Please join us for our Tourism & Hospitality Lunch Sponsored by Warren Averett! Bruce Craul will lead a conversation on 'Exceptional Hospitality in the Service Industry.'
Craul, author of The Hospitality Advantage: Embracing the Competitive Power of Exceptional Hospitality in Every Industry, leans on his five decades experience in the hospitality industry to explain how to increase loyalty, satisfaction and business growth through your treatment of both customers and employees.
He recently retired as the Chief Operating Officer for HarborWalk Hospitality and General Manager of the Emerald Grande. His hospitality industry experience encompasses both entrepreneurial and corporate roles, and his diverse background includes hotel, resort, restaurant, bar, spa and property management. He has served in key management roles for Holiday Inns, Inc., and Vista Host, Inc., out of Houston, Texas, a company with franchise-affiliated hotels located throughout the United States, including Holiday Inns, Crowne Plazas, Hamptons, Hiltons, Ramadas, and Marriotts.
Craul was the 2012 Chairman of the Board of Florida’s Restaurant and Lodging Association, representing its 10,000 members and 1.2 million employees. He also served as the Chairman of the Tourist Development Council board for Okaloosa County.
Craul has always been involved in the local community, where he has served as President of the Destin Rotary Club, a 26-year Rotary Club member, an Elder at Grace Lutheran Church, and a lifetime board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast (BGCEC). He served the BGCEC as the Chief Volunteer Officer for two consecutive years. He also served as an Adjunct Professor in Hospitality Management at Northwest Florida College.
Upon retirement, Craul became a partner with Predictive Index, a company of which he was a client for 19 years. Additionally, he is a certified teacher, trainer, coach, and speaker for the John Maxwell team.
Craul has lived in Destin for 31 years of his 38 years along the Emerald Coast. He and his wife have four children and six grandchildren, and they are both small group leaders and coaches at Destiny Worship Center.
Anyone involved in a tourism-related business or with an interest in area tourism is welcome to attend.
Craul, author of The Hospitality Advantage: Embracing the Competitive Power of Exceptional Hospitality in Every Industry, leans on his five decades experience in the hospitality industry to explain how to increase loyalty, satisfaction and business growth through your treatment of both customers and employees.
He recently retired as the Chief Operating Officer for HarborWalk Hospitality and General Manager of the Emerald Grande. His hospitality industry experience encompasses both entrepreneurial and corporate roles, and his diverse background includes hotel, resort, restaurant, bar, spa and property management. He has served in key management roles for Holiday Inns, Inc., and Vista Host, Inc., out of Houston, Texas, a company with franchise-affiliated hotels located throughout the United States, including Holiday Inns, Crowne Plazas, Hamptons, Hiltons, Ramadas, and Marriotts.
Craul was the 2012 Chairman of the Board of Florida’s Restaurant and Lodging Association, representing its 10,000 members and 1.2 million employees. He also served as the Chairman of the Tourist Development Council board for Okaloosa County.
Craul has always been involved in the local community, where he has served as President of the Destin Rotary Club, a 26-year Rotary Club member, an Elder at Grace Lutheran Church, and a lifetime board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast (BGCEC). He served the BGCEC as the Chief Volunteer Officer for two consecutive years. He also served as an Adjunct Professor in Hospitality Management at Northwest Florida College.
Upon retirement, Craul became a partner with Predictive Index, a company of which he was a client for 19 years. Additionally, he is a certified teacher, trainer, coach, and speaker for the John Maxwell team.
Craul has lived in Destin for 31 years of his 38 years along the Emerald Coast. He and his wife have four children and six grandchildren, and they are both small group leaders and coaches at Destiny Worship Center.
Anyone involved in a tourism-related business or with an interest in area tourism is welcome to attend.
The Tourism & Hospitality Group's mission is to bring value to the Destin tourism community through training and information and to become a unified voice of hospitality-based businesses whose success is centered on the tourism industry in our area.
The cost is $15 for Destin Chamber members and $30 for non-chamber members. Registration is required, and lunch will be served.
Destin Chamber's Tourism & Hospitalit...
Date and Time
Wednesday Nov 19, 2025
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM CST
Location
Destin Chamber
4484 Legendary Dr. Ste. A
Destin, FL 32541
Contact Information
(850) 837-6241
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