A family of trailblazers in the wine world and the pioneer of the extended-stay and all-suite hotel concepts will join some of hospitality’s biggest icons and industry giants in the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor this year at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Banfi’s Mariani family and Jack DeBoer will be honored at the 17th Annual Hospitality Hall of Honor induction ceremony and dinner on Oct. 24, 2012, at the Hilton University of Houston.
Banfi has been North America’s leading wine importer for more than three decades, and an award-winning producer at its own Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Italy, thanks to the work of three generations of the Mariani family.
Founded in New York in 1919 by John Mariani Sr., Banfi today is run by two of his grandchildren—co-CEOs James Mariani and Cristina Mariani-May. Their fathers, Chairman Emeritus Dr. John F. Mariani and President Emeritus Harry F. Mariani, serve as active counsel to Banfi’s executive committee and members of the advisory board.
Banfi Vinters has successfully developed many high-profile wine brands, including Italy’s Castello Banfi, Bolla, Fontana Candida, Sartori, Cecchi and Riunite; Chile’s Concha y Toro and Emiliana; and Washington State’s Pacific Rim.
Banfi’s success has enabled the family to play a broad philanthropic role through the Banfi Foundation, providing support for charitable endeavors in Italy and around the world.
Jack DeBoer—founder of Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites, Candlewood Suites and Value Place—is widely recognized as the pioneer of the extended-stay hotel concept.
DeBoer designed and built the first Residence Inn, an all-suite hotel, in Wichita, Kan., in 1975. After building or franchising 100 more properties, DeBoer sold The Residence Inn Co. to Marriott Corp. in 1987.
In 1988, DeBoer co-founded Summerfield Hotel Corp., which was eventually sold to Hyatt. In 1995, he founded the Candlewood Hotel Co., which was purchased by InterContinental Hotels Group in 2003. In June 2002, DeBoer used his extended-stay hotel model to create Value Place, a short-term apartment concept.
An avid pilot and world-traveler, DeBoer and his wife, Marilyn, are deeply involved in World Vision projects in Burma and many other countries. Most recently, he authored a book titled “Risk Only Money”, all the proceeds of which benefit World Vision-Burma.
Established in 1995, the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor —housed at the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management—recognizes industry leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to American and international business and society.
This year’s festivities will take place at the Hilton University of Houston on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The reception begins at 5:45 p.m. in the Shamrock Ballroom, followed by the ceremony and dinner at 7 p.m. in the Conrad Hilton Grand Ballroom. Think Tank sessions with industry leaders, who will discuss current issues in hospitality with students at Hilton College, will be held Oct. 23 and 24. For ticket information, contact Alexis Hoey at 713.743.2432 or ahoey@uh.edu. For more information on the Hospitality Hall of Honor, visit http://www.hrm.uh.edu/THE-COLLEGE/Hospitality-Hall-of-Honor/.
For more information on the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) contact Debbie Maurer, HRM director of communication, 713-743-5594 or dkmaurer@uh.edu.