Barry Dunford, Knoxville regional manager for M&M Productions USA, won the 2016 Pauly Award as the Outstanding Service/Supplier Manager of the Year from the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association (GKHA).
“Our work is critical to making our clients’ events, broadcasts and videos a success,” Dunford said. “I’m excited to come to work every day and honored to be recognized for my commitment to the hospitality industry.”
The award was presented at the 12th Annual Pauly Awards, sponsored by the University of Tennessee Tourism Institute, Visit Knoxville and M&M Productions USA.
“Barry’s dedication to customer service and technical ability makes him a critical part of our company,” said Mike Brown, president and CEO of M&M Productions USA. “We consistently hear from clients that appreciate his leadership skills and program implementation. It’s very exciting to see him recognized with this award by our team and peers in the hospitality community.”
The Pauly Awards, named after local hospitality industry leader the late Paul Sherbakoff, are held annually by the GKHA to honor and recognize the best of the best in Knoxville’s hospitality and tourism industry. At the event, GKHA also awards the 2016 scholarship winners for students at the University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Community College.
“Barry’s constant professionalism and commitment to making every event he works on a success makes him a true Star of the Industry,” said Jill Thompson, GKHA executive director. “We were delighted to recognize him with the Pauly Award honor.”
A full-service event planning and production company, M&M Productions USA provides customized audiovisual, design and video production services to events throughout the region, including those held at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Before assuming his role as Knoxville regional manager, Dunford was audiovisual manager for the Knoxville Convention Center and oversaw all audiovisual, lighting and staging needs for clients in the facility. He still works out of the Knoxville Convention Center office in the Knoxville regional manager position.
Other Pauly Award winners included:
- Lodging General Manager of the Year: Derek McElroy, general manager of Embassy Suites Knoxville West
- Service/Supplier General Manager of the Year: Mary Bogert, general manager of the Knoxville Convention Center
- Lodging Manager of the Year: Fran Owen, director of sales for Hilton Knoxville
- Restaurant Manager of the Year: Phillip Diaz, manager of Calhoun’s Banquets/Copper Cellar Catering
- Service/Supplier of the Year: Above the Rest Balloon & Event Designs
- Lodging Employee of the Year: Donna McLemore, assistant executive housekeeper of Holiday Inn Express Powell
- Restaurant Employee of the Year: Stephen Osborne, bartender for Chesapeake’s
- Tourism Employee of the Year: Gorilla Valley Keeper Staff & Volunteers for Zoo Knoxville
- Service/Supplier Employee of the Year: Jamie Cunningham, office manager for Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum
- Community Service of the Year: Hampton Inn West Knoxville/Cedar Bluff
- Volunteer of the Year: Nekol Kincaid
- Friendliest Face of the Year: Kristin Coffield, manager of patient services for Provision Proton Therapy Center
Eligible Pauly Award winners are automatically submitted for the Stars of the Industry state awards sponsored by the Tennessee Hospitality Association.
About M&M Productions USA
Based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, M&M Productions USA is a full-service event planning and production company. The company provides turnkey solutions for full production events, breakout meeting management, audience response systems, lighting and stage design, video production, digital signage, script writing, speaker training, webcasting, virtual conferences, live broadcast services and event choreography. Customers, such as the White House Office of Communications, NCAA, Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Energy and Ripley Entertainment, discover that the certified professionals at M&M Productions deliver the best experience possible for all audience members. For more information, visit www.mmproductionsusa.com.