MEDIA RELEASE
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has named Katie Vanes as the new Public Relations and Social Media Manager at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay.
“We are pleased to welcome Katie to Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay,†said Matthew Grauso, Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay general manager. “Katie has a solid background in tourism-related public relations, including having carried out local and national media campaigns for several high-profile Hawaii attractions, entertainment venues and restaurants.â€
Vanes will oversee the resort’s social media and visitor engagement efforts and project the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay as the top resort destination for visitors from the mainland and around the Pacific Rim.
Vanes is an award-winning public relations professional with a background in strategic communications, marketing, media relations and crisis communications.
Before joining Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay, Vanes was an account executive for Becker Communications in Honolulu where she planned and implemented strategic communications and marketing efforts for various accounts, including Waikiki Aquarium, Legends in Concert and Duke’s Waikiki.
She has extensive experience in tourism, health, land use, energy and manufacturing fields.
For nearly three years Vanes was media relations manager at the historic Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard where she was involved in several high-profile national media campaigns involving the celebrated renovation of the USS Missouri and annual Dec. 7 “Pearl Harbor Day†ceremonies.
Her new position with the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay marks her return to the Starwood Hotels & Resorts ohana (family).
In 2008, she was a public relations intern at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Waikiki where she coordinated and secured media coverage for the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel and was involved in marketing and public relations events and activities connected to The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort.
Vanes received a bachelor’s degree in integrated communications from Butler University in Indianapolis and was awarded a Master of Arts With Distinction in Communication from Hawaii Pacific University.
She is a member of the American Marketing Association – Hawaii.
— Find out more:
www.starwoodhotelshawaii.com
I worked with Katie Vanes and have great respect for her professionalism, enthusiasm and PR savvy. She will be a valuable asset to Sheraton. We miss her talent at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Good luck, Katie!
Mahalo, former PHNSY colleague! I appreciate the support. Sheraton has provided a great opportunity for me, and I look forward to growing our public relations and social media efforts.