Kelly Simmons of St. Ignace was recognized as a 2009 Sales and Marketing Employee of the Year by the Michigan Governor's Tourism Conference Tuesday, March 24. Kelly Simmons of St. Ignace was recognized by the Michigan Governor's Tourism Conference as the 2009 Sales and Marketing Employee of the Year. Thirteen hotel industry employees from across the state received awards for excellence in their particular field Tuesday, March 24, at a twoday conference at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. Mrs. Simmons is director of sales at the Baymont Inn and Suites in Mackinaw City.

Winners of the awards were selected by a committee earlier this year. Mrs. Simmons was nominated for the award by her boss, Dan Trotochaud, who owns the Mackinaw City hotel.

"We've seen a significant increase in business since she's been a part of the staff," Mr. Trotochaud said. "She's a very positive role model to the entire staff. She's just a really bubbly individual, and that spilled over to our staff."

He was notified about three weeks beforehand that Mrs. Simmons was selected for the award, but didn't tell her so it would be a surprise at the award ceremony. Other award winners had a designation on their name tags to be identified as award winners, but Mr. Trotochaud made sure that sticker was not on Mrs. Simmons' name tag.

"They purposely took my 'award winner' off so that I didn't know. I was the only one who was in the dark," she said. "When they read my name, I was, of course, shocked. Everybody else knew, but I was shocked. I was so embarrassed."

Mr. Trotochaud said he believes Mrs. Simmons won the award because of the "little things" that she does above and beyond what's expected of her, like greeting bus groups as they pull into the hotel. Mrs. Simmons has worked at the hotel since 2006, and previously worked as director for the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau for seven years.

This season, she said, the hotel will be working in conjunction with the American Heart Association on a "walk for heart and health" program designed to encourage guests to be more active during their stay. Guests will be provided with walking maps of the city, and if they walk, jog, or run at least 2.5 miles on the designated trails, the hotel will donate $5 for every night they stay at the hotel to the heart association. Each participant will also receive a participation certificate.

"We give them a map and they're just on their own. They walk whatever distance they want," she said. "The point is that they're getting out there, and the money is going toward a good cause."

The walking trails, combined with the hotel's healthy breakfast options and smoke-free environment, she said, are part of a marketing scheme to promote the Mackinaw City inn as a "healthy hotel." The program is unique to her hotel, and not something necessarily offered at other Baymont Inns in the U.S.

Mrs. Simmons said she attended several seminars, meetings, and roundtable discussions at the conference last month to gain ideas on how to market her hotel. Seminars she attended included sales and marketing, hospitality, and using the Internet to increase sales.

"I've been doing this a long time, so I figure if I come back with one good idea, then I've learned something," she said. "I came back with a few ideas."

In the future, she plans to use Internet-based social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, as well as e-mail blasts, to market the hotel.

When the 77-room hotel opens its doors for the season Friday, May 1, the governor's award will be displayed with other awards the hotel has won on a shelf behind the front desk. Until then, it will stay on the mantel in her St. Ignace home.

"It's a hotel award. Even though it says my name on it, it's a hotel award. It's not a Kelly Simmons award," she said.