CHICAGO, Aug. 8 - Marriott International announced today that it will host a day-long career fair, here, Tuesday, August 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Chicago Marriott - Downtown, 540 N. Michigan Ave. The company is looking to fill 400 job openings at Marriott properties within the Chicago metropolitan area. The career fair, which is free and open to the public, will also offer attendees the opportunity to participate in job preparation workshops -- at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. -- focusing on proper techniques for completing a job application, writing a resume and preparing for a job interview. The workshops will be conducted in both English and Spanish.

Marriott officials hope the Chicago Career Fair will be especially effective in attracting a more culturally and ethnically diverse group of applicants than has been previously attracted through the hospitality industry's standard personnel recruitment initiatives.

Priscilla Johnson, vice president for diversity relations at the Washington, D.C.-based Marriott International, said, "Our Chicago career fair is a key component of Marriott's efforts to ensure that we retain a diverse workforce. In addition to recruitment efforts, here and around the country, Marriott Lodging established, more than five years ago, a Customer Diversity Council comprised of representatives from our customer base.

The group provides counsel and feedback to assist our ongoing diversity initiatives. In fact, the Chairperson of the Council is Antoinette Malveaux, president of the National Black MBA Association, headquartered here in Chicago." According to Johnson, Marriott has begun to have some notable success in attracting and promoting ethnic minorities into management positions in the Chicago area. Those managers include Naomi McKenzie, an African-American woman who is the president of Marriott School Services and Oscar Rodriguez, a Mexican-American man who is the regional vice president, Operations of Marriott Lodging-Midwest Region.

The Marriott Career Fair will feature entry- and management-level employment opportunities in areas such as sales, dietary planning, administration and maintenance. For more information about the career fair, call 312-245-6909.

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is the world's leading hospitality company, with over 4,900 operating units in the United States and 51 other countries and territories. Major businesses include hotels operated and franchised under the Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Fairfield, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Executive Residences, Renaissance, New World and Ramada International brands; vacation ownership resorts operated under Marriott Vacation Club International; conference centers; food service and facilities management for clients in business, education and health care; senior living communities and services; and food service distribution. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has approximately 225,000 employees. In fiscal year 1996, Marriott International reported total sales of $10.2 billion.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.

CONTACT: Tom Marder of Marriott International, 301-380-2553, or Jennifer Allen of Crawley Haskins Rodgers, 215-922-7184, for Marriott International