HENDERSONVILLE – The annual Henderson County Tourism Conference took place Feb. 23 at Blue Ridge Community College, drawing more than 150 industry attendees to recap a successful 2022 and look ahead to 2023.

Keynote speaker David Robinson, director of the Executive Mansion of North Carolina and vice president of the International Institute of Modern Butlers, spoke on the importance of having a “heart for hospitality” in the tourism field. Robinson’s long and distinguished career includes working with some of the top hotels and resorts in the nation, such as The Plaza in New York City and The Greenbrier in West Virginia.

Robinson’s keynote was particularly timely as the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority presented its inaugural Debi Smith Heart for Hospitality Award at the conference. The award was founded to "recognize a local tourism champion who works tirelessly to serve visitors, while also working closely and collaboratively with other partners in the Hendersonville tourism industry."

Mike Burnette of the 1898 Waverly Inn received the award. Burnette, who co-owns the inn with his wife, Tracey, has injected new life into the Waverly since purchasing it in 2016. He hosts regular barbecue dinners with live bluegrass music, arranges winery tours and other activities for guests, and has remodeled and renovated the historic structure on Hendersonville’s Main Street.

Burnette has contributed to the industry’s greater good by serving as an executive board member of the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority and on the TDA’s marketing committee. He pushes other tourism leaders to think outside the box and was a key player in hiring the TDA’s current director, Michelle Owens, as well as the TDA’s new marketing firm, Paradise Advertising & Marketing, Inc.

The Heart for Hospitality Award was the brainchild of current TDA board chair Richard Rhodes to honor his predecessor, Debi Smith. Smith has been a leader in the county’s tourism industry for years as general manager of Cascades Mountain Resort, and previously at Highland Lake Inn.

“I personally believe Debi is the best TDA chair we’ve ever had,” Rhodes said. “And I think it is awesome we can honor her in perpetuity by naming this award after her.”

Another highlight of the conference was the unveiling of Hendersonville’s new visitors guide, along with this year’s marketing campaign created by Paradise. The campaign encourages visitors to “Find your Mountain Moments” in Hendersonville, and incorporates the tagline “Gratitude at Altitude.”

“The conference marked the culmination of a lot of hard work over the past year and a half,” said Owens, the TDA director. “New marketing and branding, plus our new website design, new hospitality award and unveiling renovation plans for the welcome center. We believe ‘Gratitude at Altitude’ really does sum up what visitors will experience when they are here because it is what we experience every day.”

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Burnette wins Debi Smith Heart for Hospitality award at Tourism Conference