"Golden Pineapple Awards" Dinner

Mission Statement: Advancing Tourism and the Community Through Hospitality
January 31, 2014
GPA
In This Edition...
The Annual CFHLA
GPA
"Golden Pineapple
Awards" Dinner
NETWORKING
SUSPENSION
SUCCESS
POLARIS AWARDS
HOSPITALITY
OPPORTUNITIES
HONOREES
Lodging Member
of the Month
program occurred on the
evening of January 29.
This program honored
over 220 Central Florida
Outstanding "Front Line" Associates
and featured over
820 CFHLA Members
This event occurred at the renovated
Wyndham Orlando Resort
Keith Wolling
B Resort located in
the Walt Disney
World® Resort
Allied Member
of the Month
(Thank You Rich Larkin, General Manager)
CFHLA Thanks
City of Orlando Mayor
Buddy Dyer
for serving as the special guest for this recognition event including his congratulatory "Toast" to the honorees.
Steve Dobbins
Comprehensive
Energy Services
Event Partners
of the Month
Board Meeting
Educational Institute
Career Fair
WORKFORCE
Central Florida
Downtown
HoteliersLuncheon
SystemTech
Services
Golden Pineapple
Awards
Bright House
Network s
Enterprise Solutions
Thank You For
Your Support of
CFHLA!
City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer offers a toast to honor and recognize the
nominees for their dedication and support of the
Central Florida Hospitality Industry.
In addition, CFHLA recognizes
Keith Landry
of FOX 35 / WOFL
for serving as the official "Emcee" for this Awards Event.
2014 CFHLA
Executive
Committee:
Chairperson
Doug Gehret
Hilton Orlando
1st Vice
Chairperson
Gerald Urquiola
Caribe Royale
Resort &
Convention Center
2nd Vice
Chairperson
Dave Bartek
Loews Hotels
Universal Orlando
Secretary
David Friederich
Grand Bohemian
Hotel
Treasurer
Keith Landry of FOX 35 / WOFL thanks the honorees for their
positive influence on the Central Florida Hospitality Industry
Importantly, the following individuals earned official
recognition for outstanding customer service -
2013 CFHLA "Golden Pineapple
Awards" Honorees:
Outstanding
Engineering
Employee of the Year:
Doug Ridge
Orlando World
Center Marriott
Assistant Treasurer
Jetse Pottinga
Melia Orlando
Hotel
Historian
Pat Engfer
Hyatt Regency
Grand Cypress
Immediate
Past Chair
Jim Burns
Grande Lakes
Orlando
Carlos Berrios, CGSP
DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld
Outstanding
Culinary
Employee of the Year:
Jorge Milian, CGSP
Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
Outstanding
Housekeeping
Employee of the Year:
Ibana Coyt, CGSP
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort
Hospitality
Updates:
Outstanding
Security / Loss Prevention
Employee of the Year:
3 ways Harry Potter
will boost tourism
Freddie Howard, CGSP
Hyatt Regency Orlando
Richard Bilbao
Reporter-Orlando
Business Journal
Universal Orlando
Resort's new Harry
Potter Diagon Alley
expansion - set to open
this summer - likely will
bolster local tourism for
several years to come.
Here are three reasons
the new theme park
area and Universal's
other Harry Potterrelated endeavors make
Orlando's tourism future
seem especially
magical:
R A grander spell: Harry
Potter - Diagon Alley is
bigger and more
interactive than The
Wizarding World of
Harry Potter, saidThierry
Coup, senior vice
president of Universal
Creative. Diagon Alley is
being built in the
Universal Studios theme
park and will connect via
Outstanding
Front Office
Employee of the Year:
Karen Lindgren, CGSP
Villas of Grand Cypress
Outstanding
Convention Center / Banquet
Employee of the Year:
Kevin Thomas, CGSP
Melia Orlando Suite Hotel
Outstanding
Back Office
Employee of the Year:
Naydimar Fuentes, CGSP
Nickelodeon Suites Resort
Outstanding
Food & Beverage Service
Employee of the Year:
Juan Sebastian Ayala, CGSP
the Hogwarts Express
train to The Wizarding
World in Universal's
Islands of Adventure.
"We had so much
feedback from our
guests on what we
could add," said Coup.
"People would ask
where a certain shop
was, so we knew if we
created these new
places, people would
come to experience a
whole new wonderful
setting. Each shop in
this world has
characters and details
from the books and the
films. A lot of guests
who visited Hogsmeade
wanted to go into the
other shops that were
there just for visuals that's why we took this
chance to add more."
The Wizarding World,
which opened in 2010,
has generated a 20
percent average annual
attendance increase at
Universal - a net gain of
3.35 million visitors who also spent money
at other local
businesses. Expect a
similar bump after
Diagon Alley opens.
* Cornering the Harry
Potter market: When
Universal announced its
three-day Harry Potter
Celebration event, which
it hosted last weekend,
it sold out of vacation
packages mere days
afterward. In addition,
the event drew
thousands of fans from
around the globe to the
park to see actors from
the film, attend a
themed expo and mingle
with other Harry Potter
fans.
If Universal made it an
annual spectacle, it
could be a boon for
Wyndham Orlando Resort
Outstanding
Laundry
Employee of the Year:
Abelardo Garzoria, CGSP
Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista
Outstanding
Bell Person / Concierge
Employee of the Year:
Edgar Martinez, CGSP
Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort
Outstanding
Recreational
Employee of the Year:
Tiffany Thompson, CGSP
Nickelodeon Suites Resort
Outstanding
Steward / Dishwasher
Employee of the Year:
John Lozandieu, CGSP
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Outstanding
Community Service
Employee of the Year:
Silvia Mendez-Soto, CGSP
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort
CFHLA recognizes the
American Hotel and Lodging Association's
Educational Institute
for awarding the 13 Honorees with the
Certified Guest
Service Professional
Designation
Central Florida. So far,
there's no official word
on if the event will return
next year.
* New jobs: As of Jan.
27, Universal is seeking
to fill more than 124
jobs, ranging from entrylevel to management
positions, for areas that
include The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter,
Diagon Alley and
CityWalk.
The 2013 CFHLA Golden Pineapple Award Winners
The Harry Potter-related
jobs include park
attendants, sales
associates, and food
and beverage. And
CityWalk is seeking to
fill food and beverage
positions at eight new
eateries expected to
open by June, including
Starbucks, Cold Stone
Creamery, The Cowfish
and Hot Dog Hall of
Fame.
In addition to the above listed Honorees,
CFHLA distributed nine
$2,000 Scholarships
to
Family Members of Front Line Employees.
These nine honorees are proudly listed below:
Cecilia Alvarez
Daughter of Nekane Alvarez of the
Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Samia Bennouna
Daughter of Nezha Bennouna of the
Hyatt Regency Orlando
Diego Castillo
Son of Martiza Vega of the
Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Naufa Chowdhury
Daughter of Dewan Chowdhury of the
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort
Fernando Huaman
Son of Gloria Dominguez of the
Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Hana Lahnichi
Daughter of Bouchra Lahnichi of the
Hyatt Regency Orlando
Sol Ortega
Daughter of Esther Rivasplata of the
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
Hans Rojas
Son of Adalid Rojas of the
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
Taylor Tachon
Daughter of Hughes Tachon of the
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
The 2014 Family Member Scholarship Honorees
This Event was Proudly Sponsored by:
Note: Bright House has supported this activity for 16 consecutive years
For photographs of this special evening
PLEASE CLICK HERE
NETWORKING
This past Tuesday,
the CFHLA Food & Beverage Council
hosted a positive
Food & Beverage
"After Hours"
Networking Event
which occurred at the
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
(Thank You Johann Krieger, Senior Vice President & General Manager)
This networking event featured over 200 CFHLA members,
including over 40 General Managers.
Below please find photographs of this event:
CFHLA Chairman Doug Gehret of the Hilton Orlando, CFHLA Board Member Scott
Tripoli of the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, and CFHLA Corporate
Secretary David Friederich of the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando
Paul Schmidt of the Melia Orlando Suite Hotel, Brandon Moss of Muse Gelato,
Steve Moccio Food & Beverage Council Chairperson and Food & Beverage Director
of the Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel, and Dianna Pillow
of Disney's Contemporary Resort
Bob Gaul and Richard Scinta of the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort
with CFHLA VIP Member Miguel Botto of Brickman
CFHLA 1st Vice Chairperson Gerald Urquiola of the Caribe Royale Resort &
Convention Center, CFHLA VIP Member Charlie Weddle of TRS Wireless, Inc,
Chuck Simikian and CFHLA Board Member
Louis Robbins of the Nickelodeon Suites Resort
CFHLA thanks the following Food & Beverage
suppliers for supporting this important activity:
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Muse Gelato
Orlando Brewing
SUSPENSION
Regrettably, 2013 Allied Members that
havenot renewed membership in 2014
forfeit membership privileges,
effective February 7, 2014
(one week from today).
To maintain uninterrupted CFHLA benefits,
please satisfy your dues payment this week.
Please contact CFHLA Finance Director
Lee Johnson, 407-3135010 [email protected]
SUCCESS
CFHLA Recognizes
Massey PrevenTech
Commercial Services
on their recent CFHLA Adopt-A-School event at
Killarney Elementary
where Bob Belmont - Certified Entomologist and Jay Hunt
spoke to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes in the
school cafeteria about a variety of bugs, their role,
and how even a simple interest in the study of bugs can lead
to a variety of careers in many wide-ranging industries.
Bob Belmont, Certified Entomologist w ith Jay Hunt of
Massey PrevenTech Commercial Services show ing off different insects
to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade elementary classes
After the show -and-tell portion and a Q&A session, the students had a chance to
w alk past the many beetles, bugs and butterflies on display
This "Partners in Action" activity was
conducted as a segment of the
CFHLA Adopt-A-School Program.
POLARIS AWARD
Last Saturday,
Brian Agliano,
Security Director of
Renaissance Orlando Hotel at SeaWorld
and 2014 Chairperson of the
CFHLA Security & Safety Council
was presented with the
2014 Polaris Star
Business Award
from the Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force.
CFHLA Safety and Security Council Chairperson Brian Agliano
of the Renaissance Orlando Hotel at SeaWorld and
Dr. Anthony Davis, Vice Chairman of the
Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force
The award was presented for contributions this past year to fight
human trafficking in our community, specifically for the
CFHLA Security & Safety Council's donation of
100 backpacks
for rescued victims.
HOSPITALITY OPPORTUNITIES
Below please find the following
employment opportunities:
Irrigation Technician
Brickman
CLICK HERE to view more details
Public Area / Lobby Attendant
Caribe Royale Resort & Convention Center
CLICK HERE to view more details
This Newsletter is Proudly Sponsored By:
[email protected]