There is a lot happening in Denver of interest to the meetings and events industry in terms of renovations and new locations for groups. Also important are staff updates at downtown Denver venues, including hotels and Denver Union Station.
Sheraton Denver Downtown is one of the first properties nationwide to introduce Gatherings by Sheraton, a brand concept that delivers local experiences in tandem with community partners and activations throughout a property. In tandem with the launch, the property has hired two community managers, Adrion Rivera and Michael Roesel, both of whom are among the various staff updates at downtown Denver venues.
Rivera most recently worked in higher education as a procurement agent at University of Notre Dame and previously was employed by the University of Colorado. Roesel previously was holiday retail manager at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, which allowed him to take part in Christmas at the Gaylord Rockies in the special events department.
Renee Wriedt has been promoted by Denver-based Sage Hospitality Group and is now serving as the area director of sales and marketing, overseeing The Crawford Hotel, Denver Union Station, and The Oxford Hotel. She spent the last five years as director of sales and marketing at Embassy Suites Denver Downtown Convention Center, another property managed by Sage Hospitality. Wriedt previously held sales leadership positions at Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park, Hilton Garden Inn Denver South, and The Curtis—a Doubletree by Hilton in downtown Denver.
James Ancona and Genevieve Belou have joined the leadership team at Magnolia Denver, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Ancona, the new general manager (GM), brings more than two decades of experience in the hotel industry and has held positions in every hospitality area, from front desk and sales, to housekeeping manager. He most recently worked as GM for Hyatt House/Hyatt Place, also located in downtown Denver and where he was named General Manager of the Year in 2022 by White Lodging.
Belou has more than 10 years of experience in sales and marketing for boutique properties and is now serving as director of sales and marketing for Magnolia Denver. She previously was assistant director of sales for the hotel and has worked in sales for Hotel Boulderado in Boulder and Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection in Point Clear, Alabama. In addition to her work, Belou has served on the Meeting Professionals Internationals Rocky Mountain Chapter Board of Directors since 2020.
