2018 Back of House – Food and Beverage Finalist Charles Guiswite Isleta Resort & Casino What was your first job in the hospitality/tourism industry? Dons Quality Bakery, VA OJT program 1975; cleaning and greasing bread pans, and all tasks no one else wanted. Who has helped/mentored you throughout your career? Alfred Hiltbunner, Pastry Chef, Rolf Hueglin, Konditormiester What has been … Read More
2018 Top Hat Finalist Spotlight – Bill Lee
2018 Tourism Professional of the Year Finalist Bill Lee Gallup McKinley County Chamber of Commerce What was your first job in the hospitality/tourism industry? I was named CEO for Adventure Gallup & Beyond… an organization that promoted outdoor tourism in McKinley County. Then I became the CEO of the Gallup/McKinley County Chamber of Commerce, who is tasked with helping to … Read More
2018 Top Hat Finalists – Premier
Supplier-Vendor of the Year Joe’s Pasta House Rio Rancho Joe and KC Guzzardi , the owners of Joe’s Pasta House, and their entire staff are charming and welcoming host to visitors and local community members alike. They market their state, community, and product genuinely. Serving the Rio Rancho & Albuquerque area for over 12 years; Joe’s Pasta House proudly shares … Read More
Service Animals and Hotels
Did you know that September is National Service Dog Month? In honor of National Service Dog Month, we have put together some information about service dogs and service animals, and how venues, hotels, and other businesses can accommodate someone with a service animal. What are service animals? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act a service animal means any dog … Read More
2018 Top Hat Finalists – Personnel
Back-of-House Food & Beverage Employee of the Year Charles Guiswite Executive Pastry Chef Isleta Resort & Casino Overview: Charles has been with Isleta Resort and Casino for eight years and as the Executive Pastry Chef for a full service resort and casino, he is responsible to provide everything related to pastry, desserts and bread for this entire operation. He does … Read More
2018 Top Hat Finalists – Marketing
Best Broadcast Campaign Sandia Resort & Casino “Get Closer” Agency: Tribal Resources Sandia Resort & Casino worked with Tribal Resources on the “Get Closer” campaign to inspire and ignite interest in the resort as a place that is more than just the sum of its spectacular parts. For newcomers, the goal of the campaign was to frame Sandia Resort & … Read More
2018 Top Hat Finalists – Product Development
Outstanding Event Fiestas de Las Vegas City of Las Vegas Overview: Fiestas de Las Vegas is one of the largest events held in Northern New Mexico and celebrated its 130th year. The event focuses around the music of Northern New Mexico and family oriented attractions. Food vendors sell everything from burritos, enchiladas to roasted corn. The event is held in … Read More
New Mexico Travel and Tourism on the Rise for 6th Straight Year
The New Mexico Tourism Department revealed the 2017 New Mexico travel and tourism numbers during an announcement ceremony at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Governor Susana Martinez and Tourism Secretary Rebecca Latham reported an increase in visitation and job creation for the 6th consecutive year. Here are the highlights from the 2017 numbers: New Mexico saw 35.4 million … Read More
2017 Legislative Session Report
The Special Session, which convened May 24 and concluded May 30, was called to order to approve the state budget for FY2018. House Bill 1 was drafted, introduced, voted by the Legislature and approved by Governor Susana Martinez. New Mexico Hospitality Association had several meetings with legislative council to support the Tourism Department’s budget request. We are pleased to report … Read More
Five Tips for Creating a Compelling Webinar That Everyone Wants to See
by Matthew Mora Webinars have been a reliable tool for online learning, but they are not always developed and distributed with the proper strategy. It can be difficult to find qualified individuals with the necessary knowledge in producing a quality webinar. Not everyone has extensive experience in video and audio production. Fortunately, it is not too late to gain the … Read More