Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), leading independent Global Sales Organization (GSO) serving the North American Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions/Events (M.I.C.E.) marketplace for more than 30 years, has opened its first Global Sales office in Europe. ALHI’s new sales operation, located in London, will serve meeting professionals, incentive specialists, association executives, convention/congress specialists, and business executives throughout Europe with ALHI’s Global Sales services and professional sales support exclusively for its distinguished membership of more than 250 luxury-level and upper-upscale hotels and resorts worldwide, which specialize in serving M.I.C.E. business.
In announcing the expansion plans into Europe, ALHI’s Chief Sales Officer, Mark Sergot, also announced that hospitality industry sales professional Peter Groom has joined ALHI as Executive Director of Global Sales. Groom comes to ALHI from Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) where he served for the past five years in London as the Director of Global Accounts. In the newly created position, Groom will focus on serving the M.I.C.E. marketplace in the United Kingdom, and in Europe, with a robust portfolio of over 250 luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. In the position, he will assist meeting and incentive professionals throughout Europe who are interested in conducting conventions, meetings and/or incentive travel programs at any of ALHI’s distinctive luxury-level, mostly independent member hotels and resorts around the world. He will be based in ALHI’s new GSO office in London.
“With over 30 years of GSO service to the North American marketplace, we are very pleased to now expand our ALHI GSO services abroad, in response to the many requests from planners and Members,” said Sergot. “With the addition of Peter, who brings tremendous global experience and a wonderful passion for serving clients and members, European meeting and incentive professionals now have quick one-call access to ALHI’s portfolio of more than 250 exceptional hotels and resorts in 63 countries.”
Sergot added, “Plus, ALHI’s portfolio also features a Global Luxury Alliance partnership that includes 23 luxury cruise ships appropriate for M&I programs, and Destination Management Companies in 100-plus locations worldwide. Peter and our entire ALHI team look forward to serving the needs of planners in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe.”
In his previous position with FRHI, the highly accomplished Groom was responsible for the strategic account management for key global sales accounts in the U.K., the Netherlands and Scandinavia for FRHI’s global portfolio of 120 luxury-level hotels across the Fairmont, Raffles & Swissotel brands. Prior to his tenure with FRHI, the 13-year hospitality industry veteran served as Regional Sales Manager for Morgans Hotel Group for its 12 luxury hotels worldwide, also based in London. Earlier, he served as Group Sales Executive – EMEA for Worldhotels, a company recently acquired by ALHI’s parent company Associated Luxury Hotels. Groom serves on the Board of Directors for SITE Great Britain.
Groom said, “I am very proud to join such an outstanding organization as ALHI, and I look forward to serving meeting, convention and incentive professionals in Europe on behalf of ALHI’s truly exceptional hotels and resorts around the world. It will be rewarding for me to bring Accounts across my marketplace so many outstanding hotels and destination options, knowing that they each specialize in providing extraordinary venues and services specifically for meetings and programs of all types.”
