Greetings! We’re the Aruba Convention Bureau for North America, and we invite you to get to know us a little more. We strive to provide you with the best customer service while you plan your meeting. Feel free to contact us with any questions. Our staff would love to help your group with their next meeting in Aruba.
Sales Staff
Carol Daugherty Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, OH
Pamela Shepherd Southeast, West Coast
Hal Davis Midwest & Canada
Administrative Staff
Rob Smith President & CEO, AHATA
Heather Linton Marketing Manager
Sales Staff
Carol Daugherty
Regional Director of Sales – Mid-Atlantic, Northeast
Based in the DC Metro area, Carol Daugherty joins the Aruba Convention Bureau for North America team as Regional Director of Sales handling the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Ohio. Daugherty has been in the hospitality business for over 20 years both in Hotels and CVB’s, handling groups from 50 – 5,000. Carol started her career working for the Sonesta Beach Hotel in Miami Florida while attending the Hospitality Management Program at Florida International University. Her career continued with the opening of 2 Luxury Resorts and the Ft. Lauderdale Convention Center. For the last 18 years, Carol held the position of Regional Vice President for the Ft. Lauderdale CVB overseeing the satellite offices in New York, Washington and Chicago. Carol resides in the DC Metro area with her husband, Bob, and their 2 Golden Retrievers, Teddy and Allie.
Contact Information:
Alexandria, VA
Phone: 703-780-1572
Fax: 703-780-1573
carol@meetaruba.com
Pamela Shepherd
Regional Director of Sales – Southeast, West Coast
Based in Atlanta, Pam has more than twenty years in the meeting/hospitality/sales arenas. Her career in sales began with a five year commitment with Amway Hotel Corp. as National Sales Manager for Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and Director of Sales for Peter Island Resort & Yacht Harbour in the British Virgin Islands. Since then she has held the positions of President of Distinctive Destinations, Inc., National Sales Manager for Omni Hotel Company, Director National Sales for Sentry Hospitality, Director of Southeast Sales for The Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau based in Atlanta, and most recently, as President for Meeting Resources Inc.
Pam’s accomplishments include two year nomination as Chapter Leader of the year for PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) in 2003 and 2004 and most recently in 2007 Pam was nominated as “Outstanding Service to a Chapter” award. In 2006, she received the “Industry Leader of the Year” award from HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International). Pam continues to be an active member in these associations and others including Professional Convention Management Association SE (PCMA), Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and the Georgia Chapter of MPI (GaMPI). Pam holds a BS in Advertising.Contact Information:
Suwanee, GA
Phone: 678-614-6005
Fax: 770-781-5442
pam@meetaruba.com
Hal Davis
Regional Director of Sales – Midwest & Canada
In 1996, Hal joined Wyndham Hotels and worked in various roles such as Food & Beverage Director at Vinnings, Atlanta, catering primarily to meetings and weddings. There he received recognition for his leadership role during the 1996 Olympics. He then assumed the role of Operations Manager at Buckhead, an upscale business and leisure property, situated in the highly stylish area of Atlanta. In 1997, he was appointed General Manager of the newly opened Wyndham North, a predominately business driven property, where he oversaw all aspects of Sales and Operations. During his tenure, he was able to secure large preferred accounts with Lucent and Target. In 1999 Hal was again promoted to Charlotte, NC as General Manager, focused heavily on the business travel segment. He was involved in negotiating preferred contracts with many high profile clients such as American Airlines, Bank of America and Belk. In 2001 Hal took on a new sales role with Merck Pharmaceuticals in Jacksonville, Florida. He was promoted several times, eventually holding the title of Senior Specialty Representative, and was awarded the prestigious Presidents Award multiple times, most recently in 2007. With his extensive background in sales, marketing and the hospitality industry, Hal brings a wealth of talent and experience to the team.
Contact Information:
Jacksonville Beach, FL
Phone: 904-534-2877
Fax: 904-372-4291
hal@meetaruba.com
Administrative Staff
Rob Smith
President & CEO, AHATA
Contact Information:
L.G. Smith Boulevard #174
P.O. Box 542
Oranjestad, Aruba
Phone: 011-297-582-2607
Fax: 011-297-582-4202
Heather Linton
Marketing Manager
Heather Linton brings experience in hospitality research, hotel sales, travel marketing, and technology to the Aruba Convention Bureau for North America. Her educational background in Organizational Communication and Business helps to support the Aruba Convention Bureau for North America sales team and the President/CEO. Heather manages the Aruba Convention Bureau for North America web site and all marketing materials, trade shows and events. She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in 2004, is working on an MBA online through Suffolk University as well as a PDM certification through DMAI, and is based in upstate New York.
Contact Information:101 E. State Street #191
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: 607-539-6296
Toll Free: 877-ARUBA4U (877-278-2248)
Fax: 607-697-0480
heather@meetaruba.com
