A group of international specialists with unique skills, experience and networks, have collaborated under the direction of The HTC Group president Cheryl Hargrove.
As clients develop new ideas or face specific challenges, The HTC Group secures the appropriate expert or tailor-made team to complete the desired scope of work.
Brief biographies for the core team:
Cheryl M. Hargrove, President
As the first director of heritage tourism for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Cheryl Hargrove pioneered the programs and marketing that led to the national recognition and expansion of this niche market. Under her direction, the National Trust developed the key steps and principles for sustainable tourism. She produced the publication Getting Started: How to Succeed in Heritage Tourism guide and companion video, Preserving the Past…Building the Future. She continues to serve as a consultant to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Heritage Tourism Program as part of the national faculty for the Share Your Heritage (SYH) program.
Since forming The HTC Group in 1995, Ms. Hargrove has leveraged her experience to work with national and international network of consultants and clients. Recent work includes: • Assisting the US China Arts Exchange in the Weishan Valley of China to appropriately preserve, interpret and develop the southern silk route. • Conducting cultural heritage tourism and communications seminars in Bosnia-Herzegowina. • Five-year "Roadmap for Tourism and Craft" for the Appalachian Regional Commission. • Media relations program for Travel South USA in the United Kingdom. • The Travel Industry Association of America with opening their first UK office in London. • Marketing plan for HandMade in America's "Farms, Gardens and Countryside Trails."
A travel industry veteran, Ms. Hargrove served on the Product Development Committee of the 1995 White House Conference on Travel & Tourism Issues Task Force. An associate member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Ms. Hargrove is also a member of the Travel Industry Association of America’s Communications Committee and member of the International Association of Business Communicators.
Becky Anderson: 828-279-0220, beckyanderson@handmadeinamerica.org
Executive Director of HandMade in America since its inception in 1989, Becky Anderson has worked with the 23-county area in Western North Carolina to establish the region as the center for handmade objects in the United States. HandMade in America serves as a national demonstration project for the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, a national initiative committed to community building in the smaller cities of our nation. Through her leadership the organization developed the fist trail system focusing on craft, conducted extensive research on the economic impact of creative economies in WNC and developed the nation's first landfill conversion to a glass studio. Using her extensive economic development background and expertise cultivated from HandMade, she has consulted nationally and internationally on rural tourism, cultural tourism and craft, heritage area creation and community development for sustainability.
In Fall 2003, the organization successfully assisted in the designation of the region as a National Heritage Area.
Debra Boraston: + 44 (0) 7483 1950, debra@henrymoorestudio.co.uk
This London (UK)-based public relations consultant specializes in tourism and arts public relations for a wide range of domestic and international clients. Following attainment of a Masters Degree in Arts Administration at the City University of London, Ms. Boraston spent five years specializing in travel and tourism public relations with Fleet PR (becoming Shandwick PR) and seven years as founder/director of Birdsong PR, a division of Arts Management Company Harrison Parrott Ltd. Since 1991 she has built a roster of prestigious clients including orchestras, dance companies, individual artists, jazz artists and world music stars. For the last two years she has been working with Lady Walton, widow of English composer Sir William Walton, on promoting her fabulous garden, La Mortella, as a tourist attraction on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples. She has also co-authored the book, Made in Italy, focusing on the artists and handcrafts of the country.
Destinations promoted through major UK cultural events and festivals include: Northern Germany (Schleswig Holstein Music Festival) • Portugal (Lisbon 94 Cultural Capital) • Cleveland, Ohio (The Cleveland Orchestra) • Sweden (The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Swedish Ballet). Click here for a detailed CV.
Mary Mountford: 770-619-1759, msmountford@earthlink.net
Founded in1994 the Marketing Resource Group provides marketing services to travel industry organizations. As President, Ms. Mountford has developed marketing strategies and plans, conducted extensive primary research and analyzed data for a host of companies including American Express Company, Appalachian Regional Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Her firm created several industry publications for American Express Company including Trends and Forecasts for the Business Travel Industry, (both US and Asia Pacific editions) and Surveys of Corporate Travel Management for nine individual markets: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
A marketing veteran of over 20 years, Ms. Mountford’s corporate experience includes product management, business analysis and product development with major consumer products, financial services and telecommunications firms. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BS degree from the University of Florida.
Scott Smith: 828-253-0379, scott@1250design.com
As an art director and graphic designer, Scott has participated in a wide range of regional and national projects and garnered many design awards along the way. Mr. Smith's understanding and ability to visually interpret marketing plans make him a highly sought after design professional. "What it all comes down to is communication. You may have the most beautiful ad ever seen, but if it doesn't communicate your message to your audience then it can not be considered successful," says Smith.
Smith has been practicing art direction and graphic design for almost 20 years. He holds bachelor degrees in marketing, fine art and business administration from Georgia College and State University, as well as a certificate of graduation from the art direction program at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, GA. Scott's company 1250 Design is located in Asheville, North Carolina.
Scott Wayne: 202-463-7394, SWAssociates@verizon.net
Scott Wayne has managed and participated in a broad range of tourism development programs and projects, including multi-country tourism competitiveness study for the World Bank, a hotel classification and quality standards system for the Government of Bahrain, a tourism infrastructure pre-feasibility study in Morocco for the USTDA and a rapid assessment of tourism investment conditions in Croatia.
Former director of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s North American office in Washington, DC, Mr. Wayne previously served as the Chief of Communications for the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization and was responsible for advising the Secretary-General on key policy issues, developing alliances with governmental and non-governmental constituencies and developing the organization’s publishing, media and public relations programs.
An Adjunct Professor of Tourism Planning at The George Washington University, Mr. Wayne is also the author of seven travel books for Sierra Club Books and Lonely Planet. For more information, click here for link to SW Associates.
Mailing Address: PO Box 20463, St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522 USA
Phone: 912.638.6078 • Cell: 202-236-3777 • Fax: 912.638.6287 • thehtcgroup@mac.com