DMAI Chair Bob Lander and President and CEO Don Welsh announced the four industry leaders who will be inducted into the 2016 Hall of Fame on August 2 during DMAI’s Annual Convention in Minneapolis.
“I am so pleased with the roster for this year’s Hall of Fame awards,” said Lander. “When we initiated the program in 2014, it was our hope that the industry would get behind it and actively nominate those they truly believe have made a difference in our industry. The response has been incredible.”
The DMAI Hall of Fame award was created in 2014 to honor individuals who have changed the future of destination marketing, made significant contributions to the industry and shaped travel marketing.
“The 2016 Hall of Fame inductees represent the very best in thought leadership and investing in our future,” said Welsh. “I would like to thank the Hall of Fame nominating committee led by Scott Beck for their continued commitment to this important program. This year’s inductees are visionaries whom have established a path for the future of our industry. I look forward to celebrating [their work].”
Here is a rundown of the 2016 DMAI Hall of Fame Inductees as provided by the association:
Ray Bloom
Chairman and Founder, IMEX Group
The IMEX Group organizes worldwide exhibitions for the incentive travel, meetings and events industry in Europe and the U.S. Bloom has been a successful entrepreneur for many years. He started his career in the motor industry, entered into the hotel industry and ultimately the exhibition industry.
Bloom has an established career in creating the leading trade shows in the meetings and incentive travel sector, including the annual IMEX in Frankfurt and IMEX America in Las Vegas.
Brad Burlingame
Visit West Hollywood
Brad Burlingame led West Hollywood’s (WeHo) tourism bureau as president and CEO for 18 years before he passed away in 2015. Under his leadership, Visit WeHo’s marketing initiatives, including expansion into the overseas markets, helped West Hollywood become a major travel destination.
Burlingame was incredibly successful in branding the iconic Sunset Strip; however, among his peers, he is highly regarded as a champion of California tourism. Long before other industry leaders assumed a position, he worked to gain the respect of state legislators and spread word of the visitor industry.
Nicki Grossman
Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB
Nicki Grossman retired June 1, 2016, after 21 years as president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. Under Grossman’s leadership, tourist spending increased by more than $8 billion and annual visitation grew from 6.1 million in 1996 to more than 14 million.
In recognition of Grossman’s numerous accomplishments, Broward College created a legacy scholarship in her name. The Nicki Englander Grossman Endowed Hospitality and Tourism Management Scholarship will be awarded to students who study hospitality-related fields at Broward College’s campuses.
Gary Sain
Visit Orlando
In his role as president and CEO of Visit Orlando, Gary Sain was credited with helping to put Orlando “on the map” as the world’s leading tourism destination before he passed away in 2012. Under his leadership, Orlando welcomed a record 51.5 million visitors in 2010, the first U.S. destination to break the 50 million milestone. Other destinations have implemented 50 million visitors as a benchmark.
Sain was known for working tirelessly with leading associations, such as U.S. Travel and others to help advance important industry initiatives ranging from visa reform to promoting the value of meetings.
The 2016 Hall of Fame award induction will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. during DMAI’s Annual Convention in Minneapolis. More information is available at the DMAI website.
