BWI Airport Hotel Brings on New Senior Catering Sales Executive

LINTHICUM, MD--(Marketwired - Jul 3, 2013) - Michelle T. Riesz, CMP wasn't expecting to go into catering sales. After getting degrees in business management and fashion merchandising, she started working as a training coordinator, putting together a calendar and making travel and hotel arrangements for training attendees. Little did she know that working with a local Marriott would be the catalyst for her new career and take her all the way to her newest position: senior catering sales executive at the BWI Airport Marriott.

"The sales manager and I became close," she says, "and at the time offered to have me shadow her and an event manager at the Boston Marriott Peabody for a few days. I instantly fell in love with planning."

Six short months later, in 2002, a SpringHill Suites opened in the area, and Riesz has "never looked back."

Before coming to this BWI Airport conference hotel, Riesz spent time honing her skills in events at Marriott properties in Tampa and Baltimore, where she spent 10 years building on her customer-relations and problem-solving skills, which would be put to the test in a career-changing moment in 2010.

While working at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel and coordinating a group of 1,000, the hotel flooded and was shut down for 36 hours. With a full meeting agenda on the horizon, Riesz worked to relocate guests and rework the agenda so that things could continue as planned. At the conference's opening session, Riesz and her general manager were recognized by the group for "handling the situation as well as we did and for getting them back into the building as fast as we did," she says. "They were so grateful and at the end of [the president's] speech the entire room stood up and starting clapping. Needless to say, we started to cry. It was such a special moment in my career."

After 10 years of planning, though, Riesz was ready for a change, and her passion for food and beverage made catering sales "the perfect fit for me," she says. In her new position at this Airport hotel near Baltimore, Riesz works in a team of two, helping everyone from meeting planners to brides and grooms create the perfect menu for their day. "Being able to create a menu for a client and having them know that they are getting something unique for their event always makes me smile," she says.

With 18,000 square feet of event space and a Grand Ballroom that can seat up to 1,200 guests, this hotel offers some the best wedding venues near Baltimore.

About the BWI Airport Marriott
Whether guests are spending time in Washington, DC or Baltimore, the BWI Airport Marriott is a convenient place to call home. Just one mile from the Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), this Baltimore Airport hotel offers attentive service, generous amenities and a central location that's ideal for both business and leisure travel. Working guests can stay focused with a desk and ergonomic chair, high-speed wireless Internet access and a coffee/tea maker; when it's time to unwind, order room service and catch popular shows on the cable TV. Suites are perfect for a special occasion or VIP guest, while concierge-level rooms come with upgraded services, lounge access and daily refreshments. Dining options include mouthwatering seafood at Chesapeake, Starbucks^® coffee and free Wi-Fi at Day/Night Bar, and late-night comfort food and drinks at Champion Sports Bar & Restaurant. This airport hotel near Baltimore is popular with corporations and for celebrations, and offers 18,000 square feet of modern event space. A complimentary airport shuttle service makes it easy for out-of-towners to arrive on time and with little hassle, and the city's top attractions -- Annapolis, the National Aquarium, Camden Yards, MarylandLive! and the Inner Harbor -- are all nearby and easily accessible via Baltimore Light Rail.