Gary C. Sain Named President of the Orlando/Orange County CVB

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. October 14, 2008

ORLANDO, FL, January 22, 2007. Gary C. Sain has been named the new president of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Orlando CVB) replacing Bill Peeper, who retired at the end of 2006. Sain was selected as the result of a thorough national search led by Orlando CVB Board Chairman Mark McHugh and will begin in his new position on Feb. 12, 2007.

A leader in the Orlando travel industry for nearly a decade, Sain comes to the Orlando CVB from the highly regarded hospitality advertising and public relations firm Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown and Russell in Orlando where he was the chief marketing officer and a partner responsible for the overall marketing and sales efforts of the firm including agency branding, communications and strategic partner development. Sain has a varied portfolio of experience including holding positions as executive vice president of sales and marketing for GES Exposition Services; senior vice president of sales, marketing and passenger services for Premier Cruise Line; assistant vice president of sales for Hyatt Hotels Corporation; and corporate vice president sales/marketing for the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Washington, D.C. and New York and the Whitehall/Tremont hotels in Chicago. He also served as the opening director of marketing for the Stouffer hotels in Chicago and Atlanta.

"With his outstanding marketing and sales background, dynamic leadership style and long-standing respect within the hospitality industry, Gary was unanimously endorsed by the Search Committee," said Mark McHugh, chairman of the Orlando CVB's Board of Directors. "We are confident he has the strategic and creative vision to take Orlando's convention and leisure business forward as we continue to expand the destination's reach and appeal."

"It is my belief that there is no more attractive destination to market in the world than Orlando. Its exceptional leisure and business offerings have established unmatched connections with vacationers and conventioneers," said Gary Sain. "And I feel that there is no team anywhere that is more capable of marketing the destination than the team at the Orlando CVB. I look forward to working with them, the Board of Directors and our community leaders to tap into Orlando's further potential."

Nationally known for his expertise in branding, Sain successfully positioned Premier Cruise Line's "Big Red Boat" as one of the most recognizable brands in the cruise industry. He was voted a member of Travel Agent magazine's "Winners Circle" for two years in a row. He is also the recipient of numerous professional designations including Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), Certified Hospitality Marketing Executive (CHME) and Certified Travel Marketing Executive (CTME). Gary is a frequent speaker at travel industry symposia and has contributed numerous articles on marketing and advertising practice to both consumer and trade publications.

Sain received a B.S. degree with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Marketing from Davis and Elkins College. His numerous professional affiliations include the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), Meeting Planners International (MPI) and the Skal Club of Orlando. His community involvement includes serving on the advisory council of the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. He is a past chairman of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, past executive committee member of the Cruise Line International Association and past board member of HSMAI.

The Orlando CVB is the sales and marketing agency responsible for positioning Orlando as the destination of choice for leisure and meetings business for the economic benefit of the Orlando region.