Hospitality Design Group is pleased to announce the hiring and promotion of several individuals who will contribute to the continual growth of its industry-leading events, creating elite forums and networking opportunities for the best of the hospitality design industry. In addition to the Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo), these events include the forthcoming HD Boutique Exposition & Conference taking place September 13 and 14, 2011, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The tradeshow management group has named B. Elizabeth Grimsley conference director, who will join the team on Monday, August 29 and will be located in Washington, DC. Most recently a consultant for Grimsley and Group of Potomac, Maryland, Grimsley has 28 years’ experience in the interior design, architecture, and construction field, with a primary focus on hospitality. She has played key leadership and development roles with renowned firms throughout the greater metropolitan D.C. area, including Rand Construction Corp., Leo A. Daly, Forrest Perkins, and BBGM Architects & Interiors.
“We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth on board with the Hospitality Design Group,” said group show director Liz Sommerville. “Her breadth of industry knowledge and expertise, coupled with her skills in project management and business development, make her the ideal person to help us grow HD Expo, HD Boutique, HD Summit, and allied programs.”
In her new role, Grimsley will be responsible for managing conference sessions for the group’s tradeshows, including program organization, research and selection of educational content and topics, and coordination of site visits. Additionally, Grimsley will contribute to marketing content and coverage of the group’s events for the show dailies, HD magazine, and the websites. She can be reached at [email protected].
In addition, Alia Akkam has been named managing editor of Hospitality Design (HD) magazine; she began her duties on August 29 out of the New York City office. Akkam most recently spent three years at Beverage Media Group in New York City, where she served as managing editor of the wine and spirits industry’s oldest and most prominent trade publication. Passionate about design, food, and travel, Akkam has written for outlets such as Organic Spa, TastingTable.com, and Paper.
“Alia has been a longtime freelance contributor to HD and in this role has learned a great deal about our industry and its players,” said editor-in-chief Michael Adams. “She is a welcome addition to our team, and I have no doubt that she will prove a valuable asset to the hospitality industry.”
Akkam’s primary duties will be to develop content for HD magazine and its website. She will be generating stories and involved in the day-to-day production. Akkam will also participate as a speaker and panelist at HD Expo and HD Boutique, as well as contribute to the show dailies.
In addition, Ashleigh Van Houten joins HD as associate editor. She most recently was an editor for New York Moves, a glossy London-based lifestyle quarterly. Van Houten has also contributed to other travel and lifestyle publications and has a strong background in
marketing.
In other HD news, Stacy Shoemaker Rauen has been promoted to executive editor; she previously held the title of senior managing editor with the magazine. Shoemaker Rauen has been with HD for 10 years and was responsible for developing HD‘s CitySCENE: Next Generation Networking events. She will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of the magazine and its content, and she says she looks forward to taking on additional leadership responsibilities in her new position. She can be reached at [email protected].
