“The Faces of Tourism” featured at Annual Meeting

Five industry partners helped demonstrate “The Faces of Tourism” at the Experience Columbus Annual Meeting March 10 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Representing the different facets of tourism were John Angelo, executive director of the Short North Business Association; Tim Dant, general manager of the Arena District Hyatt Regency; Sherri Geldin, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts; Liz Lessner, president of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association; and Kathleen Ransier, board chair of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

Together, they illustrated the depth and breadth of the industry by focusing on the five major hospitality industry segments: retail; lodging; arts, attractions and entertainment; restaurants; and transportation. They put “faces” on the thousands of people whose employment is directly and indirectly dependent on conventions, meetings and leisure visitors coming to Greater Columbus.

The event ended with “The Faces of Tourism,” as hundreds of hospitality representatives came onstage.

View photos from the Annual Meeting taken by Dallagher Photography.

View photos of Columbus’ Faces of Tourism taken by Picture America Photography.

Harbrecht takes over as chair

Outgoing Experience Columbus board of trustees chair Frederick L. Ransier III, a partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, turned over the gavel to Sandra Harbrecht, president of Paul Werth Associates. She will serve a two-year term through 2010.

Expy Awards

The sixth annual Experience Columbus Expy Awards were awarded at the Annual Meeting. They recognize businesses and organizations that helped to create a more vibrant Columbus experience in 2008. Recipients were selected for developing innovative, exciting experiences for visitors, attracting or generating positive media attention or otherwise enhancing Greater Columbus as a destination for conventions, meetings and leisure visitors. This year’s winners were:

• Arnold Sports Festival, the world’s largest multi-sport fitness weekend, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in Columbus in 2008.
• Columbus Crew for bringing home the city’s biggest professional sports trophy — the 2008 Major League Soccer Cup.
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Central Ohio’s No. 1 rated cultural attraction, which opened Zoombezi Bay water park in 2008.
• Franklin Park Conservatory for transforming its historic Palm House with an architectural light project by world-renowned artist James Turrell.
• Fred Harris, the general manager of the Holiday Inn on the Lane for 35 years prior to its closing on March 30, 2009. Harris has been on the Experience Columbus board of directors since 1982.

Thanks to our sponsors

Thanks to the businesses that supported the 2009 Annual Meeting through sponsorship and table purchases.

Sponsors

Aramark
Bartha Audio Visual
Greater Columbus Convention Center

Table purchasers

Aramark
AT&T Ohio
Battelle
Business First
Capitol South
Central Ohio Restaurant Association
The Columbus, A Renaissance Hotel
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Chamber
Columbus Clippers
Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus Hospitality LLC
Columbus Monthly
Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus Regional Airport Authority
Columbus State Community College
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
COTA
Dublin Convention & Visitors Bureau
Easton Town Center
Engauge
First Merit Bank
Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority
Franklin Park Conservatory
Grange Insurance Companies
Greater Columbus Arts Council
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Hyatt Hotels of Columbus
Indus Companies
The Limited
Moody Nolan
Nationwide
The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business
The Ohio State University Office of Academic Affairs
Paul Werth Associates
Red Roof Inn
Time Warner Cable
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
Wexner Center for the Arts

New downtown hotel will boost convention business

IN Columbus program launched

“The Faces of Tourism” featured at Annual Meeting

Entertain clients at the Memorial Tournament

Member events

Welcome new members

Experience Columbus by the numbers

Sales events targeting top customers

News you need to know