NEW NATIONAL SALES TEAM

Bass Hotels & Resorts (Australia) has announced its new national sales team following the appointment of Geoffrey Webb as Director of National & Global Sales Australia.

The team consists of 22 people located in Sydney and interstate who will have responsibility for particular market segments or geographic areas.

The national sales team will handle all key accounts for the 32 Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Parkroyal, Holiday Inn and Centra Hotels & Resorts in Australia. It will also be responsible for selling Bass Hotels & Resorts 3000 hotels in 100 countries to the Australian outbound market.

“Our new structure is based on a proven Bass Hotels & Resorts business model operating in other parts of the world,” Mr Webb said.

“It aims to deliver superior service to our clients by using a combination of geographic and market segmentation for the management of key accounts,” he said.

In announcing the new structure, Mr Webb said the national sales team would strategically focus on growing Bass Hotels & Resorts business particularly in the corporate travel MICE, sports and government segments.

“The team consists of experienced sales people who genuinely know the hotels they are selling and their particular markets. We are aiming for best practice client delivery with greater accountability so that clients experience superior levels of service,” Mr Webb said.

“The national sales team will be supported and strengthened by 65 hotel-based sales personnel who will look after the operational side of servicing accounts.”

“Under the new sales structure there will be greater synergy between the national team and the hotel based sales team,” he said.

“Our overall aim is to increase hotel revenues through stronger business to business relationships underpinned by superior service by experienced staff,” he said.

Members of the national team looking after specific market segments reporting to Mr Webb are: Carla Hampshire, Director of Sales MICE, Sharon Byrne, Director of Sales Corporate and Travel, Richard Munro, Director of Sales Sport, Andrew Gee, Director of Sales Inbound and Paddy McClelland, Director of Sales Domestic Wholesale. State based Directors of Sales are Margie Stewart (Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania), Kathy Howard (ACT), and Sonya Strutton (Queensland, Northern Territory & Western Australia).

NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES, CORPORATE AND TRAVEL



Sharon Byrne has been appointed Director of Sales, Corporate and Travel for Bass Hotels & Resorts (BHR) in Australia.

Ms Byrne will be responsible for all major corporate accounts and all travel industry partnerships and will manage a team of four Business Development Managers in NSW. Her roll extends across the Bass brand portfolio – Inter.Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Parkroyal and Centra hotels and resorts. There are 32 BHR hotels in Australia.

Announcing her appointment, Geoffrey Webb, Director of National & Global Sales said,” Sharon has worked for Holiday Inn since 1993 and during this time has demonstrated her ingenuity and business acumen while proving she is a strong team leader.”

‘I am certain Sharon will enjoy building strong customer and partner relationships for the benefit of our hotels,” he said.

Ms Byrne’s day to day responsibilities will include liaison with all major corporate accounts and major travel agencies including service delivery, contract negotiation and business growth.

Ms Byrne’s appointment is effective immediately.

NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES – MICE MARKET



Bass Hotels & Resorts has appointed Carla Hampshire as Director of Sales for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) markets.

Ms Hampshire was previously Global Sales Manager MICE for Bass Hotels and Resorts (BHR). In her new position, she will be responsible for the management of all key MICE accounts for the Australian hotels across the BHR brand portfolio – Inter.Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Parkroyal and Centra.

Ms Hampshire will also retain her Global Sales MICE responsibilities servicing the outbound MICE markets.

In announcing her appointment, Geoffrey Webb, Director of National & Global Sales Australia said, “Carla has more than eight years experience in the MICE sector in Australia & the U.K. She has an outstanding track record in account management and increasing MICE market productivity,” he said.

Ms Hampshire, who commenced her hotel career in 1992, joined Holiday Inn in 1993 as assistant to the Director of Worldwide Sales. Her capabilities soon ensured she was promoted through the conference sales team rising to Director of Global Sales, Conferences and Incentives, U.K. in 1999 before she returned to Australia.

Ms Hampshire’s appointment is effective immediately and she is based in the Sydney BHR sales office.

NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES, ACT

Katherine Howard has been promoted to Director of Sales, ACT for Bass Hotels & Resorts (BHR) with responsibility for Government business.

In this role Ms Howard will be the key contact for all Government accounts liaising between the full range of hotels in the Bass brand portfolio – Inter.Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Parkroyal and Centra Hotels & Resorts and Government departments and Ministerial offices.

Geoffrey Webb, the Director of National & Global Sales for BHR said Ms Howard had the appropriate skills to manage this key role in the new BHR national sales team.

“Katherine in her previous role of Business Development Manager – Government, for BHR, had demonstrated her ability to oversee the development of this important market,” Mr Webb said.

“Her depth of experience from servicing accounts to creating and developing appropriate marketing strategies as well as her excellent Canberra network made her the obvious person for the position,” he said.

Ms Howard joined the SPHC Group in 1997 (it was acquired by BHR in April 2000).

Her earlier work experience included many years as a professional conference organiser and numerous operational roles within hotels in Australia and overseas.

Michael Fish assumes the role of Director of Sales and Marketing Parkroyal Canberra and the National Convention Centre.

Ms Howard’s appointment is effective immediately.