetJets sales organization. He reports directly to NetJets Chairman and CEO Richard Santulli. Prior to joining NetJets, Colucci was vice president of new business development for Gulfstream Aerospace and held various sales positions with IBM. He is also a United States Marine Corps veteran and a retired Gunnery Sergeant having served 24 years in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm.

CRUISELINES: Viking River Cruises has announced the appointment of two new senior vice presidents to its North American management team. Jason Pashko has been named Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales North America. Pashko oversees daily operations for the Viking River Cruises North American offices and also spearheads sales and marketing efforts for the United States and all English-speaking markets. Pashko joins Viking River Cruises with a background in hospitality services, having come from Harrah's Entertainment, where he ran database marketing and analytics at their corporate headquarters in Las Vegas. Prior to that, he served as director of program management, budgets and forecasting for AT&T Wireless. Pashko began his career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, spending several years in Madrid and working throughout Europe. Milton Hugh has been named Senior Vice President Finance & Control of Viking River Cruises. Hugh is responsible for the corporate budgeting, accounting and reporting functions for Viking River Cruises. Additionally, Hugh is responsible for corporate yield and revenue management functions, and corporate IT. A cruise industry veteran, Hugh comes to Viking River Cruises from Grand Circle Travel Corporation, where he was senior vice president of planning. Hugh also spent five years with Renaissance Cruise, serving as the director of strategic planning and treasury operations. Both Pashko and Hugh play an integral role in Viking River Cruises North American operation and work closely with Hagen at the company's U.S. division headquarters in Los Angeles.

DESTINATIONS: Bruce Bommarito, director of the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT), has accepted a top position in Washington, D.C., with the nation's largest and most authoritative travel and trade association. Bommarito will leave NCOT Dec. 1 to become vice president of international planning for the Travel Industry Association (TIA), which represents the interests of the U.S. travel and tourism industry and promotes increased travel to the United States. Bommarito currently serves on TIA's Board of Directors and chairs its International Strategic Planning Committee. He also is co-chair of the U.S. Tourism Export Expansion Initiative working to rebuild tourism with Japan since 9/11. Bommarito was instrumental in obtaining for NCOT the first license the Chinese government has ever granted to a U.S. tourism entity to advertise in China and in opening NCOT's office in Beijing. He oversees the operations of NCOT's international representatives in Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and France. Bommarito was appointed to direct NCOT in June 2001 following a 28-year career managing hotels, resorts and casinos across the United States and serving on state and city tourism boards of directors. He has been licensed by gaming regulatory commissions in Nevada, Arizona and Mississippi and served on the watchdog Gulf Coast Crime Commission. Before coming to NCOT, Bommarito was vice president of operations at Caesars Tahoe resort, now MontBleu Resort at Stateline, Nev., where he managed 1,200 employees and a $100 million budget. He also served as general manager of the Native American-owned Blue Water Resort and Casino in Parker, Ariz., chief operating officer of President Casino/Broadwater Beach Resort in Biloxi, Miss., general manager of Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., and held executive management positions for hotels and convention centers in North Carolina, Michigan, Kentucky, South Carolina and Colorado. A successor will be chosen later by the governor from among three candidates the commission recommends... The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce announced today that longtime business, civic and community leader Ralph J. Schulz has been named its new president and CEO, effective Nov. 1, 2006. Schulz has served as president and chief executive of Nashville-based Adventure Science Center since 1999. He replaces former Chamber head Mike Neal, who resigned the post in mid-July to assume the top job at the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa, Okla. Schulz has 30-plus years of professional leadership experience, most of which was spent in executive-level positions with nonprofit groups including the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Junior Achievement Inc. Since taking over as president and CEO of Adventure Science Center in July 1999, Schulz is part of the team credited with transforming the organization. Noteworthy achievements at Adventure Science Center during Schulz’s tenure include: successful organizational re-branding effort (formerly known as Cumberland Science Museum); annual visitation increased from 167,000 to 334,000; operating revenue increased 74 percent to $3.3 million; the nonprofit raised more than $24.8 million in capital contributions from private/public sources; local/state government funding was restored; and the center opened $10.7 million in new and/or renovated exhibits. In 2001, Schulz received the Marvin Runyon Leadership Award for nonprofit turnaround. Prior to heading the Adventure Science Center, Schulz served as corporate vice president of marketing and development at NFIB. He also was executive vice president of NFIB’s education foundation. The bulk of Schulz’s career (22 years) was spent with Junior Achievement, where he served as president and CEO of chapters in New York City, Dallas and Jackson, Miss., after beginning his career with the youth-based nonprofit in Nashville in 1974. From 1990 to 1996, he was national executive vice president for Junior Achievement, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Schulz is best known for his community leadership, particularly as it relates to education and tourism. He is a founding board member of Alliance for Public Education and served on the Metro School Funding Task Force in 2005. He chaired Mayor Purcell’s Working Group on Tourism in 2003, is the immediate past board chairman of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau and vice chairman of the Music City Center Coalition. Schulz also served on the Nashville Symphony Hall Advisory Committee, is alumni chair for Leadership Nashville and program chair for Rotary Club of Nashville.

HOTELS & RESORTS: HEI Hospitality has announced that Ted Darnall will join HEI Hospitality as a partner and has been named chief operating officer. Concurrently, Darnall was named president and chief operating officer of Merritt Hospitality, the management subsidiary of HEI. He will be responsible for the company's hotel operations, design and construction and asset management. Since 2002, Darnall was president of the Real Estate Group at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The group's responsibilities include owned real estate asset management, W Hotels development, Starwood joint-venture management, acquisition and development, franchise development, construction management and new product development/real estate planning. Darnall began his hospitality career in 1976 with Marriott Corporation where he held various operation management positions. In 1981, Darnall joined Interstate Hotels Corporation where he rose from resident manager of the Casa Marina Resort to senior vice president of hotel operations. In this position, he was directly responsible for the company's full-service hotel portfolio of over 70 properties. In 1996 Darnall joined Starwood as executive vice president and COO of Starwood Lodging Corporation, where he was charged with creating a fully integrated organization to manage over 100 real estate assets owned by Starwood Lodging Trust. Darnall's specific responsibilities included property operations, sales, design and construction, MIS, revenue management and all support functions such as food and beverage, rooms operations, engineering and national procurement. In addition, he assumed the responsibilities for the development and supervision of the W brand, reporting directly to the chairman. In 1998, shortly after the Westin and ITT Sheraton acquisitions and the merger of Starwood Lodging Corporation and Starwood Lodging Trust into Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., Darnall was promoted to executive vice president of all U.S. hotel operations, where he was responsible for overseeing 181 managed or owned hotels and 202 franchised properties. A year later, Darnall was promoted to president of the company's North American Division. In his capacity as President, Darnall was directly responsible for the division's 229 managed and 230 franchised properties, as well as North American property sales, revenue management, rooms and food and beverage operations, design and construction and new hotel feasibility... Ty Warner, owner of Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts, LLC (TWH&R) and Ty Inc., has announced the appointment of Eric Calderon as the new COO for TWH&R. Calderon will be responsible for the operations and management of Ty Warner's well-known properties including the Four Seasons New York; Las Ventanas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Kona Village Resort in Hawaii; and the Four Seasons Biltmore, San Ysidro Ranch, Miramar Hotel, Sandpiper Golf Club, Rancho San Marcos Golf Course and Montecito Country Club all in Santa Barbara, California. Calderon grew up on the slopes of Mount Tremblant, in Quebec, Canada, graduated from the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in 1971, and went on to a successful career with Four Seasons Hotels. In 1988, after managing the Lodge at Pebble Beach, he was brought in to open The Little Nell in Aspen, and has been working with the hotel since then for 18 years. He also oversaw operations at the Snowmass Club, and his duties included managing several projects which are under construction, including the Residences at The Little Nell, The Little Nell at Snowmass, and the property management division at base village in Snowmass... Interstate Hotels & Resorts has announced that Joseph A. Klam has been promoted to executive vice president, hotel finance. He previously served as senior vice president of hotel finance. In his new position, Klam will be responsible for all aspects of the financial operations of the company's portfolio of 232 managed hotels and resorts. He will report to Bruce Riggins, Interstate's chief financial officer. A 30-year hotel industry veteran, Klam joined Interstate in 2003 from Millennium Hotels & Resorts, where he served as vice president of finance- North America. He began his career with Stouffers Hotels & Resorts where he served in a variety of operational and management positions. He later joined Renaissance Hotels International and rose through the executive ranks to vice president of field financial services, international lodging, and led the transition of Renaissance Hotel Group systems after its acquisition by Marriott. Klam received a Bachelor of Science degree at The American University in Washington, D.C., and earned an MBA at the University of Phoenix in Arizona. He is a former member of AH&LA Internal Audit subcommittee and a member of the Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals... Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. has announced that James J. Kohn has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective October 23, 2006. Kohn replaces Alan Greenstein who has accepted a senior level finance position at another gaming company. Kohn, a Certified Public Account since 1982, was most recently Chief Financial Officer of Motor City Casino, a 75,000 square foot casino in Detroit, Michigan. Prior to that, he was the Corporate Director, Internal Audit for Penn National Gaming, a multi-jurisdictional owner and operator of gaming properties, including casinos, racetracks and off-track wagering facilities. He was previously Corporate Director of Financial Analysis of Penn National, and also had various financial roles at CRC Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary operating racetracks and servicing riverboat and land-based casino entertainment facilities. Kohn also served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Sands Hotel and Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and before that he held several senior level positions in the financial services industry.

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