SCOTT TARWATER
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
With more than 30 years of multi-unit hotel sales, marketing, operations and development experience, award-winning Scott Tarwater has a history of conducting profitable sales initiatives and implementing innovative ideas and marketing concepts that impact the hotel industry.
As Executive Vice President of Development for Springfield, Mo. based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale full-service hotels, resorts and suites, Tarwater was responsible for overall strategic direction of the company’s hotel developments. Tarwater directed a strategic hotel and convention center development strategy in tertiary markets with significant demand generators. Ensuring the highest standards continued to be met, Tarwater’s expertise contributed greatly to the success of the company’s 78-hotel portfolio. The portfolio spanned 25 states, included more than 5.4 million gross square feet of meeting space under ownership and/or management, and dominated awards from hotel brands represented (e.g. Embassy Suites Hotels/Hilton, Holiday Inn, Marriott and Renaissance). Prior, he served as Senior Vice President of Development and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the company.
Previously, in his role as Senior Vice President, Hotel Sales and Marketing at Windsor Hospitality Group, Tarwater oversaw marketing strategy, local market analysis, and individual hotel evaluation and promotion. His innovative approach to hotel revenue management significantly contributed to Windsor’s success. While with Windsor, Tarwater helped the company's roster grow to include 24 hotels with $195 million in volume annually.
Tarwater also served as Director of National Accounts and Trade Affairs for Embassy Suites Hotels, Inc., where he spearheaded the development of a combined sales training and blitzing program on a national level that resulted in incremental bookings of 80,000 suite nights and approximately $7 million in incremental revenue.
In addition, Tarwater has experience in the rental car, and food and beverage industries.
Tarwater is an active influencer in the hospitality industry, as well as in the Springfield community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and for Arvest Bank, which has branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. He is a recent addition to the Missouri State University Foundation Board of Trustees Executive Committee in Springfield. He is a popular guest speaker at major universities’ school of hospitality programs. He was profiled in Ozarks Signature Magazine for his example as a business and community leader and family man and also highlighted by the Springfield Business Journal as one of “12 People You Need to Know.”
