Visit Denver’s 14th Annual Tourism Hall of Fame honored those who have transformed the tourism industry in Denver and Colorado during a dinner on Wednesday in the Seawell Ballroom.
The Tourism Hall of Fame serves as the highest award for Denver’s travel industry, which registered its best year in 2011 with 13.3 million overnight visitors generating more than $3.3 billion in spending. The industry supports 50,000 jobs in the metro area.
The 14th Annual Tourism Hall of Fame inductees are rock n’ roll concert promoter Berry Fey, former Denver Art Museum director Lewis Sharp, and popular Denver tour operator Sid Wilson of A Private Guide.
Four “Tourism Star” awards were presented to organizations and attractions that had a significant impact on Denver’s tourism industry during the preceding year.
“This was truly a significant year for Denver tourism with an unprecedented five tourism stars helping to showcase our city as a center for art, sports, sustainability, history and innovation,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver.
Winning Tourism Star Awards were: The Denver Art Museum for its blockbuster original shows “Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective” and “Becoming Van Gogh”; Denver Zoo for its new and ground-breaking Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit; the History Colorado Center for bringing Colorado history to life with its new building and exhibits; the NCAA Women’s Final Four, which created $20 million economic development and national television exposure and Denver International Airport and United Airlines for its new nonstop flight from Denver to Japan, which will begin flights in May.
The gala raised money for the Visit Denver Foundation, which has given out more than $460,000 in scholarships to 189 Colorado students pursuing higher education in the fields of tourism and hospitality since 1999.
5280 magazine says…
The latest issue of 5280 magazine names the Best New Restaurants of 2013.
The special restaurants (and I have no argument with these choices) are The Populist at 3163 Larimer St. (www.thepopulistdenver.com), Sassafras American Eatery at 2637 W. 26th Ave (www.sassafrasamericaneatery.com), Uncle at 2215 W. 32nd Ave. (www.uncledenver.tumblr.com), Oak at Fourteenth at 1400 Pearl St. in Boulder, (www.oakatfourteenth.com), The Universal at 2911 W. 38th Ave. (www.theuniversaldenver.blogspot.com), Amerigo Delicatus Restaurant & Market at 2449 Larimer St., (www.amerigodelicatus.com), Spuntino at 2639 W. 32nd Ave. (www.spuntinodenver.com) and The Squeaky Bean at 1500 Wynkoop St. (www.thesqueakybean.com).
Where were you during their heyday?
“It’s only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away.” Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
The Australian Bee Gees Show captures the look, the sound and the personality that defines one of the most successful and adored acts in musical history. This five-piece band has evolved to become the definitive live celebration of four decades of wonderful music written by the Brothers Gibb.
The Australian Bee Gees Show has played to capacity crowds around the world, cementing their reputation as exceptional performers and the world’s leading Bee Gees show. Their greatest hits are performed in a live concert setting with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, video screens, onstage mannerisms, speaking voices, and soaring high notes and harmonies capturing the essence of the Bee Gees.
For one night only, be a part of the magic of one of the greatest bands of all time covering such classic songs as Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, You Should Be Dancin’, Nights on Broadway, Massachusetts, Tragedy, Lonely Days, To Love Somebody, How Deep Is Your Love, Jive Talkin’, Grease, plus many, many more.
This concert benefits Colorado Public Television 12 and is sponsored by KOSI, 101.1-FM, Out Front Colorado, Prime Time for Seniors, 50plus Marketplace News, The Curtis, Presidential Worldwide Transportation, and Marlowe’s restaurant.
The show starts at 8 p.m. March 15; doors open at 7 at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets are $39 – $49 (Golden Circle) plus service charges and available at www.tickethorse.com or by calling 866-461-6556. Tickets also available through Channel 12 online at www.cpt12.org or by calling 303-296-1212.
Beer here
1515 Restaurant at 1515 Market (duh!) is continuing its slate of stellar microbrewery dinners with a Goose Island Beer Dinner, beginning at 6 p.m. with a reception, and dinner at 6:30.
Goose Island, a brewery headquartered in Chicago, brews more than 50 craft beers at the brewpub, which are then bottled at their Fulton Street brewery.
People can get a taste of some of their best brews paired with Chef Garren Teich’s amazing food. Cost is $40 per person (not including tax and gratuity). For more information, go to www.1515restaurant.com.
She’s my friend
Ellen M. Robinson is now Director of Health & Wellness at the Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper. Congrats to the Milk Maid for landing a great job. She’s done well for herself, however. When I grow up, I want to be her!
Eavesdropping on a customer who drops off four large bottles of beer for a clerk at a Cherry Creek North store: After the customer leaves, clerk says to his fellow employees: “I guess I have to be a whole lot nicer to him from now on.”
Did you hear that I have a new column, “Mile High Life,” in Colorado Community Media’s 17 weekly newspapers circling Denver? Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m now the social-media liaison for the Mile High Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association, so read my latest restaurant news there. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.
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