The Cornell School of Hotel Administration (SHA) has announced that multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist, investigative reporter, New York Times bestselling author, and CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg will serve as master of ceremonies at the 7th Annual Cornell Hospitality Icon & Innovator Awards on June 2, 2015, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. At this premier event, Greenberg will help honor Barry S. Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, recipient of the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award, and Damian J. Mogavero, CEO and founder of Avero, recipient of the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award.

"We are delighted that a leading authority in travel will serve as master of ceremonies in June. Peter Greenberg is the ideal emcee as he, like our honorees, is at the forefront of his industry," said Michael D. Johnson, the Bradley H. Stone Dean and E. M. Statler Professor at SHA.

Greenberg is the travel editor for CBS News and America's most recognized and respected front-line travel news journalist. Greenberg is the consummate insider on reporting the travel business as news. Greenberg hosts the television show, The Travel Detective, and also produces and co-hosts an ongoing series of acclaimed public television specials, The Royal Tour, featuring personal, one-on-one journeys through countries with their heads of state.

His nationally syndicated radio show broadcasts each week from a different remote location worldwide. His website, PeterGreenberg.com, is one of the leading travel news resources for consumers and industry insiders alike. When he is not traveling the globe, Greenberg also serves as an active volunteer firefighter in New York City.

Since its inception in 2009, the Cornell Hospitality Icon & Innovator Awards has grown to be the largest event on the SHA calendar, attracting more than 700 of the most influential leaders and innovators in the hospitality and travel industry from seventeen countries. The event raises funds to support SHA's scholarships and programs. The 2015 awards ceremony already has more than 45 corporate sponsors: The Icon Benefactor Scholarship sponsor Barry S. Sternlicht, The Sternlicht Family Foundation; Title Sponsor Paul Hastings; Exclusive Media Host USA Today; Diamond sponsors Baccarat, Banfi Vintners, Delta Air Lines, Flag Luxury Properties, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, Sweet Street Desserts; Platinum sponsors Access Point Financial, Cipriani 42nd Street, Cornell Hotel Society, Deloitte, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, Hilton Worldwide, HotelPlanner.com, Hsyndicate, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, The Leading Hotels of the World, Mark Owens '00, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, PwC, Questex Hospitality Group, Southworth Development, Stonebridge Companies, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Thayer Lodging Group, Wyndham Hotel Group; Gold sponsors Avero, Denihan, Duetto, Eastdil Secured, Fairmont Raffles Hotels & Resorts/Hotel Capital Advisers, FelCor Lodging Trust, France 24, Hersha Hospitality Trust, HREC Investment Advisors, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Jones Lang LaSalle, PAR Springer-Miller Systems, RLJ Lodging Trust, The Sack Family Foundation, Three Wall Capital, The Wall Street Journal, and Wells Fargo.

To partner with the school on this premier event, please contact Mark Depew, director of development, at[email protected] or 607.255.3275. For additional information, please visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/events/awardsdinner.html.

About the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration

The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration is the premier school for hospitality education in the world. As an integral part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the school is leading the world in teaching and researching the business of hospitality—marketing, finance, real estate, operations, and more, all applied to the world’s largest and most exciting industry. Top faculty, industry leaders, alumni, and students work together to generate new knowledge for the hospitality industry and form the premier network that shapes the industry every day.

Mark Depew
607.255.3275
Cornell