Little Rock Marriott Director Of Sales Marketing Named A Smart Meetings Stellar Performer

Little Rock, Ark (April 16, 2021) — Sanaida Goodner, Director of Sales & Marketing for the Little Rock Marriott, has been named a “Stellar Performer” at the 2021 Smart Women in Meetings Awards hosted by Smart Meetings magazine. This year, the awards program honors 100 women in the meetings industry who have shown resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 418-room Little Rock Marriott is Arkansas’s largest hotel with more than 44,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and is conveniently connected to Little Rock’s 220,000 square foot Statehouse Convention Center.

Award nominations were sourced from throughout the meetings industry, and nominees were evaluated on their responses to questions that included, “What advice would you give yourself in January of 2020,” and, “What lessons have you learned during the pandemic.” Goodner answered the latter question with, “We are stronger together; none of us has complete control over anything except our actions!”

David Lang, General Manager of the Little Rock Marriott, added that he was pleased to see Goodner recognized with the award. “Since day one, Sanaida has been a passionate, motivated, and positive leader. She has been a true pillar of resilience for us throughout the pandemic. Her efforts were critical to the hotel’s performance in such a difficult environment. I am excited to see her hard work pay off, and to see her recognized on such a large scale.”

Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) President and CEO Gretchen Hall also praised Goodner for her outlook during the pandemic. “When you operate a building like the Statehouse Convention Center that’s attached to another business, it’s important to have a strong partnership. Managing hundreds of cancellations and postponements as a result of the global pandemic was no small task, and Sanaida maintained a 'can do' attitude throughout the process.”

Winners will be celebrated at a gala dinner at the Smart Woman Summit at Resorts World in Las Vegas on September 15, 2021. This educational day of skill-building and networking will reunite all Smart Women in Meetings Award winners over the past six years.

ABOUT SMART MEETINGS MAGAZINE

Smart Meetings is the leading media company and most trusted resource for meeting professionals. The dedicated team is passionate about connecting meeting planners with premier hotels and destinations, as well as offering dynamic, education award-winning content and inspirational tools and resources for today’s busy meeting planners. For more information, visit www.smartmeetings.com.

ABOUT LITTLE ROCK MARRIOTT

The Little Rock Marriott is located in downtown Little Rock along the Arkansas River. Flexible and innovative, the hotel’s state-of-the-art event space includes rooms configured in 44,000 square feet of conference space available for events. It is directly connected to the Statehouse Convention Center. For more information, visit www.marriott.com/litpb.

ABOUT THE LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU (LRCVB)

The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Little Rock, charged with marketing and selling the city as a meeting, sports and leisure travel destination. The LRCVB also manages the Statehouse Convention Center, Robinson Center, River Market, and multiple parking facilities. For more information, visit www.littlerock.com.

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