|
A Lifetime of Impact
Harvey Chaplin to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor During International Hospitality Week
Publishing, Inc., host of International Hospitality Week and
producer of “The Show” in Las Vegas on February 24-27, 2008, has
announced that it will present Harvey R. Chaplin with the Lifetime
Achievement Award at its Five Star Awards at the event. International
Hospitality Week includes the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade
Show, the Las Vegas Restaurant Show, the International Coffee & Tea
Expo and Hotel World.
This week-long event provides a platform for buyers and sellers to
meet, creating the most comprehensive gathering in the hospitality
industry from all segments.
From Mailroom to Boardroom
Harvey R. Chaplin is presently the chairman and CEO of Southern
Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. (SWS). In 1946, the year he
graduated from Brooklyn's Boys High School, he already had begun his
career in the wine and spirits industry, having landed a part-time
position in the mailroom at Schenley Industries, Inc. whose offices
were then located in Manhattan. At that time, Schenley was a leading
distilled spirits marketer as well as the American importer of Dewar's
White Label Scotch.
“I am a very lucky guy,” Chaplin said recently. “With a high school
education, I received my ‘college education’ on the streets working for
the beverage alcohol industry — including significant work experience
in New Orleans, Dallas, Kansas City, New York City, Buffalo and Miami.
As a result, I have always felt a strong need to give back to the
communities that have helped me achieve my success.”
Chaplin will be honored for his contributions to our industry on
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at an awards dinner in Las Vegas. “His
contributions and leadership have had a significant impact on the
industry and he is most deserving of this award,” said Jennifer
Robinson, COO of Oxford Publishing.
At Schenley, Chaplin worked his way up from the mailroom to become
assistant director of marketing at the company. His “graduate school”
degree came from his work as a distributor in upstate New York from
1961 to 1968, where he ran wholesale operations in Buffalo, Rochester
and Albany. In 1969, Chaplin joined SWS, along with other founding
executives. Prior to becoming its chairman and CEO in 1994, Mr. Chaplin
served in numerous senior executive roles running day-to-day operations
of the company from 1969 to 1993.
In particular, Chaplin is known for his deep concern for the needs
of both sets of SWS “customers” — the suppliers who rely upon its brand
stewardship and distribution reach and the retailers who require
efficient service and promotional support.
“My philosophy as the leader of the ‘middle tier’ has been one of
close cooperation with both of the other tiers of our industry,”
Chaplin says. “We all need one another to foster our industry's
progress.”
Giving Back
Along with his family and company, Chaplin is very supportive of many local, national and international charities.
In particular, for many years, he has been associated closely with
Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Sylvester Cancer Center, the Nor-Isle
Optimist Club and Temple Beth Shalom — all of which are located in
South Florida. Chaplin also has served as a founding contributor to The
Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, which is an
integral part of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at
Florida International University (FIU) in Miami.
The Center, Chaplin wishes to emphasize, also is supported by
generous grants from many other wine and spirits supplier partners from
the United States and abroad. Additionally, Chaplin has been a generous
contributor to international charities such as the Weizmann Institute
of Science in Israel.
Information on dinner tickets and additional information will be
available online at www.nightclub.com and
www.lasvegasrestaurantshow.com. |
