HAWLEY – The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau held their Annual Report Dinner for the 2007-08 fiscal year at the Inn at Woodloch Thursday evening.  Those present at the event included, PMVB members, local VIP’s and members of the PMVB staff.

The dinner began with opening remarks by Carl Wilgus, President/CEO of the PMVB, followed by a greeting from Ed Mayotte, Chairman of the PMVB Board of Directors and delivery of the Invocation from John Kiesendahl, President/CEO of Woodloch Resort. 

As the evening got underway, Wilgus reviewed the actions and accomplishments of the PMVB over the last year. Awards for gold pin recipients and outstanding partnerships were presented.

Gold pins were awarded to nominated individuals who, after completing the Brand Enculturation program, demonstrated their program knowledge on the job by living the brand.  Stephanie Litchman, Front Office Manager at Split Rock Resort and Golf Club, and Tom O’Reilly, Director of Security at the Inn at Pocono Manor, are the newest ambassadors to receive their gold pins.

Outstanding partnership awards were given to four area businesses that partnered with the PMVB this year.  Monroe Career and Technical Institute Lodging Management Program was recognized for their recent success at the international competition in Orlando, in which their team won second place in hotel operations.

PA CareerLink of Monroe County was awarded for their work with the Hospitality Scholarship Golf Tournament, which helped provide college scholarships to several local students. Mount Airy Casino Resort was recognized for the memorable “Support the Troops” concert event.  Pocono Raceway reached out to all PMVB members by offering tickets to both the Pocono 500 and Pennsylvania 500 Sprint Cup Races.

Special guest Michael Gehrisch, President of Destination Marketing Association International, gave a presentation regarding the PMVB’s accreditation achievement. Additional highlights included the unveiling of the strategic vision for the four-county region, which serves as a guideline for the future short term direction for the travel and tourism industry in the Pocono Mountains.  This was a compilation of information gathered from research, area stakeholders and the PMVB Board of Directors.  

The evening concluded with an excerpt from Woodloch’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, and a thank you to Doug Wilkins for his years of service as a Board Member and PMVB Officer.