Waterford Hosts Managers at 17th Annual Leadership Conference

Duane Schroder Named General Manager of the Year

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. October 14, 2008

WATERFORD, CT, January 30, 2007. More than 80 managers representing the 27 properties managed by Waterford Hotel Group, Inc. and corporate office personnel recently gathered at the Marriott Hartford Downtown for the company's 17th Annual Leadership Conference.

The annual event is a way for the company's leadership to share ideas, set goals, and foster team spirit throughout the organization. The theme of this year's conference was "Time to Shine!" with an emphasis on personal and professional development for conference participants. During an Awards Ceremony, Waterford Hotel Group recognized their 2006 top performers, including General Manager of the Year and Director of Sales of the Year.

Len Wolman, chairman and CEO of Waterford Group, provided opening remarks during the conference kick-off reception. "The focus of this year's conference is each of you. This conference has been specifically designed to promote an environment that fosters creativity, personal and professional self-growth, idea sharing and fun," Wolman told participants. Representatives from Pennsylvania State University were on hand to conduct a Best Practices session. The group used innovative software called Group Systems to collect data on Waterford Hotel Group's best practices related to the company's core values.

Conference attendees also participated in numerous unconventional training sessions, including 'Humor in the Workplace', 'Finding Your Voice', and 'Vision Mapping'. Among other things, attendees learned how humor can reduce stress and increase productivity, to improve their ability to use their voice effectively, and to create a personal vision statement. "Our goal this year is to assist each of you in personal growth, whether by increasing humor, boosting self-confidence, by setting goals, or all of the above. You will leave feeling rewarded, relaxed and renewed. You will return to your properties with a fresh look on things, and this is exactly what we need to continuously improve," added Wolman.

Waterford recognized its 2006 top performers during an awards ceremony. Award recipients were announced in the following categories: Associate of the Year, Hotel Team of the Year, General Manager of the Year, Director of Sales of the Year, Department Head of the Year, Most Improved RevPAR, as well as various department performance awards.

2006 Top Performance Award Winners:

Associate of the Year - Bobbie Licata, Residence Inn by Marriott - Conshohocken, PA

Team of the Year - Connecticut Convention Center - Hartford, CT

General Manager of the Year - Duane Schroder, Radisson Hotel - Bloomfield Hills, MI

Director of Sales of the Year - Carol Shibley, Courtyard by Marriott - Warwick, RI

Manager of the Year - Scott Smith, Courtyard by Marriott - Marlborough, MA

Food and Beverage Team of the Year - Hilton Hartford - Hartford, CT

Front Office Team of the Year - Courtyard by Marriott - Concord, NH

Housekeeping Team of the Year - Comfort Inn - Mystic, CT

Maintenance Team of the Year - Residence Inn by Marriott - Norman, OK

Most Improved RevPAR - Residence Inn by Marriott - Conshohocken, PA