Speaker Profiles

Name: Fran Brasseux
Title: Executive Vice President, HSMAI
Email: fbrasseux@hsmai.org

Fran Brasseux was recently appointed Executive Vice President of HSMAI. In this position, Brasseux is responsible for the oversight of chapter relations, all membership and marketing functions of the association. Her new role includes the development of chapter educational programs and the launch of new programs that can add value to the HSMAI membership. For more than 11 years, Brasseux worked for Forte Hotel Group, London, England, a $5.8 billion hotel group with over 800 hotels. Starting as the national director of incentive sales in 1991, she was promoted to vice president, central region in 1993, to vice president of the eastern region, in 1995, and to senior vice president of sales & marketing, the Americas in 1996. As senior vice president, Brasseux was responsible for the sales and marketing management of the Americas, including all hotel and regional sales, marketing programs, reservations and public relations. These positions followed an impressive sales and marketing career with Pan American World Airways, Inc., where Brasseux last served in 1991 as division director of incentive and meeting sales, USA. She has been recognized by Travel Agent Magazine as one of Top 100 Women in Travel for four years running and has received numerous HSMAI Adrian awards for marketing and public relations excellence. Brasseux was also recognized in 2004 as one of the Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales & Marketing by industry peers and HSMAI’s Executive Board. She is currently enrolled in graduate business classes at Georgetown University and participated in business, finance and revenue management programs at Cornell University and George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She holds a degree in Business Administration from Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, VA.

Name: Richard Chambers
Title: Executive Vice President, TravelCLICK
Email: rchambers@TravelCLICK.net

Richard Chambers, Executive Vice President of TravelCLICK leads a qualified team of specialists in website marketing. Having published three editions of the hospitality textbook, Marketing Leadership in Hospitality, he is a frequent lecturer at prestigious universities such as Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland. Mr. Chambers holds both a BS and MBA from the University of Massachusetts and is on the Advisory Board for the hotel school. A long time member of HSMAI he currently serves as Chairman for the Foundation Committee. Mr. Chambers has held senior level marketing positions within The Leading Hotels of the World and Omni Hotels. Before selling his business to TravelCLICK, Mr. Chambers established hospitality-marketing.com in response to the overwhelming need for marketing consulting on the Internet within the hospitality industry.

Name: Salvatore Dickinson, CHME
Title: Chief Executive, Dickinson & Associates and Chairman HSMAI
Email: sal.dickinson@dickinsonassoc.com

Salvatore “Sal” Dickinson is chief executive of Dickinson & Associates, a “360°” marketing firm with offices in Fort Myers and Hollywood, Florida. The firm provides both strategic marketing and sales counsel with integrated tactical services in advertising, Web/e-commerce, public relations, direct sales, special events, telephony and direct marketing. He is a travel/tourism marketing and advertising veteran with more than 18 years of experience. Prior to the founding of Dickinson & Associates, Sal was vice president of marketing for MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, Inc., appointed to this newly created position in September 1998 upon MeriStar’s acquisition of South Seas Resorts Company. Dickinson was responsible for directing MeriStar’s Fort Myers’-based marketing department, directing promotional initiatives on behalf of the company’s Florida resort properties, as well as supporting marketing and sales initiatives throughout the MeriStar system. Preceding MeriStar’s acquisition, Dickinson served as vice president of marketing & sales for four years with South Seas Resorts (MeriStar acquired South Seas in October 1998). During his tenure at South Seas, “same store revenues” grew by more than 30 percent, with a large share generated by new marketing and sales initiatives launched under Dickinson’s direction. Dickinson also served for more than nine years with Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown, Inc. (formerly Robinson, Yesawich & Pepperdine, Inc.), the nation’s largest advertising, marketing and public relations firm specializing in serving travel-industry clients. He managed accounts such as the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, Premier Cruise Lines (The Big Red Boat), Hilton International and The Continental Companies (now part of Wyndham). He previously served as an account executive with A.B.P., now part of Ikon, and as marketing and promotions manager for concert promoters Gulf Artists and Silver Star Productions. Dickinson is an active member of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, serving on the association’s executive committee, as immediate past chair. He also is an appointed member of VISIT FLORIDA’s Marketing Committee, and is an active member of the American Advertising Federation. Dickinson received his bachelor’s degree in advertising and master’s degree in marketing communications from Florida State University. He is an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, where he teaches tourism and hospitality marketing.

Name: Bob Gilbert, CHME, CHA
Title: President and CEO, HSMAI
Email: bgilbert@hsmai.org

As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, has been guiding HSMAI through an exciting period of change in order to re-establish the 7,000-plus member organization as the definitive hospitality and travel marketing association in the world. During Gilbert's tenure, HSMAI has achieved tremendous success with a number of initiatives. More specifically, the Association has revitalized European membership and established new chapters worldwide; it continually seeks out beneficial affinity programs for members; and it has negotiated a number of alliances that build member benefit value. Furthermore, it has re-affirmed its commitment to industry-specific education through the creation of segment-specific programs, such as a series of sales and marketing seminars for general managers, and the launch of an innovative Executive T.H.I.N.K. series for top-level executives. Notable achievements under Gilbert's leadership include the growth of marketplace events through the expansion of HSMAI's Affordable Meetings® with Affordable Meetings® West and Affordable Meetings® Mid-America (added to the existing Affordable Meetings® National), which along with the seven-city HSMAI Meetings Quest, makes it is the largest operator of trade shows for the meetings industry. Also of great significance is the recent launch of the HSMAI Foundation's new Corporate Membership program, dedicated to conducting sales and marketing specific research studies for the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. Prior to joining HSMAI in 1995 (in an executive capacity), Gilbert was the vice president of marketing for Richfield Hospitality Services, Inc., the largest hotel management company in the world, where he oversaw the corporate marketing support for all Richfield hotels, which included product from every price tier in the industry. Gilbert holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and has been a member of HSMAI since joining the student chapter at Cornell. He is a frequent guest lecturer at the School and is on the adjunct faculty of the summer executive education program. Gilbert serves on the Board of Directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Convention Industry Council (CIC), and is also on the Board of Trustees for the World Tourism Foundation as well as the Travel and Tourism Coalition of the Travel Industry Association of America. He is a member of the HITEC Advisory Board for Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals.

Name: Bruce Himelstein, CHME
Title: Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
Email: bruce.himelstein@ritzcarlton.com

As Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Bruce Himelstein is responsible for all the sales and marketing activities in this division. Prior to assuming his present position, Himelstein was senior vice president for Marriott Senior Living. A 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Himelstein has held various positions in sales and marketing from national sales to pre-opening resorts. He was the recipient of Marriott’s Director of Sales of the Year Award and has been responsible for developing division-wide sales initiatives. Himelstein is a frequent speaker on sales basics, sales intensity and leadership. He was profiled in Lodging magazine’s Who’s Who in November 1998. Himelstein is Chairman of the Global Division of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

Name: Richard Kahn
Title: President, Kahn Travel Communications
Email: richard@kahn-travel.com

Richard S. Kahn is president of Kahn Travel Communications (KTC), a 14-year old marketing, public relations and publishing consulting company. Prior to forming KTC he spent 22 years as a journalist including 15 years as Editor and Associate Publisher of Travel Agent Magazine. Prior to joining Travel Agent Magazine, Kahn was an editor at the prestigious Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine. He began his journalism career in daily newspapers and radio news and until just a few years ago hosted his own Travel Talk show in New York City. He is a past president of the New York Travel Writers Association and vice-chairman of the Society of American Travel Writers Association. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Hotel Association for the past 18 years, is vice chairman of the American Resort Development Association’s Caribbean Committee and Immediate Past President of the HSMAI Big Apple Chapter.

Name: Erica Kasel, MBA, CHME
Title: VP, Marketing for Departures Magazine & Adjunct Faculty Member at NYU Hospitality Program
Email: erica.s.kasel@aexp.com

Erica S. Kasel, MBA, CHME, is a recognized industry expert on luxury marketing and distribution. With more than 16 years of hospitality industry marketing and distribution experience, Ms. Kasel founded Kasel Luxury Marketing Group, a marketing services organization specializing in Strategic Marketing, Internet and CRM planning for luxury hospitality and travel organizations and luxury brands seeking to partner with the industry for clients from The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd to Arvida/ St. Joe’s WaterColor Resort.

Ms. Kasel currently heads up marketing for Departures Magazine, the luxury lifestyle publication exclusively for over 600,000 American Express Platinum and Centurion card members.

A frequent industry speaker, Ms. Kasel was acknowledged as one of the “Top 200 Most Powerful Women in Travel” by Travel Agent Magazine, and appeared in “Who’s Who of Industry Leaders” in Lodging Magazine for her contributions and industry leadership. She holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the Leonard N.Stern School of Business at New York University and graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts HRTA program. She has previously served as Executive Director of Marketing at Leading Hotels and as Vice President of Distribution Marketing at Preferred Hotels and Resorts as well as at the unit level in Marketing and Sales. She is a past board member of HSMAI and previously served as President of the award-winning Big Apple Chapter.

Ms Kasel is an adjunct professor at the NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Travel Administration teaching Analysis of Marketing and Distribution Channels, Strategic Brand Management, and Strategic Systems. She has guest lectured at Cornell University, University of Massachusetts and ESSEC/IMHI in Paris.

Name: Gary Leopold, CHME
Title: President & CEO, ISM.
Email: gleopold@ismboston.com

Mr. Leopold is responsible for establishing the company’s vision and is involved in the strategic planning for all accounts. Over the years, he has served as an advisor to many leading travel and hospitality organizations including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Sheraton Hotels, Hong Kong Tourist Association and Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). Prior to joining ISM in 1984, Mr. Leopold was the corporate director of public relations for Sonesta International Hotels Corporation, responsible for the marketing activities of 13 hotels worldwide. Mr. Leopold is a past president of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and currently serves on their International Board of Directors. He is the founder of the HSMAI Golden Bell Public Relations Awards and Golden Click Web Awards, and a co-founder of the Annual Travel Awards Night dinner. A noted expert in travel marketing, he has taught and lectured on the subject at Cornell, Boston University, University of New Hampshire and many other colleges and organizations.

Name: Maureen O'Hanlon
Title: Senior Consultant, Prism Group
Email: mohanlon@adelphia.net

Maureen O'Hanlon, CTC, is a twenty-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industry. Her area of expertise is marketing with an emphasis on Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM), as well as branding, distribution management and interactive marketing. O’Hanlon served with Carlson Companies for 16 years, most recently as Senior Vice President with the Loyalty division of Carlson Marketing Group, a world leader in CRM. Prior to joining the Marketing Group, O’Hanlon was with the Hospitality Group for Carlson Companies, serving as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Radisson Hotels Worldwide. She also served as President of the Radisson Marketing Association, the franchisee board for the company and as Chair of the Global Brand Council. O’Hanlon, who was named in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, as one of the most powerful women in America’s travel industry by the national publication TRAVEL AGENT, has earned numerous awards and recognition in the travel industry. She was also named to TRAVEL AGENT magazine’s “Winner’s Circle” in the hotel category in 1998. She completed the Institute for Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) executive program, earning her “Certified Travel Counselor” (CTC) designation in less than one year. She has been named by TOUR & TRAVEL NEWS as one of the 25 most influential industry executives and was honored in 1993 as a Carlson Fellow, the highest achievement award given by Radisson’s parent company, Carlson Companies, Inc. She was also awarded the ATLAS award for Marketing in 1999 by the Association of Travel Marketing Executives. Throughout her career with Radisson, O'Hanlon has been instrumental in the success of several key marketing programs, most notably the evolution of the company's corporate travel rates into the Worldwide Hospitality Program (WHP), a state-of-the-art computerized rate and benefits package to corporate clients. In addition to WHP, O'Hanlon has been instrumental in the success of "Look To Book,” Radisson's computerized incentive program geared toward travel agents. "Look To Book" is the first time a hotel company created a GDS-based incentive program that rewards travel agents for booking their clients electronically. The technology supporting this marketing initiative was granted a patent in 1996. She was also responsible for developing marketing initiatives via emerging technologies focused on each market segment including the Internet which included launching Radisson’s award winning internet site, CD-ROM initiatives, interactive kiosk, on-line capability and much more.

Name: Clayton Reid
Title: President/Managing Partner, MMG Worldwide
Email: creid@mmgworldwide.com

Clayton Reid is considered one of the travel industry's top minds in destination marketing and strategic planning. With a focus on guiding all MMG clients, Clayton has worked with travel companies around the world for two decades and remains involved with industry associations, including the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, the National Restaurant Association and the Travel Industry Association of America. In addition to speaking regularly with travel and hospitality organizations, he has served on boards for organizations such as the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association and the New York Hospitality Council. Clayton has twice been awarded the Steven Harvey Achievement in Advertising, sponsored by American Express, and during his career has led award- winning marketing initiatives for clients such as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, The City of Las Vegas and Vail Resorts.

Name: Jack Schmidt
Title: Chief Marketing Officer, Benchmark Hospitality
Email: jschmidt@benchmarkmanagement.com

Mr. Schmidt is responsible for providing support and assistance to the general managers and directors of sales and marketing for Benchmark-managed properties. He is responsible for the coordination of Benchmark Sales and Marketing programs at the corporate level. Mr. Schmidt’s industry experience covers a full spectrum of resort, hotel, and conference center operations, most of it in sales and marketing. He began his sales career in 1978 working for Del Webb’s Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas before moving to Atlantic City and opening the Claridge Hotel and Casino and Trump Plaza as Director of Sales. His involvement with conference centers covers a variety of projects with four separate companies: Scanticon, Continental Companies, Marriott, and Benchmark (where he served as Director of Sales and Marketing for Lansdowne). From 1993 to 1999 Mr. Schmidt served as a managing partner with the firm of Accommodations Express an independent nationwide reservations service and call center that specialized in providing electronic housing services and high volume internet based reservations solutions to conventions, events, destinations and convention and visitors bureaus nationally. . During that same time he served as President of the Onyx Group, a subsidiary of Accommodations Express, which provided marketing, public relations and hospitality industry consulting services to a broad base of both hospitality and non-hospitality industry clients. Mr. Schmidt graduated from the hospitality management program at Widner University and also attended the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. He is a past board member for the International Association of conference centers and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

Name: Margie Sheffer, CHME, CHA
Title: Director of Chapter Relations, HSMAI
Email: mshsmai@aol.com

Margie joined HSMAI 31 years ago, in 1974. She has held various chapter board positions including chapter president for the NE Pennsylvania Chapter. Margie attributes much of her successful career as a hotel sales and marketing professional to her association with HSMAI. For the past eight years it has been her privilege to work on staff for HSMAI as the Director of Chapter Relations. In this position she provides resources and support to the chapter boards of forty HSMAI chapters in the America’s Region which includes Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. She earned the coveted CHME designation in 1981 and her CHA designation in 1983. Margie believes that you "get" what you "give" and has always found HSMAI to be an excellent investment in both time and money.

Name: Peter Warren, CHME
Title: Chairman and CEO, Warren Kremer Paino Advertising LLC
Email: pwarren@wkpadv.com

After cutting his teeth in account services at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, he followed his entrepreneurial impulses and opened his own agency. The rest, as they say, is history, Actually, it geography. Peter has worked with some of the world’s most recognizable travel and hospitality brands including Marriott, Holiday Inns, Four Seasons Hotels, Inter-Continental Hotels and Hershey Resorts. He’s also worked with an impressive array of other clients including American Express. Peter has also handled the Resorts International account in Atlantic City for over 6 years and did the marketing for the grand opening of the Taj Mahal. He has also handled such diverse destinations as Brazil, Morocco, Panama, Antigua, Curacao, St. Lucia, and the New York City convention and visitors bureau.