Newport Appoints Kimberly Houston to VPSOM
JUNE 11, 2008. Newport Hospitality Group, Inc., (NHG) today announced that Kimberly Houston has joined the organization as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. She will be responsible for maximizing revenues for the company's 25 hotels.
Houston has over 20 years of hospitality industry experience, with broad-based sales and marketing expertise in multiple segments of the travel industry. Her hotel industry experience includes branded, independent, select-service, full-service, extended stay, conference, and new construction properties, both nationally and internationally.
Prior to joining NHG, Houston achieved tremendous results as National Director of Hampton Inn properties for a major hotel management company where she was responsible for generating over $60m in annual sales. . Following that success she was asked to recreate the same success with the company's other brands. Kim assumed responsibility for 33 of the company's 77 properties generating more than $100m in annual sales, resulting in significant market share increases.
NHG considers sales and marketing to be critical to each property's success. Reflecting this belief, Houston will report directly to the President, Michael Pleninger. She will oversee market analysis, positioning, revenue strategy, yield and demographic analysis as well as the company's internet marketing initiatives. To accomplish these tasks, she will work directly with each property in the development of effective sales and marketing strategies designed to increase market share and improve overall sales and marketing performance.
'NHG has been on the cutting edge of e-commerce since 1994 when we launched our first corporate web site and one of the first on-line booking engines in the industry. Since that time, we have booked millions of dollars in room nights through internet promotions, packaging, key-word buys, direct links, and through successful positioning on major search engines. Kim, will continue to be on the forefront of developments in e-commerce to insure that this crucial marketing tool is best utilized for the specific needs of each property,' says Michael Pleninger.
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