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This might help to find email addresses for the new Aruba salespersons. It has more background info on these people.
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http://www.meetaruba.com/launchpr.html

AHATA Announces Launch of MEET ARUBA

The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association has announced the official launch of MEET ARUBA as its new group marketing division. "MEET ARUBA represents a bold step for our association", explained Jorge Pesquera, President & CEO of AHATA, "a move that is representative of AHATA's vision and our board's commitment to delivering the best possible marketing services to our members and hospitality community at large". "This vision is to be recognized as the best group marketing entity in the Caribbean. This can only be accomplished by delivering a wide range of customized services to meeting planners that project Aruba as a 'top of mind'' meetings and incentives destination. Our association has the ability to integrate all those attributes that have made Aruba a great leisure destination with key elements that attract the attention of meeting and incentive planners. Presenting that powerful combination in a credible and consistent manner will be our main task moving forward. I am proud of the team we have put together; they are all seasoned professionals and we will provide them with great marketing tools to get our message out and book a lot of business", concluded Pesquera.

The MEET ARUBA team already in place includes Scott Wiggins, a well known Caribbean marketing veteran who has played a vital role in the success of Aruba as a leisure destination for more than a decade. Wiggins will maintain his main responsibilities as Sr. Director of Sales and Marketing for AHATA adding a new role as Executive Director of MEET ARUBA. "I am thrilled with this new challenge. It is a natural progression of my marketing responsibilities for North America and provides me and our association members with yet another valuable tool to attract a higher caliber of customers and generate increased revenues per occupied room on the island".

Wiggins will be initially supported by three well known personalities in their own right:

Charly Ibarra, the voice behind "Charly from Aruba" radio commercials that have made Aruba a household word is Director of Business Development based in New York. He will be working niche markets such as the African American and Hispanic meetings as well as specific SMERF segments (social, military, educational, religious and fraternal).

Donna Del Gallo, formerly with Hyatt and a former Associate Vice President of Association sales for the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau will create a new "buzz" in the association community and corporate markets in the north east. She is based in Washington DC.

Mayline Menendez, most recently with the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove also brings considerable destination sales experience and is focused on corporate and incentive markets throughout the South. She is based in Miami.

Administrative, financial, technical and membership liaison services for the MEET ARUBA team will be provided by AHATA's Aruba based management team.

"Our internal perceptions of Aruba''s group market potential were totally validated at a recent Meeting Planner Advisory Board held in August" said Wiggins. "We brought down a tough, high profile group of planners who handle association, corporate and incentive groups and asked them to kick the tires and tell us their opinions '- the good, the bad and the ugly'- and they found an overwhelmingly strong and sellable product".

Jeff Lesker, VP of Radisson Resorts Caribbean and Chairman of the Board of AHATA provided the following commentary: "AHATA's MEET ARUBA initiative is the culmination of a yearlong process of planning and putting the pieces of the puzzle in place. We look forward to working alongside our colleagues at the Aruba Tourism Authority to promote the best possible synergies between our collective efforts in all market segments. The launch of MEET ARUBA is borne out of our belief in the private sector''s ability to execute this particular aspect of Aruba''s overall destination marketing strategies in a most effective manner".

AHATA is one of the oldest hotel and tourism associations in the Caribbean and is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. Its membership roster of close to 100 entities includes most of Aruba''s hotel and time share inventory as well a wide range of attractions and specialized support services.

For more information please contact:

Scott Wiggins at scott@ahata.com
Jorge Pesquera at jpesquera@ahata.com or
Rona Coster at ronacoster@setarnet.aw

http://www.aruba.com/phpNews/wmview.php?ArtID=278

August 06, 2003 - 15:36
ARUBA TOURISM AUTHORITY TAPS QUINN & CO. TO HANDLE PR UNDER THREE-YEAR CONTRACT

Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) has tapped Quinn & Co., a New York City-based public relations firm, to handle the USA PR effort for the island “where happiness lives.”

After a multi-stage PR review process, which culminated in a visit to the Big Apple to visit three finalist firms, Quinn & Co. was selected as the agency of record for ATA. The PR review committee consisted of Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, ATA director; Gina Lopez Gnecco, acting PR director; Theresita Chai, marketing manager USA; Marcial “Charly” Ibarra, ATA director North America; Scott Wiggins, Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association marketing representative; and Anabela Peterson de Sousa, a consultant for the Ministry of Tourism.

While Quinn & Co.’s official start date was July 16 and will run for a three-year tenure, they joined the Aruba family ahead of schedule and attended the island’s AHMSANA retreat on July 8-10 in Fort Lauderdale. It was here that Minister of Tourism and Transportation Edison Briesen signed the official contract.

“Aruba Tourism Authority is thrilled to have Quinn & Co. on board as part of the Aruba family,” said Minister Briesen. “Their experience and reputation in the travel industry coupled with their creativity and passion for Aruba will translate into increased awareness in the U.S. market for the island,” he concluded.

Carla Caccavale, one of the firm’s partners, will oversee the Aruba account. Caccavale serves as a member of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s PR Council and supervises a number of the firm’s Caribbean accounts. Aruba holds a special place in her heart and the island’s stamp dominates her passport with nearly a dozen trips, both business and personal.

“We were overjoyed, literally jumping up and down, when the news about the ATA win came in,” said Caccavale. “There are many opportunities that we are excited to bring to fruition.”

Quinn & Co. specializes in creative branding and results-oriented public relations for travel industry clients. The firm has won numerous awards for its creative PR concepts including three prestigious Platinum Awards from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).