P E O P L E
Starting on September 1, 2022, Geoff Freeman becomes the President & CEO at U.S. Travel Association, taking over from Roger Dow who is stepping down after filling the leadership role for 17 years.
From U.S. Travel: “Geoff will re-join U.S. Travel after nearly a decade of association leadership, most recently as the head of Consumer Brands Association and previously holding the role of CEO at American Gaming Association. Geoff is highly regarded in Washington and well known across our industry. In his previous leadership role at U.S. Travel, his strategic work led to the creation of Brand USA, the formation of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and improvements in travel security—leading to the creation of TSA PreCheck.
We look forward to working with Geoff again and know he will continue bringing a fresh and strategic approach to advancing the mission of U.S. Travel in its next era. Welcome back and congrats, Geoff!”
The nationwide search to identify the association’s next president and CEO was guided by a nine-member Search Committee representative of core segments of the travel industry, led by Christine Duffy, National Chair of the U.S. Travel Association and President of Carnival Cruise Line, supported by Heidrick & Struggles. The full news release is found here: bit.ly/USTNewCEO
Elizabeth Keller departs her role as Director of the Delaware Tourism Office, which she joined in 2010. She becomes Executive Director of The Committee of 100, a Delaware-based nonprofit economic development organization.
Blake Henry has been selected as the new Director for the City of South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. He most recently served as General Manager for the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville.
Katie Guasco is the new Chief Marketing Officer at St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission (Louisiana Northshore). Her previous executive roles include Visit Baton Rouge as well as Hoffman Media. In other people news from the DMO, Roberta Carrow-Jackson is promoted to Manager of Film and Digital Communications and Sarah Hill to Manager of Marketing Strategy & Brand Content.
Danna Lilly has been promoted to Vice President – CVB and Visitor Services at Experience Columbia SC. She joined the DMO 18 months ago and had previously been with Meet in South Carolina and with Visit Myrtle Beach for a decade through 2016.
Francine Sheridan has been promoted to Regional Vice President – Europe & Middle East, based in London, for Discover LA. She’s been with the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board since 1999.
Manistee County Visitors Bureau in Michigan has announced Sammie Lukaskiewicz as the new Executive Director effective July 5. She joins from a role as VP-Marketing & Communications at Crystal Mountain, a resort destination. Previously she had been Deputy Director, Marketing and Strategy at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and also spent 10 years as an executive with Michigan International Speedway.
Mary Ellen Stern is the new Director of Elevate Lake (and Interim Executive Director of Economic Growth) at Lake County Board of County Commissioners in Florida. She has been with the organization for two years.
Rose Zimmerman Caple is starting a new role as Tourism Sales Manager-Niche & Affinity Markets at Louisville Tourism, KY. She has been with the DMO since 2011, focused on the Louisville Visitors Center.
Kelly Greenfield is now Senior Public Relations Manager at Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, NC. She departs as Public Relations Manager at Visit Seattle, prior to which she was with Laura Davidson PR.
Brittany Wilson has joined the team at Visit Tybee & Savannah Chamber of Commerce as Social Media Coordinator.
John Leinen is the new National Sales Director at Visit Pittsburgh covering the Midwest market. He joins from a position as Vice President of Convention Sales and Services at Destination Madison in Wisconsin and had previously been in a similar role for Reno Tahoe USA.
Kate Skidmore has joined Adara as a Senior Sales Director. She departs Bandwango, where she’d been a senior sales executive since 2021, and was previously with Destinations International and San Diego Tourism Authority.
Catherine Fox departs Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge where she joined in 1989 as Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is now Senior Tourism and Destination Development Advisor at Eddy Alexander, a Roanoke-based sales and marketing agency.
Nick Leonti departs Visit California where he was Public Relations Manager to become Director of Tourism Development at the Port of Seattle. His background includes 15 years through May 2020 as Director of Tourism at Visit Sacramento.
Eva Damato, Senior Leisure Sales Manager at Discover The Palm Beaches for the past four years, has accepted a position with Seabourn Cruise Line as Senior Manager of National & Strategic Accounts.
Alistair M. Jack, previously with Bermuda Tourism Authority as a sports marketing executive, has joined Sojern as a Sales Director based in NYC.
Jessica Bush Aslanian joins Flip.to as Vice President-Commercial based in Orlando. In addition to executive roles in hospitality tech, her background includes Disney and Hilton.
David Russell has retired as Director of Senior Sports Sales at Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, following service at the DMO that began in 1983.
Michelle Nalyanya has been promoted to Research Operations Manager at Destination Analysts, which she joined in February from Oracle in Austin, TX.
Kevin Tosh has been appointed as Director of Tourism and Marketing for Franklin County, VA.
Simpleview has announced several recent hires, including Patrick Eichen as COO and Steven Lopez as vice president of professional development. In addition, Scott Stanislav has been promoted to vice president of customer experience. Scott Wood, who has held the COO title since co-founding the company in 2001, will be transitioning to president of Eventsforce, Simpleview’s event management platform.
Patricia Yates has been appointed CEO of VisitBritain/VisitBritain following an extensive external search. She was previously Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain, as well as Chair of the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group and deputy CEO. Since April when Sally Balcombe stood down, Patricia has been interim CEO of the DMO she joined in 2005.
Beverly Nicholson-Doty has been appointed CEO of Figment Design, the Miami-based marketing and advertising agency. A former chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, she was most recently CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and had served as Commissioner of Tourism for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism from 2007 to 2018.
P O D C A S T
Robert Patterson, Senior Vice President, Marketing Technology at MMGY Global, is our guest on Episode 31 of The Travel Vertical Podcast.
In this conversation live from the stage at eTourism Summit in Orlando, Robert discusses the latest findings in the fourth annual Destination Marketing Technology Survey fielded with DMOs. Click the link for the podcast here.
R F P s
Travel Texas has issued an RFP for Tourism Advertising and Marketing Services from the
Office of the Governor, Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office for a comprehensive and strategic tourism advertising and marketing campaign that fully integrates consumer and media activities, and supports the OOG’s travel trade activities in the United States. Contact: Jeffrey.Duhon@gov.texas.gov at tel: 512-963-9503. Due date: 7/25/2022.
Arizona Department of Administration has issued an RFP for Official State Travel Guide Display & Distribution – Tourism. The primary objective of the Official State Travel Guide (OSTGs) is to inspire consumers to plan a vacation to Arizona and to provide Arizona’s visitors with information. The Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) solely and exclusively owns the OSTG and complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including copyright, publicity, and trade secrecy laws. Contact: CindiHawk@azdoa.gov. End date: 7/12/2022.
St. John’s County, Florida (St. Augustine) has issued an Economic Impact RFP to provide a methodologically sound and reliable report on the economic impact of tourism activity in St. Johns County (SJC) for the latest available 12 month period. Contact: Richard Goldman. Due date: 08/05/2022.
Visit Aurora in Colorado is inviting vendors to submit their proposal to provide marketing and advertising agency services. The agency will research, develop, and implement marketing strategies to elevate the status of Aurora as a premier destination for meeting, convention, and leisure travel. The total budget including, media, tools, research, and fees is approximately $1,000,000.00 annually. I have attached the official request which provides the details and specifications of this contract. If you choose to quote, please submit your Notice of Intent to Bid via email to RandiMorritt@visitaurora.com by close of business on 7/1/2022.
Visit Aurora in Colorado is inviting vendors to submit their proposal to conduct a brand assessment, develop a new positioning strategy, and provide an updated visual identity to elevate the status of Aurora as a premier destination for meeting, convention, and leisure travel. Click this link to view existing strategies and past brand documents. Vendors wishing to participate must submit their Notice of Intent to Bid via email to RandiMorritt@visitaurora.com by close of business on 7/1/2022.
Visit Macon seeks a qualified full-service creative agency to support its marketing efforts. Please send questions and proposals to Valerie Bradley, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, at vbradley@visitmacon.org by 5 p.m. on 6/30/2022. Details found here.
J O B S
Lead-Aviation, Travel & Tourism — World Economic Forum, NYC
Commissioner — North Dakota Department of Commerce
President & CEO — Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau, TX (new)
President & CEO — Visit Bath County, VA
President & CEO — Visit Greenville, SC
SVP / President — Visit Tulsa, OK
Executive Director – Pacific County Tourism Bureau, WA
Executive Director — Muncie Visitors Bureau, IN
CEO — Visit Santa Clara, CA
Executive Director — Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, LA
Executive Director Diversity — Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Chief Financial Officer — Visit Cincy, OH
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Director Public Relations-North America AND Director Consumer Marketing-North America AND Director Partnerships & Distribution-North America — Tourism Australia, Los Angeles
Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications AND Champion of People & Culture — Destinations International
Senior Director, Partner Marketing Programs — Brand USA
Vice President of Brand and Integrated Marketing — Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
Vice President Digital Marketing — Memphis Tourism (new)
Vice President of Destination Development & Community Engagement AND Director of Marketing
AND Director of Sales AND Director of Grants AND Destination Development Manager AND Events & Engagement Manager AND Sales & Marketing Assistant AND HR & Admin Assistant — Explore Asheville, NC
Vice President Sports & Special Events AND Marketing Manager Public Relations — Visit Lauderdale
Vice President Media Relations — Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
Vice President of Marketing — Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, IL
Vice President of Sales — Visit Wichita
Vice President of Sales — Visit Albuquerque
Vice President of Tourism — North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association, CA
Vice President of Sales & Experiences — Bermuda Tourism Office
Vice President Marketing & Communications AND Marketing Manager— Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Visitors Bureau, LA
Director of the Film & Creative Industries Office — Visit Dallas
Marketing Manager Tourism Sales — New Orleans & Company
Marketing & Events Coordinator — Sabine Parish Tourist & Recreation Commission, LA
Public Relations & Media Coordinator — Discover Monroe-West Monroe, LA
Social Media & Digital Content Manager — Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, LA
Marketing Director — American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, Albuquerque
Tourism Liaison (x2) — State of Iowa (new, apply by July 4)
Communications Manager — Visit San Antonio
Senior Manager Social Media — Visit Florida
Marketing Manager AND PR & Special Projects Manager — Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, RI
Senior Partnership Manager AND Senior Media Relations Manager AND Digital Marketing Manager AND Brand Marketing Coordinator AND Convention Sales Coordinator AND Executive Assistant/Board Administrator — Visit Greater Palm Springs
Manager Digital & Social Media Marketing AND Director, Citywide Accounts DC area AND Manager, Convention Sales-Northeast & Midwest Region (in NYC) — San Francisco Travel Association
Director of Digital Communications — City of Columbus, OH
Director of Public Relations — Visit Temecula Valley, CA
Public Relations Manager — Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, CA
Public Relations Manager — Palisades Tahoe, CA
Director of Communications — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, CA
Director Group Sales — Discover The Palm Beaches, FL (new)
Director of Group Sales — Visit Vancouver, WA
Director of Destination Development — Greenbrier County Convention & Visitors Bureau, WV
Destination Services Associate AND Executive Communications Manager — Meet Minneapolis
Digital & Social Media Producer AND Director of Sales — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA
Digital Content Associate AND Meetings Support Specialist — Visit Alexandria, VA
Digital Marketing Manager — Visit Overland Park, MO
Destination Stewardship Specialist — Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce, TX
Social Media Manager — Visit Eau Claire, WI
Social Media & Communications Manager — Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, MI (new)
Business Development Manager — Destination Markham Corporation, Ontario
Media Relations Manager — Discover Long Island, NY
Public Relations Manager — Charlotte County Tourist Development, FL (new)
Specialist Research — Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Database Operations Manager AND Graphic Designer — Chattanooga Tourism Co., TN
Digital Content & Experience Coordinator — Downtown Tulsa Partnership, OK
Digital Marketing Manager — eXplore Lawrence, KS
Brand Manager — Visit St. Pete Clearwater / Pinellas County Government, FL
Tourism & Marketing Communications Manager — Experience Florida’s Sports Coast
Marketing Specialist — Visit Anaheim
Content Manager — Travel Portland, OR
Content Manager — Rancho Cordova Travel & Tourism, CA
Associate Director Events AND Events Manager AND Partnerships Manager AND Partnerships & Alliances Assistant AND Membership Manager AND International Sales Manager AND International Sales Coordinator AND Sports Coordinator AND Marketing Assistant AND Events Coordinator AND Convention Sales Assistant — Destination DC
Partnership Development Manager — Visit KC
Business Partnerships Manager — Meet Chicago Northwest
Industry Engagement Support Specialist — Destination Cleveland, OH
Visual Production Specialist — Travel Wisconsin (new)
Tourism Supervisor — Louisiana Office of Tourism (new)
National Sales Manager — Visit Grand Rapids, MI
Convention Sales Manager — Discover Santa Clara, CA
Group Sales Manager — Visit Boulder, CO
Destination Sales Manager — Richmond Region Tourism, VA
Sales Coordinator — Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, MO
Data Analyst AND Data Scientist — Visit Grand Junction, CO
Destination Marketing Associate — Bloomington – Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, MI
Destination Sales Manager — Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH
Senior Manager Product Development — Houston First Corporation
Special Programs & Events Manager — City of Lancaster, PA
Executive Marketing Assistant — Explore Elk Grove, CA
Tourism Manager AND National Account Director AND Marketing Coordinator — Visit Seattle (new)
Tourism Manager — Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce, WI
Tourism Marketing Manager — Prince William County Office of Tourism, VA
Communication & Marketing Assistant — Platte County, NE (new)
Marketing & Communications Specialist — Visit Elizabeth City, NC
Content Coordinator AND Senior Graphic Designer — Lake County, FL
Interim Manager of Tradeshow & Events (Independent Contractor) — Discover The Palm Beaches, FL
General Manager — Los Angeles Convention Center
Deputy Director — Orange County Convention Center, Orlando
General Manager — Moscone Center, San Francisco
General Manager — Lynnwood Convention Center, WA
Deputy Director — MIDFLORIDA Event Center, Port St. Lucie
Director Sales & Marketing — Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas
Project/Administrative Assistant — Tourism Diversity Matters, remote
Strategic Advisor — Zartico, remote Midwest (new)
Senior Ad Sales Manager — Kayak, remote
Senior Vice President — Longwoods International, Midwest remote
Vice President Global Sales — ConferenceDirect, remote
Director of Sales-Tourism — Epsilon, remote
Director Destination Strategy-National — Madden Media, remote
Product Marketing Manager — Barberstock (a Simpleview company), remote
Associate Editor AND Integrated Media Coordinator— Atlas Obscura
Director, Research & Analytics — Rockport Analytics
Creative Director — Paradise Advertising & Marketing, remote
Senior Media Planner — MMGY Global
Senior Account Executive Travel PR (fluent Spanish) — MMGY NJF, NYC or Miami
Account Supervisor-Anchorage AND Senior Art Director AND Advertising & Data Manager AND Media Account Supervisor AND Media Planner (x2) AND Content Director AND Marketing Coordinator AND Web Designer (UI/UX) AND Content Manager AND Art Director AND Facebook Ads Manager AND Ad Operations Manager AND Marketing Automation Specialist AND Account Manager Hospitality AND Interactive Producer AND Website Quality Assurance Specialist AND Accessibility Specialist AND Media Coordinator-US/Wisconsin AND Digital Analyst AND Content Manager AND Advertising Account Manager AND Account Supervisor — Miles Partnership, Sarasota or Remote
Associate Principal AND Senior Research Analyst — Miles Partnership/Coraggio, remote
Senior Programmatic Media Buyer — Miles Partnership/Adgenuity, remote (new)
Events Marketing Manager — Skift, remote (new)
President & CEO – Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Alberta, Canada
Director of Marketing & Communications — National Comedy Center, Jamestown, NY
Tourism Development Manager — San Francisco Giants, CA (new)
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