ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the leading hospitality strategists and consumer behavior experts has accepted a position at the nation’s largest full-service restaurant consulting firm. After 18 years with Y partnership, previously YPB&R, Dennis Marzella has resigned his partnership post as executive vice president of strategic planning, branding and research to spearhead similar functions at Quantified Marketing Group, an Orlando-based restaurant marketing firm that has represented more than 3,000 restaurants around the world.

Headquartered in Orlando, Y partnership is one of the most accomplished integrated marketing firms in the U.S. specializing in the travel, leisure and entertainment industries.

Regarded as one of the foremost travel experts, Marzella was co-author and developer of the annual YPB&R/Yankelovich, Inc. National Leisure Travel Monitor and the National Business Travel Monitor, acclaimed barometers of the changing lifestyle, attitudes and travel preferences of Americans.

A periodic columnist for Travel Marketing Decisions and Hotel & Motel Management Magazine, Marzella is also a frequent speaker at travel industry symposia throughout the country, including ATME Annual Conference, Crown Luxury Collection, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, American Express Travel Agent Partners Conference, the National Ski Area Association Conference, Hotel Design Conference in Las Vegas, Hilton International General Managers Conference, Relais & Chateaux General Managers Conference and the LA Real Estate and Investment Conference. He also served on Getty’s Hotel of Tomorrow task force in 2006 and 2007.

Marzella, who developed a story-based approach to brand strategy with a team at i.d.e.a.s. at Disney MGM Studios, cut his teeth at Leo Burnett Worldwide, one of the largest advertising companies in the world with a client portfolio that has included McDonald’s and Walt Disney. He also played a key executive role in corporate development for Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Viking Line.

Marzella was a founding faculty member and a tenured associate professor of marketing for the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University where he also served as a consultant to hotels, cruise lines and destination promotion boards.

The foundation marketing research Marzella completed during his time at Florida International University was a prelude to the development of South Beach.

At Quantified Marketing Group Marzella will lead development of robust marketing intelligence systems, including consumer behavior tracking studies and custom research. These programs will help restaurant clients adjust to changing market conditions and identify consumer receptivity to new restaurant concepts offering innovative cuisine.

He will also help the restaurant-specific firm venture into the hotel arena by cultivating a new division focused on enhancing food and beverage operations, categories and price points within hotels around the world.

“Typically, a hotel directs great effort and financial resources into marketing the hotel, but they have outdated F&B operations and poor internal marketing,” said Aaron Allen, founder and CEO of Quantified Marketing Group and a former marketing executive with The Breakers Palm Beach. “Dennis’ deep understanding of consumer trends and the hotel industry coupled with our expertise in the restaurant consulting arena helped us identify an underserved market for hotel F&B. We intend to help hotels create destination restaurants on hotel properties - a dream many hoteliers have had unfulfilled for decades.”

Launched in 2001 by third-generation restaurateur Allen inside his two-bedroom apartment, Quantified Marketing Group in a six-year period has grown into the nation’s largest full-service strategic marketing and public relations firm specializing exclusively in the restaurant industry.

Quantified Marketing Group meets the diverse needs of high-volume independent restaurant operations and regional and national restaurant chains through a menu of services that includes public relations, concept development, design, marketing strategy, culinary development, beverage development, training, local store marketing, business planning and grand opening programs.

For more information about Quantified Marketing Group, please visit www.quantifiedmarketing.com.

All trademarks acknowledged.

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