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16 B M & T ••• March/April 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com HOTEL EXECUTIVE OPAL GIBSON CONTINUES TO SHINE BRIGHTLY An accomplished hospitality sales and marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience, Opal Gibson has been leading the team as director of sales and marketing at Jamaica's prestigious Round Hill Hotel and Villas since February 2023. Holding positions at top hotels and resorts in the Caribbean, New York, and Florida, Ms. Gibson has managed interna- tional multi-segment, multi-brand, hotel sales and marketing organi- zations, with a proven record of success. Demonstrating strengths in strategic planning, revenue management, market- ing initiatives, competitive analysis and staff motivation, she is highly proficient in creating, implementing and managing strategic sales and marketing action plans to specifically increase market share and RevPAR. Ms. Gibson began her career with Sheraton Hotels of New York, as a Revenue Manager and Sales Systems Analyst, where she aided in the maximization of overall hotel revenue for four hotels, with a total of 2,768 rooms, through development and implementation of effective group pricing strategies. She then moved on to Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort on Grand Bahama Island to take the position of Revenue Manager. For eight years following that, she worked with Hilton Hotels and Resorts as Director of Sales and Marketing/Director of Leisure Sales for properties in Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and the Bahamas. In 2009, Opal founded Hotel Marketing Specialist, a hospitality consulting firm overseeing sales, marketing, PR and revenue management support for boutique four- and five-star luxury branded and independent properties. During this time, she opened seven hotels in the U.S. and overseas, met and exceeded sales goals in the leisure, group and corporate segments, as well as increased fair market share and RevPAR. She most recently held the position of Director of Sales & Marketing for the luxuri- ous SLS South Beach. A native of Jamaica, Opal graduated from The University of the West Indies Mona with Honors in Economics & Management, going on to earn her MBA from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, CUNY New York. She has held seats on committees of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Fort Lauderdale Beach Council, and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. In her free time, she enjoys ballet, horseback riding and volunteer work. Ideal for smaller corporate meetings, board retreats, and events, Round Hill prides itself on hosting only one group at any given time, ensuring the utmost personalized service and attention. Just 25 minutes away from Sangster International Airport (MBJ), the resort is easy to reach and full-service DMCs are available to fulfill any destination-related requests. Optimized technology, Jamaican hospitality, customized menus and a secluded set- ting make hosting events at Round Hill a breeze. PA C E S E T T E R S photo credit: Round Hill Hotel & Villas