Broward County Hospitality Students and Teachers to be Honored at Gala Alongside Tourism Czar, Nicki Grossman

(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Broward Chapter is proud to celebrate schools, instructors and students at its 7th Annual Excellence in Education Gala scheduled for Thursday, May 5, 2016. The event, designed to support local hospitality education in area high schools, is slated to take place at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale. The night’s guest of honor is Broward’s tourism czar and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nicki Grossman, who is retiring after 21 years and is credited with making significant advancements in the local tourism industry. In addition, 101.5 FM’s Julie Guy will act as master of ceremonies and Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Ken Lawson will provide the night’s keynote speech, “Fired Up for the Future.”

“Broward County is filled with all-star students and instructors who work tirelessly to shape the future of Florida’s hospitality industry,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We are thrilled to celebrate their accomplishments and pleased that our wonderful community leaders are showcasing their support for hospitality education.”

FRLA’s Educational Foundation is the only organization in Florida that offers the ProStart program and the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP). These programs were developed to increase the quality and employability of today’s high school graduates by providing them with training related to important job skills as well as opportunities for careers and higher education. FRLA’s Broward Chapter is proud to support these efforts at the local level.

Media is invited to attend. Event details are as follows:

WHAT:
FRLA Broward Chapter’s 7th Annual Excellence in Education Gala

WHO:
Honoree: Nicki Grossman, Broward’s tourism czar and CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB
Keynote Speaker: Secretary Ken Lawson, Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Master of Ceremonies: Julie Guy, 101.5 FM Morning Host

WHEN:
Thursday, May 5, 2016
5:30 – 6:30 PM Reception
6:30 – 9:00 PM Dinner/Awards

WHERE:
Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa
3030 Holiday Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

COST:
$125 Per Person
$40 for Instructors/Principals/Students

For registration and additional information, please visit: http://frla.org/event/excellence-in-education-gala/ or contact FRLA Regional Director, Anne Sallee at [email protected] or 954-253-0850. Media is asked to contact FRLA Communications Director, Elizabeth Ray at [email protected] or 850.224.2250 x255 for confirmation.

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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Our mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s $82 billion hospitality industry which represents 23% of Florida’s economy and more than 1.1 million employees – making it the state’s number one industry. We offer regulatory compliance and food safety training needs (RCS and SafeStaff®); industry developed career-building high school programs (FRLAEF); sponsor the only event in Florida exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry (FR&L Show, September 27-29, 2016 in Orlando); and we safeguard the needs of the hospitality industry by providing legislative advocacy. We represent and serve more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org and find us on Twitter @FRLAnews, Facebook and YouTube.