For 87 years, the Academy has been awarding those Oscar statues to the best and brightest of Hollywood. On Sunday, millions will tune in to see who wins the coveted awards and who looks best walking down the red carpet.
On March 5, Savannah will have a tourism version of the Oscars with the 17th Annual Tourism Awards and Scholarship Dinner at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center.
Like the Oscars, we’re going to pause and take a moment to reflect on the amazing work individuals have done in our community. We have had teams of people working to prepare for the big night.
Just last week, the Tourism Awards committee, made up of a cross section of the tourism community, announced the finalists for two categories: the Service Star Award and the Service Leader Award.
Both awards honor someone who has shown exceptional service to others. The Service Star honors a frontline employee, one who deals directly with the guest. The Service Leader honors a leader in the tourism community who has led others to work with the visitor.
The committee who chose
these finalists was given the arduous task of narrowing the pool of nominees to three finalists for each category. To maintain the purity of the selection, the names of candidates and their workplace were redacted and not revealed to the committee until after the selection was complete.
The finalists for Service Star:
• Joy Driggers, director of guest relations, Lucky Savannah Vacation Rentals.
Joy lives up to her name every day while working in the burgeoning vacation rental industry. Homeowners and guests rave about her sunny disposition and exceptional customer service.
• Pamela Meadows, lead visitor information center specialist, Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport.
Pamela greets passengers flying into the airport and helps resolve their concerns — from where they should eat to how travelers can cope with car trouble. She is noted for leading her peers by example and lives up to the airport’s mission of “Doing Everything in a First Class Manner.”
• Geri Smith, guest service agent, Hilton Savannah DeSoto.
Geri was nominated because of her ability to exceed guests’ expectations. Guests often call asking for her specifically and plan their travel dates around her work schedule because of her pleasant personality.
The finalists for Service Leader:
• Mava Byrd, manager of visitors centers, Visit Savannah.
Mava leads a team of “First Impression Specialists” who exemplify southern hospitality to the millions of guests who come to Savannah each year. She oversees the Visitors Centers at Ellis Square, I-95, MLK and River Street.
• Russ Mitchell, general manager, The Marshall House.
Russ was nominated for his exceptional leadership abilities. Every day he inspires his employees to be their best, motivating them and teaching valuable lessons when their performance is not up to par.
• Jason Restivo, general manager/sommelier, Garibaldi’s.
Jason has risen from a maitre’d at the Olde Pink House to the general manager at Garibaldi’s in the last six years. He has shared his passion for wine and excellent service with the many employees who have worked for him. Some of his employees have gone on to be managers at other establishments, using the training that Jason has given them.
Who will win? Find out on Thursday, March 5, at the 17th Annual Tourism Awards and Scholarship Dinner. In addition to these awards, there are seven other categories.
We also will award scholarships to deserving students who are going into hospitality and tourism. I’ll introduce you to the future of tourism in the next article.
It’s a fun night, and we’d love to see you there. Get your tickets at www.SavannahTourismAwards.com.
Michael Owens is president/CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council, the largest nonprofit trade organization that supports and represents the tourism industry. Contact Owens at michael@tourismleadershipcouncil.com or by calling 912-232-1223.
By Michael Owens