ALBANY, NY - The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACCVB) held their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 13, 2012, at the Hilton Albany, which is in the final stages of a $14 million renovation. In addition to summarizing the accomplishments of the year, it was also an opportunity to recognize the outstanding work of hospitality providers and the 2012 Albany Ambassadors, as well as showcase local culinary assets.
New Board Members Announced
Two new board members were officially announced during the meeting: Christine Quinn, Deputy County Executive of Albany County; and Chris Ciceri, CEO of the Albany Devils Hockey. Each were elected to a one-year term, which began in January.
Hospitality Excellence Award
The ACCVB Hospitality Excellence Award is the only award developed solely to recognize excellence in travel and tourism in the Capital Region. This year's recipients were the staff of the Albany International Airport Visitor Information Center for their dedication in providing outstanding service to more than 100,000 visitors to the Information Center in the past year.
Albany Ambassadors
Albany Ambassadors are volunteer meeting planners who provide the Capital Region with new and diverse opportunities to host meetings, reunions, conferences, and sporting events. This marks the 20th year that the ACCVB has honored an exceptional group of Albany Ambassadors. To receive the designation of Albany Ambassador, one must be an event or committee volunteer and the meeting must realize in excess of 100 room nights.
The 2012 Albany Ambassadors were responsible for bringing over 4,800 delegates and visitors, as well as over 4,950 room nights to the Albany area throughout 2012, translating to $1,353,864 in direct spending.
The 2012 Albany Ambassadors are:
Mr. John Willsey, 42nd Rainbow Division Veterans Memorial
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Alesio, USS Haynesworth DD 700
Mr. George Delamar, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Dr. Edna Acosta-Belen, UAlbany SUNY-Uptown Campus
Mr. David Larkin, Hudson Valley Community College
Ms. Rachel Hye Young Rupright, MSW, Korean American Adoptee, Adoptive Family Network
Ms. Jana Hrdinova & Ms. Jane Krumm-Schwan, Center for Technology in Government
Mr. Joe Millet, Northeast District of the Barbershop Harmony Society
Ms. Jan Rubenstein & Ms. Robin Sobol, Women of Reformed Judaism
Rev. Robert Linder, Pastor, Fifth Avenue A.M.E. Zion Church
Ms. Pamela Frascatore, Soroptimists International
Mr. Michael Klein, New York State Parking Association
Ms. Kate Dudding, League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling
Ms. Judith Pettit, TOPSMr. Craig Hutton, Colonie Babe Ruth
Mr. Mike Malark, New York Kiwanis
Local businesses who chose to host a meeting or event in Albany may gain complimentary services through the ACCVB's Host it Here program, while also serving as an economic engine for the area.
The Culinary Capital and Spirit of Albany
As part of the ACCVB's new culinary marketing campaign, The Culinary Capital, a variety of local cheeses were featured at the reception, as well as Baco Noir Old Vines wine from Hudson-Chatham Winery. More information on The Culinary Capital can be found at www.theculinarycapital.com.
In addition, two of the 2013 Spirit of Albany cocktails were featured at the event. The cocktails were created by local mixologists at the request of the ACCVB with the condition that they embody the spirit of Albany. The two featured cocktails were The Fort Orange, created by the Century House, and The Kennedy Sour, created by dp, An American Brasserie, using Ironweed Bourbon from the Albany Distilling Company. Guests received a recipe guide
featuring all cocktails, which can also be found at www.albany.org/spiritofalbany.
About the ACCVB:The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. was established in 1976 to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community through increased development of conventions and tourism. ACCVB currently represents more than 300 member businesses and assists each year in hundreds of regional meetings. ACCVB also operates the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, Henry Hudson Planetarium, and the Albany International Airport Information Center. For more information, call 518-434-1217 or 800-258-3582 or visit www.albany.org.