Mr. Certonio is renowned for his expertise as an established event director in South Florida.
KEY WEST, FL, March 06, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Mark Certonio has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Focusing his work on creating unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Mr. Certonio is renowned for his expertise as an established event director in South Florida. Since 2009, he has been representing Key West Food & Wine Festival as the director of events and co-founder, an annual event that takes place each year in late January on Duval Street in Key West. Additionally, Mr. Certonio has served as the director of event management for Dolce Events & Marketing since 2010, an organization that produces the Key West Food and Wine Festival, Mango Fest Key West, and many other events.
Mr. Certonio's extensive background has included organizing more than 50 annual events, primarily in the food and beverage sector. These events require considerable planning, from conceptualization to creating and executing these events. He also coordinates with various teams, vendors, and volunteers. Mr. Certonio also has a lot of ticketing, website management, marketing, and media expertise, which all contribute to the success of these events. Looking toward the future, he aims to continue producing world-class, high-quality events as one of the most recognized festivals in the country.
Apart from his vested interests in events management, Mr. Certonio has been the proprietor of Lush Bar in Key West, a wine bar, coffee shop, and café, since 2011, which notably offers educational classes and training about wine and chocolate.
Mr. Certonio has been in the industry for more than 40 years. He served as the director of catering for the New York Marriott Marquis from 1981 to 2000 as the youngest director to ever serve in his position. Mr. Certonio subsequently taught at the Centre De Management Hôtelier International in France, was an international director of sales for Meeting Matrix International in Brussels, Belgium, a hospitality software company through which he sold software to major European hotels for ballrooms and catering spaces, and was a fine dining general manager in the U.S. at Café Marquesa and Latitudes on Sunset Key.
Civically, Mr. Certonio has served as a member and former board of directors for the Key West Business Guild and as a member of the Key West Chamber of Commerce, the Key West Inn Keepers Association, and the Wesley House Family Services, and other local museums and charities. Moreover, Mr. Certonio has lent his time as an organizer for The Mango Festival to support the Key West Police Athletic League, raising funds for afterschool programs for children.
Mr. Certonio pursued an education in his home state at the University of Utah, receiving an associate's degree in architectural engineering in 1984. He also received certification as a meeting professional.
To remain aware of developments in his field, Mr. Certonio is a member of the Key West Inn Keepers Association and the South Florida chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food. In light of his accomplishments, he has been recognized numerous times for his festivals, most notably as the #1 Best Wine Festival in the USA by USA Today and as the Best Food and Wine Festival in 2022 by LUXlife Magazine. Mr. Certonio attributes much of his success to his work ethic and commitment to the industry.
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