JetBlue Airways chairman/CEO David Neeleman will be honored as the DM Days New York Conference & Expo 2005 Marketer of the Year at this year's event, the Direct Marketing Association said yesterday.
The award will be given at a luncheon in Neeleman's honor June 29. The 40th annual DM Days conference runs June 28-30 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Neeleman began his career in the airline industry in 1984 as co-founder of Morris Air, a low-cost carrier out of Salt Lake City. As president of Morris Air, Neeleman implemented the industry's first electronic ticketing system. He also started the reservations system now used by JetBlue in which calls are fielded by reps working from home.
After selling Morris Air, Neeleman helped launch WestJet, a Canadian low-fare carrier, and continued to develop the e-ticketing system. He named the system Open Skies, which was sold to Hewlett-Packard in 1999.
With $130 million in capital funding from investors, Neeleman announced his intention to open a New York-based airline in July 1999. JetBlue launched in February 2000 from its base at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and now serves 29 cities across the United States and the Caribbean.
JetBlue has won several awards including “Best Domestic Airline” at Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards for the past three years.
The DM Days New York Marketer of the Year award recognizes the achievement, innovation and leadership of an individual whose work represents the very best in direct and interactive marketing. It was established in 1968.
Kristen Bremner covers list news, insert media, privacy and fundraising for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
