APPLAUSE

DARLENE C. DAVIS

by Victoria Head

Darlene C. Davis is a native of Nassau, The Bahamas; she relocated to the United States in the 1980s and subsequently pursued a Bachelors of Science Degree in Hospitality Management at Florida International University. She joined The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism in the early '80s and during her 17 year tenure with them, worked in promotions, sales, public relations, film and television production, media relations and served as the first Film Commissioner for The Bahamas; this involved working abroad in Miami, Florida, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and The Bahamas.

Davis is currently the senior account executive with Eden Roc Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa in Miami Beach, Florida. Handling group sales, Davis' focus is on the multi-ethnic, religious, government, entertainment, fraternity, military, education and social markets. "I'm new to Eden Roc Renaissance, having started here in October, 2008," noted Davis. "Eden Roc recognized the importance of the niche markets and for the first time, decided to hire an individual to specifically focus on this lucrative and increasing market segment."

Davis has always enjoyed working with people and making mutually beneficial connections, and therefore enjoys generating retreats, conventions, seminars and workshops for the hotel and for her clients. She still drums up business the old fashion way; getting leads from advertisements, making phone calls and going to tradeshows. Having worked in hospitality in The Bahamas and at other hotel chains, Davis has developed past business relationships that she has maintained, which aid her in her current endeavors at Eden Roc. Being a member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP) also helps in obtaining business as she frequents their trade shows and is able to keep planners informed regarding the great meeting space and accommodations Eden Roc has to offer for their upcoming events.

The Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel has just spent over 200 million dollars in renovations, including building a new tower and ballrooms; this was completed the end of 2008 and now all expanded meeting spaces are fully functional. Since her employ with Eden Roc, Davis has secured such meetings as One Hundred Black Men, The National Coalition of Black Women, The Black Entertainment Sports Lawyers Association and the Trumpet Awards. She is currently in negotiations with radio personality Michael Baisden to hopefully have their 2010 New Year's Eve Event at Eden Roc. She is also working on trying to get American Idol to sign on with Eden Rock to be the television shows host hotel for filming their upcoming season.

When asked what in her past has aided her most in her current capacity with Eden Roc, Davis stated, "...obtaining my hotel management degree…my past endeavors with Starwood & Wyndham chains, as well as my previous modeling experience in The Bahamas. I won Miss Bahamas and subsequently had the privilege of representing The Bahamas at the Miss Universe Pageant." Davis feels that the networking and traveling that came along with her title as Miss Bahamas, exposed her to the international market and the entertainment industry, helped her to learn how to relate to different cultures, taught her a great deal about herself and was a great opportunity for her to grow, come out of her shell and develop her people skills. She even launched a line of elegant, casual wear in 2001, which she hopes to reintroduce to the fashion industry in the near future.

With the current economic challenges, Davis states that her hotel has noted some decline in business along with the rest of the hospitality industry. Some clients have had to cancel scheduled meetings, postpone or reduce their bookings. "We are doing what we can to assist our clients during these times, including decreasing our rates to make booking their events more affordable," reports Davis. For more information regarding Eden Roc, please feel free to contact Davis at (305) 674-5527 or by emailing her at Darlene.davis@renaissancehotels.com.