2:48pm | The former director of marketing for the Queen Mary has been tapped to lead one of the most famous classic car shows in the nation when it debuts in Long Beach later this year.
Christopher Zappia has been named the managing director for the Hot August Nights classic car show that will debut in Long Beach after 25 years in Reno, Nevada. The show will run in Long Beach from August 3-6, one week before it moves to Reno.
A Southern California native, Zappia served as the director of marketing for the Queen Mary from 2008-09 and has spent most of his career in the hospitality industry as director of sales and marketing and general manager for Marriot Hotels in the U.S., Middle East and Asia. In his new role, Zappia will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Hot August Nights event in Long Beach.
“He brings a lot of experience and knows the Event and the community and will be a real asset us and the Long Beach Event,” said Hot August Nights executive director and CEO Bruce Walter, in a statement.
Zappia will lead an event that officials promise will draw massive crowds in the tens, maybe hundreds of thousands after decades of building a passionate following. Reno public officials have expressed strong concerns that the show intends to leave its original location and move exclusively to Long Beach, bringing with it millions of tourism dollars. Event organizers have denied that they will fully pull out of Reno, but the rumors have only served to build excitement about its Long Beach debut.