Teri Awwad '86

Senior Account Executive,
TBA Global

(Maiden name: Teri Chandler)

q: What do you do?

a: Acquire new clients and business for TBA Global, a destination management company with 16 offices. My 20+ year career in hospitality sales and marketing includes working at Mears Transportation/Hello Florida, serving as V.P. of Park and Convention Sales for Universal Studios, and managing the account production team for GES. In my current position, I primarily help clients plan events in Orlando and Tampa, but also work on projects in areas where we don't have a local office, such as Austin.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: The creativity! There are more resources here for creating brand and image than anywhere else I've worked. Our services include destination management for events, but that's just a small part of what we do, so I'll end up working with the V.P. of Marketing for a company, not just the meeting planner. If we do our job right, the job is never done -- we move our clients into other product lines and to our other destinations.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: The economy. I'll write a proposal and barely press "send" on my e-mail and then get a phone call that the event's been canceled. Many events are significantly scaled back so I'll plan an event with a budget of $100,000 only to find out that it's been cut to $50,000. I end up doing twice the work which, if you don't plan right, will decrease productivity. I empathize with the clients. It's hard on them too.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: I was in the second class ever to graduate from UCF with hospitality degrees. I stay in touch with many of them including Laura Alsup Hutchins '87, Karen Atkinson '88, Kathy Barrere '86 and Kelly Harrington. Many of the original hospitality graduates got together recently to attend a UCF alumni reception together.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: On the golf course, in my belly dancing class, or at my kids' activities.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: My kids, Channa (age 15) and Jordan (age 8), and their accomplishments.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: Dr. Pizam required us to attend functions for NACE, CFHLA, HSMAI and other organizations, primarily because he wanted us promote the new degree program at that time. It had the added benefit of integrating us into the hospitality community. The required work hours in several different functions and companies was invaluable. For instance, I worked as a banquet server in the University Dining Room (called "UDR"). That helps with my job today, which can entail talking with banquet captains to ensure they have proper instructions to make an event successful.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: Back then we had a very narrow curriculum. In fact, we only had one textbook: "Introduction to Hospitality." We also used the newly-released Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Handbook which was just that, a handbook and not an official textbook. The students now have it so much better.

q: A UCF memory?

a: The camaraderie of the hospitality students. Back then it was an extremely small group and we were like a family. We socialized together and carpooled to hospitality events.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: The burrito bowl at Chipotle, and everything at Tijuana Flats.

q: On your iPod?

a: I don't have an iPod! I still love disco and 80's music. My husband is from Jordan and I've learned to appreciate Arabian music.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I worked at this same company 23 years ago. Ironically my first job out of UCF was working at the event company called Safaris, Inc. which was acquired by another company and then in turn became part of TBA Global, so it's as if I've come full circle.