Smith to head Nickelodeon recreation unit

NEW YORK Howard Smith has been promoted to evp of Nickelodeon recreation. The announcement was made by Sarah Kirshbaum Levy, coo of Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, to whom Smith will continue to report. In his newly expanded role, Smith will oversee all aspects of Nickelodeon's global recreation business including live tours, theme parks, hotels, cruises and new opportunities for kids and families to interact with its brand and characters.

"Over the past few years, Howard has been the architect behind a series of major partnerships that have introduced Nick-branded recreational experiences to the world," said Levy.

During Smith's tenure at Nickelodeon, most recently as senior vp of Nickelodeon recreation, he has built its recreation business from scratch to an estimated $200 million annual business at retail, entertaining 30 million guests each year.