Bill Marriott says he doesn’t know where Marriott will relocate its headquarters
Bill Marriott, the man who led Marriott International for nearly 40 years and currently serves as the company’s executive chairman, said this week he’d like to know where the company plans to relocate its Bethesda headquarters.
An audience member at a hospitality industry summit hosted by Bisnow told the 83-year-old hotel mogul, “We’d like [to know] the location of your new headquarters.” Marriott responded, “So would I. I would like to know where it’s going, too,” according to an account of the summit by the Washington Business Journal.
Marriott also brushed off questions about what factors will go into deciding on a new location by saying, “Damned if I know. Next question,” according to the report.
Marriott International’s CEO, Arne Sorenson, said in February the Bethesda-based company would be relocating its Fernwood Road headquarters. He said the company’s lease ends in 2022 and that Marriott is looking for a location accessible to public transportation and part of a walkable community.
"The key to leadership is listening" -Bill Marriott @BisnowEthan #BLIS15 https://t.co/pobi6xzhn5 pic.twitter.com/EORmD2bOml
— Marriott Internat'l (@MarriottIntl) October 20, 2015
Farm to Feet names sock after Kensington
A North Carolina company has named one of its socks after the town of Kensington. The sock manufacturer Farm to Feet, which produces socks made only from U.S.-sourced materials in U.S. factories, chose to name the sock after the first location of Hudson Trail Outfitters—a retailer that carries Farm to Feet’s products. The Kensington sock is made from merino wool and features a checkered pattern. Unfortunately for Hudson Trail Outfitters, the company announced in August it will be closing its four remaining stores, including the Rockville Pike location, after nearly 50 years in business.
Westfield Montgomery, The Fillmore win Visit Montgomery Hospitality Awards
Visit Montgomery, the organization that promotes tourism in Montgomery County, honored several local businesses Friday at its first annual Hospitality Awards:
- The Fillmore in Silver Spring won The Discover MoCo Award for the best creative marketing campaigns in the county.
- Mauricio Martinez, a banquet manager at the William F. Bolger Center in Potomac, won the Smile and Service Award for his dedication to serving guests.
- Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda received The Foodie Award for the renovation of its food court into an expansive dining terrace with a variety of restaurants.
Bethesda start-up RightEye is researching vision tests to help diagnose concussions
The founders of RightEye LLC in Bethesda are hoping eye tracking technology can help quickly diagnose concussions. CEO Adam Gross teamed up with Melissa Hunfalvay, a former pro tennis player who is now a doctor and expert in vision tracking technology, to create a handheld eye scanner. Initially, the two entrepreneurs thought the technology could be used to evaluate athletes’ performance—to show how tennis players’ eye movements affect their play or to evaluate baseball prospects. This year, the business is developing new uses for the technology by testing the eye scanner to diagnosis concussions. The scanner uses a 15-second test that can help doctors evaluate a patient who potentially has a head injury, according to the company.
