The Cornell School of Hotel Administration (SHA) has announced that actor, director, and NY Times best-selling author Andrew McCarthy will serve as master of ceremonies at the 6th annual Cornell Hospitality Icon & Innovator Awards on June 3, 2014, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. At the gala event, McCarthy will help honor the Mariani family, founders and proprietors of Banfi Vintners, as recipient of the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award, and Sandy Solmon, founder, president, and CEO of Sweet Street Desserts, as the recipient of the Cornell Hospitality Innovator Award.

"Through his award-winning writing, Andrew McCarthy captures the Allure and excitement of travel and hospitality. We are delighted that he will emcee the gala in June and help us celebrate leadership and innovation in the industry," said Michael D. Johnson, dean and E. M. Statler Professor at SHA.

McCarthy made his professional début in Class and has appeared in dozens of films, including such iconic movies as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Less Than Zero, and cult favorites Weekend At Bernie's and Mannequin. He has starred on Broadway and on numerous television shows, including Lipstick Jungle, Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital, and all the Law & Orders. He is also a highly regarded television director.

McCarthy is an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler and has written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, Afar, Men's Journal, Bon Appétit, National Geographic Adventure, and others. He has received six Lowell Thomas awards and been named Travel Journalist of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers. His travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, was a New York Times best seller, and the Financial Times of London named it one of the Best Books of 2012.

Since its inception in 2009, the Cornell Hospitality Icon & Innovator Awards has grown to be the largest event on the SHA calendar, attracting more than 800 of the most influential leaders and innovators in the hospitality and travel industry from 17 countries. The gala raises funds to support SHA's scholarships and programs.

The 2014 awards ceremony already has more than 55 corporate sponsors. Exclusive Media Co-Hosts are Travel + Leisure and USA TODAY; Red Carpet sponsors are Banfi Vintners and Forbes Travel Guide; and Diamond sponsors are Delta Air Lines, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, and Sweet Street Desserts.

To partner with the school on this premier event, please contact Kathleen Bolton, manager of corporate affairs at the SHA, at ksh11@cornell.edu. For additional information, please visit the event webpage.

About the Cornell School of Hotel Administration

The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration is shaping the global knowledge base for hospitality management through leadership in education, research and industry advancement. The school provides management instruction in the full range of hospitality disciplines, educating the next generation of leaders in the world's largest industry. Founded in 1922 as the nation's first collegiate course of study in hospitality management, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration is recognized as the world leader in its field. For more information, visit www.hotelschool.cornell.edu.