MCLEAN, VA (May 4, 2010) � The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), along with presenting sponsor Fareed Zapala Koepke, awarded John Washko, senior vice president of sales and marketing at The Broadmoor, the first annual HSMAI Resort Marketer of the Year recognition. HSMAI announced the inaugural HSMAI Resort Marketer of the Year award at the HSMAI Resort Business Summit & Customer Connection, May 3�4, 2010, at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

   John Fareed (left) and Bob Gilbert (right) present John Washko (center)
with the HSMAI Resort Marketer of the Year Award

 
 
�In a time when The Broadmoor and the hospitality industry as a whole faced huge challenges, John worked behind the scenes to do what had to be done to bring business in, fill rooms and ultimately keep The Broadmoor staff working,� said John Fareed, partner at Fareed Zapala Koepke. �We are proud to celebrate his achievements as an exemplary resort marketing professional.� 
 
Washko leads the sales and marketing team at The Broadmoor and brings 28 years of hospitality experience to his position. He has served as National Sales Manager for PGA National Resort and Spa in Florida, later moving to the 2,300-room Atlantis and Ocean Club resorts before joining The Broadmoor. 
 
�I am truly humbled as there are so many great ideas out there,� said Washko. �I thank all of you for the inspiration and the honor.�
 
A five-judge panel of experts in the field of resort marketing, consisting of board members of HSMAI�s Resort Marketing Special Interest Group and representatives from Fareed Zapala Koepke evaluated entries and selected the recipient.
 
Resort sales and marketing leaders are attending HSMAI's Resort Business Summit & Customer Connection, along with leading meeting, event, and incentive planners. The Resort Business Summit provides sales and marketing professionals actionable ideas to implement immediately to address the hottest issues of the moment, including Using Social Media as a Business Development Tool and Generating Revenue in a Slow and Recovering Economy. The agenda also includes a keynote address by Trend Analyst at Ubercool, Michael Tchong, discussing a range of trends affecting the resort business, from consumer behavior and group business to social media and online marketing. Attendees are also taking part in an interactive customer event connecting meeting and incentive professionals with resort executives. 
 
For more information about the HSMAI Resort Business Summit & Customer Connection, and HSMAI�s resources for resort sales and marketing professionals, visit www.resortmarketing.org.
 
About HSMAI
HSMAI is the hospitality industry source for knowledge, community, and recognition for leaders committed to professional development, sales growth, revenue optimization, marketing, and branding. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings®. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit the website at www.hsmai.org. Join our social networking communities on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. 
 
About Fareed Zapala Koepke 
Fareed Zapala Koepke is one of the world�s most admired hospitality marketing consultancies. The firm provides marketing expertise and creative services to Fortune 500 companies, national brands, franchisers, management companies, and independent hotels and resorts from around the world. A representative list of clients includes Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, The Gaylord Palms Hotel & Convention Center, Skytop Lodge Resort & Spa, and Peter Island Resort & Spa. Practice areas include due diligence, pre-openings, new product introductions, position/repositioning, marketing audits, competitive analysis, market share analysis, strategic market planning, and service conceptualization and implementation. The firm is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with European offices in Dublin, Ireland. To learn more call 407 660 6624 or visit www.fzkllc.com.