About Katie Zamarra, Founder:
Growing up in the New Orleans area, Katie is no novice when it comes to the hospitality business. With a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, she has spent the last thirty + years in different aspects of the hospitality industry. Her career began with the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, and then with Hyatt Hotels nationwide. In 1998, Katie moved to Manhattan as the Director of Marketing for The Cornell Club-New York, a private club for Cornell alumni. In 2003, she found the need for hospitality-specific marketing & communication hard to come by and developed her own communications firm, Venue. Now specializing in community lifestyle industries and placemaking, Venue operates successfully on developing strategic plans to meet clients’ individual growth goals. During her tenure, Katie has successfully worked with global CEOs, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, city officials, mayors, VPs of economic development, tourism bureaus, hotel general managers, chefs, sommeliers, interior designers, architects, community activists and communications professionals.
Katie is a founding committee member for the Young Associates of the Metropolitan Opera, National Charity League patroness, an avid Slow Food member, James Beard member, and has chaired numerous charities in NYC, many assisting in rebuilding New Orleans post Katrina. After 22 years in Manhattan, she recently relocated to Park City, Utah with her James Beard award winning chef husband, Galen Zamarra and their two children. Zagat named them one of “NYC's 10 Coolest Culinary Power Couples.”
