Baha Mar, the new $3.5-billion resort in The Bahamas, recently held events in New York for corporate, media and travel industry executives in the US.

Attendees included top executives from travel consortia, major networks and publishing companies such as Viacom, Facebook, CNN, Microsoft and Universal.
 
“Baha Mar is connecting The Bahamas to the world with all the glamour and style of a bygone era. They are doing something that will change our hospitality industry and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is proud to be an ally of Baha Mar,” said Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe.

“We immersed potential New York sponsors, advertisers, editors and meeting and travel planners in vivid demonstrations of just how Baha Mar will revolutionize leisure and group travel opportunities,” said Sarkis Izmirlian, Baha Mar chairman and chief executive officer.
 
“The inspiration was to take a page out of what the networks and cable companies do when they preview their next season’s lineup for advertisers at their annual ‘upfronts.’ Here, we gathered together an impressive collection of potential partners to show them what we will offer and invite them to come back to us with surprising and creative opportunities for the future,” said Denise Godreau, Baha Mar chief marketing officer.
   
Baha Mar presenters featured Izmirlian; president Tom Dunlap; and Godreau, who orchestrated the New York events with Las Vegas-based advertising firm SK+G and New York-based WCMG Events.

In addition, guests met Paul Pusateri, newly appointed chief operating officer and general manager of Baha Mar Casino & Hotel; Robert Sands, Baha Mar senior vice president, administration and external affairs; Greg Saunders, general manager, Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar; Cate Farmer, general manager, Mondrian at Baha Mar; Luis Fernandes, managing director, Rosewood at Baha Mar; and Dianna Wong, Dianna Wong Architecture & Interior Design. 
 
Serving as master of ceremonies for the morning editorial breakfast was Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS-TV and host of The Travel Detective, the new series airing on PBS. The luncheon for 100 top travel and industry meeting planners showcased all of the resort’s new amenities, but especially the convention facilities including an art gallery with the largest collection of Bahamian art in the country.
 
The grand finale was an evening for sponsors and advertisers featuring David Verklin, operating partner of Calera Capital, as the master of ceremonies.