Sodexho Opens First Company-Built Conference Center
Sodexho invests in local business community by building a state-of-the-art conference property that holds up to 600 on the Phoenix/Tempe border
Gaithersburg, Md, June 19, 2007 - Sodexho (NYSE: SDX), announces the opening of the Desert Willow Conference Center in the Cotton Business Park in Phoenix, Ariz. with a grand opening to be held Thursday, June 21, 2007. The conference center, newly designed with state-of-the-art meeting and conference capabilities, is the first day conference center built by Sodexho, Inc., the nation's leading provider of integrated food and facilities management including operating both lodging and day conference centers across the nation.
Desert Willow Conference Center can accommodate small and large events with seven meeting rooms and two ballrooms, all designed with meticulous attention to detail from the technology of the equipment and specially-designed furnishings, to unique catering options and the efficiency of a highly-trained, professional staff.
“Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the U.S. and is growing rapidly as a destination for conferences and meetings, so there is a consistent need for premium meeting space,” says Mary Ann Boyle, senior vice president of Sodexho Conferencing. “Sodexho has a large business presence in Arizona and specifically in the greater Phoenix area and this impressive facility will allow us to bring even more quality services to area businesses.”
Sodexho manages foodservice and facilities in more than 100 locations and employs approximately 1,500 residents surrounding the Phoenix area. Sodexho Conferencing also operates Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix as well as the High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff which is slated to open in April 2008.
“Investing in the Phoenix community is important to our company-a key factor in choosing this city as the place for the first Sodexho-built conference property,” adds Boyle.
The Desert Willow Conference Center, located on the Phoenix/Tempe border less than 10 miles from Sky Harbor airport, is a day conference center designed specifically to host highly effective meetings. The property offers dedicated meeting planners that provide expert advice and guidance ensuring the success of each program. For more information visit the Web site at www.desertwillowconferencecenter.com.
About Sodexho Conferencing
A member of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), Sodexho Conferencing (www.sodexhoconferencing.com) is a leader in management of full service and meeting facilities around the world.
About Sodexho
Sodexho, Inc. (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $6.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 125,000 employees. Sodexho serves more than 10 million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a subsidiary of Sodexho Alliance (NYSE:SDX, www.sodexho.com). Sodexho, Inc. funds the Sodexho Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.
