President and CEO of Visit
Orlando, George Aguel is
the most recent recipient of
the Albert E. Koehl Lifetime
Achievement Award for
Hospitality Marketing at the
Adrian Award Gala held in
New York. Aguel joins the
ranks of former recipients
such as Sir Richard Branson,
founder of Virgin Group Ltd.,
J.W. Marriott, Jr., Executive
Chairman and Chairman of the
Board of Marriott International
and many other prestigious
marketing minds.
For the past 59 years, HSMAI
(Hospitality Sales and Marketing
Association International)
has hosted the Adrian Award
Ceremony to honor excellence in
travel marketing and winners are
selected from over 1,200 entries.
The Adrian Awards are the world’s
largest advertising, digital marketing
and public relations competition for
hospitality, travel, and tourism.
bringing their national convention
to Nashville. Our team, under the
leadership of Jack Vaughn, ensured
that Nashville was put on the map
as a convention destination, by
providing us with all the best tools
and support to position the hotel
and our destination as unique. This
brought true “southern hospitality”
to all segments of visitors and
conferences.”
According to HSMAI, “this award
is presented to individuals who
have spent a major portion of their
careers in the hospitality and travel
profession and have contributed to
the betterment of the industry in a
significant and lasting way, over an
extended period of time.”
When asked who he considered his
most significant mentor throughout
his career he easily answered, “I
consider Jack Vaughn, former
President and General Manager
of Opryland Hotel in Nashville to
be the best leader and role model
I’ve ever known. He gave me the
counsel and leadership example
that I’ve always tried to emulate
since then. He’s regrettably passed
away but his memory and what I
and many others have learned from
him will never fade.”
“George is a key player in the
hospitality and travel community,
and is making innovative strides
while representing the most visited
destination in the country,” said
Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA,
President and CEO of HSMAI.
“We couldn’t be more excited to
have presented George with this
year’s Albert E. Koehl Award.”
George Aguel’s career in hospitality
really took off at the Opryland
Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee
(now known as the Gaylord
Opryland Resort and Convention
Center.) The Opryland Hotel has
a reputation for being one of the
greatest convention destinations in
the nation.
When asked how he was a part
of developing this reputation and
building the brand Aguel responded,
“I was fortunate enough to have
joined the Opryland Sales team
soon after the property opened in
1978. At the time, the hotel wasn’t
known in the national marketplace
and no one would have thought of
Aguel left the comfort of Opryland
Hotel for an opportunity he could
not turn down at Walt Disney World
Parks and Resorts, where he rose
to be a Senior Vice President for
the Walt Disney Company in their
corporate headquarters in Burbank,
California. His career with Disney
spanned over 23 years. He was
instrumental in several aspects of
the company starting with Resort
Sales and Marketing, running The
Disney Vacation Club, The Disney
Institute, Disney Event Productions
to eventually forging strategic
alliances with other corporations
on the behalf of Disney such as
Starbucks and General Motors.
Even with his vast range of
experiences, Aguel believes some
of the most personally rewarding
moments could have only happened
at a company and brand like Disney.
ILHA 21