Movers + Shakers
SUPPLIERS
Experience Kissimmee appointed MICHELLE MOORE, CMP, as the new director of sales for the destination marketing organization. In her new role, Moore will direct the internal sales team at Experience Kissimmee and work with destination industry partners to increase meetings business in the corporate, association and SMERF market segments.
Moore spent the previous 10 years at Visit Or- lando in a variety of sales positions, with the most recent as destination services senior manager.
JB Duke Hotel, a new property opening on the campus of Duke University, announced the appointment of KRISTIN WATSON as director of catering and conference services. Watson will
lead the hotel’s conference planning initiatives, which entail servicing the meet- ings, conferences and social events hosted at the hotel and the omas Executive Conference Center. Watson joins the JB Duke Hotel team from the Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel where she was the director
of event sales. e hotel features 198 guest rooms and the omas Executive Conference Center o ers 20,850 square feet of meeting and event space.
JASON POOLE is the new executive chef at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. In his new role, Poole will oversee all culinary operations at the resort. Prior to joining the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, he served as executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. The property is set on 1,300 acres and features 355 guest rooms, 62,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and three restaurants.
PLANNERS
BRAD ESSER is the new director of operations for Koncept Events. He brings more than 12 years of large-scale event production experience to the team through his time with Vail Resorts in Breckenridge, Colo., and then within the sports industry with ASA Entertainment. Easser was then the director of events and operations at a wedding and event design company in Tampa, Fla.. before making the move to Fort Lauderdale to join the Koncept Events.
In his role, Esser will oversee a team that includes program managers, oral designers and warehouse sta . He is based in the Fort Lauder- dale o ce but will travel as needed for programs throughout the U.S., Mexico and Caribbean.
HelmsBriscoe announced the addition of AMIT TEJWANI as associate regional vice president for its Southern California team. Tejwani will support e orts in the areas of Los Angeles and Orange County and will work with the HelmsBriscoe corporate and regional lead- ership teams.
Prior to joining Helms- Briscoe, Tejwani served as director of national ac- counts at the Island Hotel Newport Beach and has more than a decade of experience in the meetings and hospitality industry.
