Peabody Taps Herning To Fill Lead Sales Position

Memphis-based Peabody Hotel Group, amid a $450 million expansion of its Orlando property, has appointed a new vice president of sales and marketing as a part of larger reorganization within its Peabody Hotels Division.

Gregg Herning, the general manager of the Peabody Little Rock for the past five years, has taken over the company's lead sales role. He will helm sales and marketing for the Little Rock and Orlando properties immediately, and assume responsibility of the Memphis property in 2011. Until that time, his chief duties will center on overseeing the Orlando expansion, he said.

"This is the main focus of our company right now," Herning said. "We're very excited to see the progress and to be ahead of schedule."

The Orlando property is increasing its size from 850 rooms to more than 1,600 rooms, Herning said, and is adding 250,000 square feet of banquet space. The plan is to open the new function space in July, open a new tower in mid September, with a full opening in December, he said.

The famous Peabody ducks, Herning said, would remain.

"I'll be involved in a very aggressive and proactive sales and marketing campaign that will include all facets: face-to-face sales calls, client events, shareholder events, and all the folks who need to know about this story," Herning said. "It's a very exciting program for the remainder of the year."

Besides the three Peabody properties, Peabody Hotels Group also owns and operates a handful of hotels under other brand flags, including Crowne Plaza, Hampton Inn, Hilton and Holiday Inn. Those properties are generally smaller and do not conduct large events, but Peabody assists in their sales efforts as well, Herning said.

In addition to Herning's appointment, Peabody has given several other members of its executive team direct roles in the Orlando renovation. The company's corporate director of revenue management, Barbara Bowden, will serve as the property's general manager, and Peabody Hotels Division president Alan Villaverde will act as its managing director.

The company's restructuring also included the promotion of both the hotel group's general counsel C.E. Zobell and Peabody Memphis general manager Douglas Browne to vice presidents within the company. The former general manager of West Virginia's Greenbrier hotel, Monte Hansen, will take Herning's previous role.