<B>Sweetwood Now Bass Prez</B>
Bass Hotels & Resorts has promoted John Sweetwood to president of its Americas division, effective immediately. Sweetwood, who had been in charge of Bass' midprice brands in North America, now assumes responsibility for the entire portfolio for a region Bass defines as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Included in that portfolio are 2,300 hotels flying the Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and StayBridge Suites flags.
As he assumes these expanded duties, Sweetwood said the travel buyer remains a crucial component of Bass' success. "Managed travel is a key market segment for all the Bass brands," he said. "Therefore, travel buyers are a key target for our sales and marketing efforts."
Sweetwood is a firm proponent of the multibrand strategy that has guided Bass in recent years. "It's extremely important since all of our corporate accounts have travelers who have a need to stay in differently priced products." Added Sweetwood, who joined the company in 1995, "With a portfolio as diverse as Bass, our regional sales teams are able to meet all their clients' needs--from the transient traveler looking to book two nights in a downtown property to the traveler on long-term assignment interested in an extended stay property." If for no other reason, the strategy works because of the convenience factor. "The regional sales team provides the advantage of one-stop shopping to the travel manager, which is very valuable today," he said.
Sweetwood, who worked in consumer products marketing before joining Bass, also is a strong believer in the technologies currently reshaping managed travel. "Clients tell us that the ability to book hotels online and eventually to get travelers' folio data electronically is of growing importance to them," he said. "Some are moving aggressively to have their travelers make their reservations directly, using new electronic channels. Others still place a lot of value on having the booking enabled by a corporate travel agent, who can save the employees time. Of course, even then the travel agent will be using an electronic system the majority of the time."
Sweetwood has reason to be optimistic: Bass released an update of its brands' recent performance. In North America, RevPAR was up healthy percentages for Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Additionally, Bass opened 150 new hotels in North America in the past year.
Yet, for as staunch a supporter of Bass' full-service brands as he may become in his new role, Sweetwood likely will retain a special allegiance to the midprice segment. He said one accomplishment that meant a lot to him in his previous position was his role in leading the development of Holiday Inn Express. Today, there are more than 1,000 Holiday Inn Expresses worldwide.