Bennett Westbrook Named Executive Vice President and Chief
Development Officer for Ryman Hospitality Properties
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 5, 2016--
Ryman Hospitality Properties today announced that Michael Guth has
joined the Company as chief operating officer for its Entertainment
segment.
In this role, Mr. Guth will oversee all operations at the Grand Ole
Opry, Ryman Auditorium and WSM 650 AM, including the retail, food &
beverage and marketing departments that support these operations as well
as the new venues the Company has in the planning phase.
Colin Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of Ryman Hospitality
Properties, said, “We are thrilled to have Michael on board as we enter
into an important phase of growth for the Entertainment side of our
business. Michael brings a wealth of operations, marketing and business
development expertise to this new role for our Company. With his
addition to our senior leadership team, we are creating the
infrastructure we need to support the recent growth our Entertainment
segment has experienced and also to accelerate the strategic initiatives
we have outlined as part of our future plans for this business.”
Mr. Guth’s most recent role was chief operating officer for The
Bleachers Corporation, a global digital media startup specializing in HD
production and streaming for sports and entertainment events.
Prior to The Bleachers Corporation, Mr. Guth spent eight years as
executive vice president of sales and marketing for The Madison Square
Garden Company, where he was responsible for developing the overarching
consumer vision, sales strategy and sponsor integration plan throughout
the facility’s award-winning $1 billion transformation. Mr. Guth began
his career developing sales and marketing strategies for the New York
Mets Baseball Club and The Coca-Cola Company before moving on to a
number of leadership roles in media and product marketing that included
serving as senior vice president of Time Warner Global Marketing.
Mr. Guth earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his
MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
The Company also announced today that it has promoted its senior vice
president of investments, design and construction, Bennett Westbrook, to
executive vice president and chief development officer. In this expanded
role, Mr. Westbrook will lead the venue development strategy for the
Entertainment segment in addition to his oversight of investments,
design and construction for the Hospitality segment.
Reed continued, “This is an exciting time for our Entertainment
business, and Bennett will help accelerate our growth further by working
closely with our Opry Entertainment Group president, Steve Buchanan, to
bring new venue concepts to life in strategic locations across the
country and beyond.”
About Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a REIT for federal
income tax purposes, specializing in group-oriented, destination hotel
assets in urban and resort markets. The Company’s owned assets include a
network of four upscale, meetings-focused resorts totaling 7,795 rooms
that are managed by lodging operator Marriott International, Inc. under
the Gaylord Hotels brand. Other owned assets managed by Marriott
International, Inc. include Gaylord Springs Golf Links, the Wildhorse
Saloon, the General Jackson Showboat, The Inn at Opryland, a 303-room
overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland and AC Hotel Washington, DC
at National Harbor, a 192-room hotel near Gaylord National. The Company
also owns and operates media and entertainment assets, including the
Grand Ole Opry (opry.com), the legendary weekly showcase of country
music’s finest performers for 90 years; the Ryman Auditorium, the
storied former home of the Grand Ole Opry located in downtown Nashville;
and 650 AM WSM, the Opry’s radio home. For additional information about
Ryman Hospitality Properties, visit www.rymanhp.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160705005724/en/
Source: Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Media:
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Brian
Abrahamson, 615-316-6302
Vice President of Corporate Communications
babrahamson@rymanhp.com