Employee Spotlight: Brandy Sawyer, Director of Group Sales for Lodging and Mountain

In case you haven’t noticed, Breckenridge is having one heck of a year. Peak 6 opened. The DoubleTree got a head-to-toe renovation. The snow gods won’t stop. And the groups keep coming.

That last part is the sweetest for Brandy Sawyer, Director of Group Sales for Lodging and Mountain. As director, Sawyer leads the sales efforts for lodging and mountain group sales. Put simply, if you’re planning a big event in Breckenridge, be it a wedding, corporate retreat, conference, or something else, chances are you will be working with someone from Sawyers’s teams.

“This is such an exciting time in Breckenridge,” says Sawyer. “We are growing and making leaps in the way we do business. It’s really exciting.”

Those leaps include new partnerships between different divisions to provide a range of products to customers and to facilitate the planning process. For instance, newly implemented partnerships between the Breckenridge lodging, mountain, and transportation divisions mean that anyone hoping to plan an event in Breckenridge can get “one-stop shopping.”

In addition to convenience, these partnerships promise a seamless, high-quality event, regardless of its formality, says Sawyer. Customers have access to institutional expertise about the best venues for their specific events, and then they have access to planners who can advise on catering and more to make sure their particular event is unique and customized to their needs.

This is especially true with weddings, where each couple seeks a unique ceremony and reception that reflects their personal style, says Sawyer.

“We have an entire team devoted to making weddings special,” she says. “Whether it’s an intimate 10-person casual affair or a 250-person upscale contemporary event, our team works closely with the bride and groom to make sure they get exactly what they want.”

And in the off chance they don’t know what they want, says Sawyer, the resourceful experts on her team will work tirelessly to uncover the couple’s vision and then execute it.

Just don’t expect to see Sawyer debating the merits of a bridal bouquet of calalilies versus one of roses.

“I’ve always been the big picture planner,” she says. “I leave the details up to the experts on my teams.”

A Kansas native, Sawyer grew up visiting Breckenridge each winter with her family. The vacations instilled a passion for skiing and a desire to relocate to Colorado. After graduating with a degree in Marketing, she says she “found a company to move me to Colorado and launched my career.”

It’s an impressive one. Prior to joining Breckenridge three years ago, she served as corporate director of sales for Sage Hospitality in Denver, where she executed strategy for the properties within the portfolio. Previously, she held a number of positions within Sage Hospitality and Marriott International, including director of sales and marketing for Residence Inn by Marriott Denver City Center and senior sales manager for Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown.

When the opportunity arose to join Breckenridge’s team in 2011, she leapt.

“I always knew I wanted to get here,” says Sawyer.

She’s obviously not alone. Breckenridge, always popular among skiers and locals, has emerged in recent years as a destination in its own right, and Sawyer is committed to helping the resort continue on that trajectory.

“There is nowhere else like Breckenridge,” she says. “I’ve always known that.”

Now, thanks to the efforts of Sawyer and her team, the rest of the world is learning that, too.

– Rachel Walker