In two weeks they will come, dressed in their best interview suits, clutching resumes and dreams of working at the gleaming new Gaylord National Hotel, the 2,000 room mini-megalopolis rising from the shores of the Potomac, across from Alexandria.

On Monday, officials of the Orlando-based hotel company announced they will be hosting a four-day hiring event starting in late January to staff the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center when it opens.

The event, to be held Jan. 30 through Feb. 2, will create 1,600 immediate jobs. That figure will increase to 2,000 once the resort opens April 25.

The new resort, the largest convention hotel on the eastern seaboard, will provide employment in a variety of full-time, part-time and on-call positions, said Sheldon Suga, Gaylord Nationals general manager. We are concentrating on building out the teams for the departments within our hotel, and finding the best and brightest individuals to fill key positions on these staffs, Suga said.  Were looking for what we call stars.   

Gaylord officials are anticipating a high applicant turnout based on their previous success with hiring events in other places. A 2002 event at a resort in Orlando drew 14,000 job seekers, and in 2004, 13,000 attended a mass hiring at their Dallas resort.

If our two previous Grand Hires are an indication of what to expect here, then were prepared for a fantastic turnout, said Jesse Stewart Jr., vice president of Gaylord Human Resources. Stewart claims the company has already received about 15,000 applications online.

Though the event will take place on-site at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Fort Washington, there will be no available parking as the area is still entangled in construction. Participants are asked to commute via shuttle either from Rosecroft Raceway or the Southern Avenue Metro station.

Applicants can expect to spend several hours of interviews and evaluations for specific positions, from administrative support and front desk clerks to restaurant staff to fitness center and horticultural staff.

The most exciting part is that the very best and most qualified candidates will actually receive job offers on the spot, Stewart said.

Applicants are requested to pre-register online at gaylordcareers.com for the four day event. Feb. 2 is the only day in which non-registered individuals may participate. Each days events begin at 9 am.