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Four Seasons Hotel Austin hires new TRIO sales manager

Four Seasons Hotel Austin hires new TRIO sales manager

Sometimes a silver lining can be found in even the most unfortunate circumstances.

At least that’s how the management team at Four Seasons Hotel a href= “http://Austin.mobi/“target=“_blank”>Austin feels following the recent hire of TRIO Sales Manager Kim Bishop, who moved from the now-shuttered Shoreline Grill to the Hotel’s award-winning restaurant earlier this month.

“Certainly it was a sad day for everyone in the industry when Shoreline closed,” says Jeff Haber, TRIO’s general manager. “But you can be sure, as soon as we heard the news it didn’t take long for us to realize Kim would be a perfect fit for the position.”

The newly-created role is charged with creating awareness about TRIO in the community, specifically among large parties looking for a dynamic meeting or event venue, whether on the outdoor Terrace overlooking Lady Bird Lake, the intimate Private Dining Room or inside the restaurant’s sleek dining room.

According to Kim, her experience next door will be advantageous and allow her to hit the ground running. “TRIO was my spot whenever I was able to get away from the Shoreline Grill for a longer lunch, so I was already familiar with the product and high level of service,” says Kim. “In terms of sales, both places boast a beautiful waterfront location in the heart of downtown, attributes that are attractive to a lot of my existing contacts.”

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With the Shoreline Grill since 2010, Kim says she was pretty much a “one-woman show” in terms of marketing the restaurant. “I sold the venue, operated the events, managed the banquet staff, oversaw inventories, worked with the chef on special menus, and handled marketing and PR.” Despite her varied workload, Kim says she was able to increase business by 20 percent within the first year.

Prior to that position, Kim’s first job upon moving to Austin in 2008 was at The Crossings Resort & Spa (now known as Travassa), where she was a group sales manager in charge of booking conferences, groups, special events and parties.

From 1998 to 2008, she was a sales director at Hornblower Cruises and Events in San Diego, Calif. The high-pressure job included working with a lot of big groups to fill yachts that held anywhere from 30 to 2,000 people at a time. Before Hornblower, Kim is also quick to note she worked for 10 years at Nordstrom, which she credits for her strong work ethic and service-focused attitude.

When she’s not working, Kim enjoys entertaining, cooking, making jewelry and exploring different parts of Austin with her husband, two boys and a rescue dog named Rascal. And then there’s her most recent obsession: “I’m so addicted to Pinterest!” exclaims Kim, who says she loves seeing the creative ideas and imagining how she can incorporate them at work and into her personal life.