Rachel Semik Archives - The Travel Vertical

26 People, 160 Great Jobs, 8 RFPs, 1 Podcast and a Super-Friendly Super Bowl Bet

February 15, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

P E O P L E

Stan Smith has been promoted to Senior Director Marketing at Visit Detroit, stepping into the role following the recent retirement of Renee Monforton, who was with the organization for 26 years. Smith has been “Telling Detroit’s Story” since joining the DMO in 2017.

Susan Klein has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Pittsburgh. She joins from Doublespace Inc., a NYC-based marketing and branding agency. Klein also previously served in leadership positions at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Citibank, Morgan Stanley and MasterCard.

Joshua Albrecht has joined Visit Milwaukee as Vice President of Marketing & Communications. His DMO experience includes roles as CMO at Discover Peoria, Executive Director at Saugatuck Douglas Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Director of Marketing & Public Affairs at Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau has named Robert Lopez as Vice President following a nationwide search. He is a Texas native with a background in journalism, hospitality, management and sales, plus a previous role as Vice President at Visit McAllen where Alexandra Arevalo will assume that role for the interim.

North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced Nancy Gardella as its new Executive Director. For the past 15 years, Gardella has served as Executive Director for the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, which also functions as the island’s destination marketing organization.

In New York, Discover Long Island has added two executives to the team: Justine DiGiglio, Vice President of Communications and Partner Relations and Susan Lienau, Vice President of Community Engagement.

Most recently, Justine served as Senior Communications Advisor to a Nassau County Executive and Susan previously worked on behalf of the 2nd Assembly District, the Suffolk County Department of Environment and Energy.

In Southern California, Visit Oceanside & Oceanside Sports Commission, Dana Higgins has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development. She joined the DMO in 2011.

Karl Schmitt announced his retirement in in February 2023 as President & CEO of the Louisville Sports Commission, a nonprofit founded in 1999. (“After 147 Kentucky Derbys, Louisville Knows Sports.”) Cleo Battle, President & CEO of Louisville Tourism serves on the Board of Directors’ Executive Committee.

In South Carolina, Billy Dunlap departs as President / CEO of Visit York County to start a new position as Director of Sports Tourism at Visit Greenville. The Visit York County board will soon announce and interim director and process for bringing on a new leader.

In Louisiana, Shalisa Roland joins Visit Lake Charles as Director of Public Relations. Most recently, she served as Public Relations/Digital Content Manager at Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau.

Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the hiring of Brian Staggers as its new Senior Director of Information Technology. He brings 20 years’ experience, previously as IT manager for the North Little Rock School District and IT manager for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.

Rachel Semik joined Visit Phoenix on February 14 (Valentine’s Day is also Arizona’s Statehood Day) as Media Relations Manager. She departs her role as Media Relations Manager at Tempe Tourism Office, which she joined in 2019. (She’s keeping the cactus emoji.)

In Alabama, Robyn Bridges is the new President & CEO of Auburn-Opelika Tourism, effective May 1, following the retirement of the current president, John Wild.

In the Kansas City metro, Brooke Chonko has joined Visit Overland Park as Vice President Marketing. She comes to destination marketing as an experienced professional in integrated marketing, digital/social channel and content strategy and data storytelling.

Danielle Appley-Epstein has joined Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau as National Sales Manager. She has a hotel sales background with Hyatt and Omni Hotels.

North of Atlanta, Explore Gwinnett makes three people announcements: Bruce Johnson moves from Director of Sales to the newly created role of Director of Community Relations, Victoria Hawkins has been promoted to Senior Director of Marketing + Destination Development, and Race Roberts joins the team as Sales Manager.

A.J. Ruiz is the new Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator at Sonoma County Tourism in California. He’s a videographer and photographer with a degree in Business Marketing and Cinema from San Francisco State University.

Sophia Hyder Hock is joining Destinations International as Chief Diversity Officer. She is the founder and CEO of Papilia, an organization dedicated to developing tailored equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies for the travel industry.

Kathryn Millard has been hired by Searchwide Global as Executive Recruiter. With a background in hotels and resorts, she will focus on that sector of the travel industry as well as business development. Kathryn is based in Amelia Island, Florida.

Southeast Tourism Society welcomes Sami Baudry as the new Marketing & Membership Specialist.

Brent Curry has joined Development Counsellors International as Paid Media Performance Manager. Previously, he had been Deputy Chief of Advertising and Public Affairs for the U.S. Army in Chicago.

Tia Daniels joins the BestCities Global Alliance executive team as Director, Business Development & Community. Copenhagen-based, she is a veteran of the events and meetings industry with over 25 years of experience.

Sydney Farthing is the new Social Media Manager at Herrmann Global. Based in Greenville, South Carolina, she had been with Visit Clemson as Tourism Coordinator.

In Memoriam: Tributes are pouring in for W. “Bill” Williams, 82, retired from Choose Chicago in 2012 following 37 years of service to McCormack Place and the City of Chicago. He served as Vice President Diversity Sales and was recognized nationally as a leader in developing racial equality and opportunity in the convention and tourism business. Bill is also fondly remembered as a mentor to many seeking careers in the industry.

Adam Burke and Julie Calvert had a Super Bowl bet. A friendly wager, actually. Tourism Diversity Matters explains, “Thank you to Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Julie Calvert and Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board CEO Adam Burke for your friendly wager in support of TDM. The winner makes a $1,000 donation and the loser donates $2,500 to Tourism Diversity Matters.”

Following the game on Sunday evening, Adam incorporated this surprise into his hometown message of congrats, “To Julie Calvert and our friends at Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, we’ll match your $2,500 donation to Tourism Diversity Matters! These two clubs were so evenly matched today that it’s only right!!” As Julie writes, “Tourism Diversity Matters is the big winner here, the win for all of our destinations.”

The Travel Vertical Podcast :: Latest episode is out :: Listen to our guest Kristen Jarnagin Reynolds, President & CEO of Discover Long Island, talk about the destination’s first long haul campaign, targeting Arizonans.

Click here for the conversation.

R F P s

Destination Augusta seeks a consultant with a proven track record of leading organizations through the strategic planning process.

Objective: directional documents for the effective leadership and marketing communications efforts, providing clear focus and a consistent direction for the next three years. The selected company will lead Destination Augusta through a strategic planning process and must be capable of delivering the following:

Review and evaluation of existing plans, including the city’s new strategic plan
A situational analysis
A comprehensive strategic plan
An annual business plan
Strategic priorities and related objectives must include performance metrics
Deadline for draft deliverables: July and
Final deliverables: August
Responses are due by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 4, 2022. More details: https://bit.ly/36npzXJ
Contact: Trent Snyder, VP Finance & Administration – Trent@VisitAugusta.com

“Visit Indian River has just rebranded and is looking for a new website to match our new image. Our current website, VisitIndianRiverCounty.com is out of date and is time for a facelift.” — Lisa Konupka, Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator, Visit Indian River County, FL (details are found on Lisa’s LinkedIn page).

McCurtain County Tourism Authority in Oklahoma is searching for a full service advertising agency. The DMO is currently accepting proposals; the deadline to submit is March 7, 2022. Contact Executive Director Charity O’Donnell (bchamber@pine-net.com) to request a bid packet.

Visit SLO CAL, the destination marketing & management organization for San Luis Obispo, California, has issued a request for proposals for a qualified full-service public relations agency with tourism experience. The scope of work will be for a three year period beginning on or about July 1, 2022. Proposals are due by March 4, 2022. Visit-SLO-CAL-Request-for-Proposal-PR-final-1.22Download

Wyoming Office of Tourism (closing March 1, 2022) — Seeking proposals for advertising agency of record for the Wyoming state marketing program. RFP is available on Public Purchase where the WY Advertising account is RFP #0148-G – Advertising (Public Purchase requires a free log-in/registration to access the RFP.)

Public Purchase link: Public Purchase: Bid Notification, Government bids, Reverse Auctions and Procurement Tools for Government Agencies

Alaska Travel Industry Association (closing 2/25/22)— Seeking proposals for three elements (two remain open) — Advertising, PR & Media Relations, Visitor Research — supporting the Alaska Tourism Marketing Program.

Hawaii Tourism Authority — Hawaii Tourism Brand Marketing & Management Services in the US Major Market Area (hawaiitourismauthority.org/rfps)

State of Hawaii — Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism — A Research Project Related to Visitor and Resident Geolocation Tracking for July 2022 – June 2024. Deadline to apply: Feb. 25, 2022 at 4 p.m. HST

RFP DETAILS: The objective of this RFP is to seek a contractor for collecting and reporting monthly data on the use of identified points of interest by Hawai‘i residents and visitors. The points of interest include: 1) selected sites such as visitor attractions, beaches, parks, trails; 2) locations identified as “hotspots” by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in its Destination Management Action Plans and other sources; and 3) areas
defined by Hawai‘i zip code boundaries. More info: https://bit.ly/3gESRD0.

J O B S

President & CEO — U.S. Travel Association

The committee tasked with identifying the organization’s next leader is working with Heidrick & Struggles on the process as of 2/11/2022. Roger Dow will conclude his 17-year tenure at the helm in July.

Senior Director Government Relations AND Director Member Engagement AND Manager Member Engagement AND Manager Digital Communications AND Manager Grassroots & PAC AND Senior Designer — U.S. Travel Association

President & CEO — Visit Seattle, WA

Executive Director — Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau, CA

Executive Director — Corpus Christi Sports Commission, TX

Executive Director — Visit Chelan County, WA (new position, new DMO)

President — Visit Overland Park, KS

President & CEO — South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, Hammond, IN

Executive Director — Visit Dana Point, CA

Director — South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, TX

Chief Financial Officer — Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH

Senior Vice President of People and Culture AND Senior Director of Marketing Analytics AND Social Media Content Creator (new) — Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, NV

Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion AND National Account Executive (Chicago) AND Sales Account Executive — Meet Minneapolis, MN (new)

Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, SC

Vice President of Meeting Sales & Services — Visit Fort Worth, TX

Vice President of Sales and Experiences — Visit Tulsa, OK (new)

Vice President of Sales — Visit Greater Palm Springs, CA

Vice President Global Marketing — Destination Vancouver, BC, Canada

Director of Conventions & Entertainment Facilities — City of Kansas City, MO (new)

Director of Sales & Marketing — Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX (new)

General Manager — Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN

Director AND Manager Sports Tourism AND Manager Tourism Marketing — Lake County Board of Commissioners, FL

Deputy Director — Space Coast Office of Tourism, FL

Senior Director of Convention Services — Destination Cleveland, OH

Director of National Accounts (mid-Atlantic) AND Visitor Services Specialist — Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, TN

Convention Sales Manager AND Senior Manager Research AND International Media Relations Manager — Destination DC, Wash., DC

Director of National Accounts — Visit Spokane, WA

Global Marketing & Trade Account Executive AND Senior Manager Social Media — Visit Florida

Director of Public Relations — Visit Tampa Bay, FL

Director, Tourism Market Development-Canada & US AND Integrated Marketing Project Manager AND Technical Project Manager AND Coordinator Member Programs & Services AND Senior Copy Director AND UX Design Lead — NYC & Company

Director of Digital Marketing & Media Relations AND Visitor Information Specialist — Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH

Director of Marketing — Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, AK

Director of Marketing AND Director of Sales — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA

Director of Marketing & Communications — Visit El Paso, TX

Director of Marketing AND Human Resources Manager AND Manager Visitor Center at Boston Common — Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, MA

Director Event Management AND Site Experience Manager AND National Sales Director (DC area) AND Brand Marketing Coordinator AND Network & Systems Engineer — San Diego Tourism Authority, CA

Manager Global Tourism Development AND Manager Social Media AND Manager Global Communications AND Manager European Communications AND Coordinator Marketing AND Full-Stack Drupal Developer AND Payroll Manager — Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, CA

Brand Marketing Manager AND Content & Social Media Manager AND Marketing Coordinator — Visit Napa Valley, CA

Manager of International Marketing — Visit California

Content Producer (new) AND Marketing Project Planner (new) AND Sales Coordinator AND Services Assistant — Visit Detroit, MI

Marketing Manager AND Marketing Project Manager AND Sales Coordinator — Visit Dallas, TX

Marketing Manager — Experience Columbus, OH

Communications Senior Manager — Colorado Tourism Office

Communications Manager Meetings & Conventions — Visit Orlando, FL

Public Relations Manager — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, CA

Public Relations Manager — Sonoma County Tourism, CA

Communications Coordinator — Experience Scottsdale, AZ

Communications & Travel Trade Manager — Yakima Valley Tourism, WA

Marketing & Social Media Specialist — Visit Buffalo Niagara, NY

Communications & Marketing Manager — Town of Culpeper, VA

Tourism Data Specialist — Visit North Carolina

Tourism Director — Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, VA (new)

Tourism Manager — City of College Station, TX

Tourism Manager — Snowmass Tourism, CO

Public Relations/Digital Content Manager AND Website Manager — Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, LA (new)

Business Insights Specialist — Destination Vancouver, BC, Canada

Business Development Manager — Visit Carlsbad, CA

Manager Travel Trade — Ottawa Tourism, Canada

Market Intelligence Analyst — Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, FL

Tourism Data Specialist — Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Raleigh

Social Media & Content Manager — Explore Asheville, NC

Destination Content Coordinator — Rowan County Tourism Development Authority, NC

Sports/Group Sales Manager AND Senior Sales Manager — Visit Williamsburg, VA (new)

Sports Tourism Sales — Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, State College, PA (new)

Sales Manager AND Sales Specialist — Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, FL

CRM & Research Analyst — Visit Loudoun, VA (new)

Data Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO

Sales & CRM Support Coordinator — Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, RI (new)

Sports Sales Manager AND Event Services Specialist — Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, MO

Sports Marketing Coordinator — Savannah Sports Council, GA

Social Media & Content Associate — Visit Pensacola, FL

Digital Marketing Coordinator — Mammoth Lakes Tourism, CA

Marketing Coordinator — Visit Oceanside, CA

Digital Media Manager — Dutchess Tourism, Inc., NY (new)

Destinations Service Specialist — Discover Kalamazoo, MI

Integrated Marketing Manager — Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nashville, IN

Marketing Assistant — Experience Scottsdale, AZ (new)

Vice President of Global Sales — ConferenceDirect

Director of Research — Longwoods International

Product Manager AND Senior Data Advisor AND Data Scientist AND Product Support Specialist AND Data Scientist…and more — Zartico

Account Manager — Madden Media, Tucson, AZ

Account Coordinator (German-speaking) — MMGY Global, Los Angeles

Account Coordinator, Account Executive (LA), AND Account Coordinator (Austin), AND Account Coordinator, Account Executive, Senior Account Executive, Account Supervisor (NYC) — MMGY NJF

Marketing Manager AND Media Coordinator AND Senior UI Web Designer AND Account Manager AND Coordinator AND PR/Content Coordinator AND PR/Content Specialist AND Social Media Coordinator — Relic Advertising + EKR, Provo UT

Interactive Producer AND Account Coordinator AND Account Manager AND Advertising & Data Manager AND Business Analyst (Lakewood, CO) AND Human Resources Generalist (new) AND Project Manager Studio Operations (Sarasota, new) AND Content Coordinator (new) AND Web Developer (new) — Miles Partnership

Advertising Project Coordinator — Datafy, remote

Tourism Public Relations Account Director AND Marketing Specialist Creative Services — Development Counsellors International

VP Experiences — Modern Adventure, Portland OR, or remote

Digital Marketing Manager — Rezdy, remote

Content Marketing Manager AND Client Success Manager — Sojern, remote

Director of Organizational Development & Communications — Dollywood Parks & Resorts, TN

Marketing & Brand Manager AND Social Media Manager — Navy Pier, Chicago

Director of Marketing & Partnerships AND Creative Project Manager/Senior Production Manager AND Graphic Designer AND Executive Assistant & Customer Service AND General Manager AND Creative Content & Social Media Manager — Museum of Women, NYC (new, opening summer 20022)

Membership Marketing Manager — The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI

Event Coordinator — Northstar Travel Group, Secaucus, NJ

Senior Manager Destination Marketing — Delta Air Lines, Atlanta

Account Executive (x2) Restaurant Vertical — Google, Chicago

People & Places, Including a New Tourism Director in Colorado

July 27, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Roger Dow, President & CEO at U.S. Travel Association, has announced his retirement in July 2022 following 17 years of service.

Dow has guided U.S. Travel and the broader industry through periods of remarkable growth—marked by 10 consecutive years of expansion from 2009 to 2019—followed by enormous pandemic challenges beginning in 2020.

Dow is credited with leading the legislation that created Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization, and developing policies and programs that enabled domestic and international inbound travel to thrive by ensuring an understanding of travel and tourism as a linchpin of the American economy.

In the coming months, the U.S. Travel National Chair Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, will name a representative search committee so the organization’s board can begin “a transparent and inclusive process to identify the association’s next top leader.” To read the press release, visit www.ustravel.org.

Announcing: Connect 2021 in Tampa on Aug. 30-Sept. 1.

A moderated conversation with former First Lady Michelle Obama. (Sponsored by Visit Milwaukee, Detroit Metro CVB, Meet Minneapolis, Discover Puerto Rico)

Timothy Wolfe is the new Colorado Tourism Director. A veteran of the state tourism interests, Wolfe was a hotel executive who served on Visit Denver’s board of directors, as board chairman for Colorado Tourism Office, and chaired Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association board. Wolfe replaces Cathy Ritter, who was ousted from her six-year position in April by Pat Meyers, Colorado’s new director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

In a restructuring to support the goal of Mālama Kuʻu Home (caring for my beloved home), two executives are promoted at Hawaii Tourism Authority. Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā has been promoted to chief brand officer and Caroline Anderson has been promoted to director of planning.

In Wisconsin, Destination Sturgeon Bay (Door County) has appointed a native, Cameryn Ehlers-Kwaterski, as its next Executive Director. She will join from Visit Rome, where she has served as Executive Director for three years and was recognized by the Governor’s Rising Star Award.

Bart Blaisdell has been named as Senior Vice President-Finance & Operations at Visit Salt Lake. A Utah native, he joins from a previous role as CFO at Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines.

Karen Kuhl, Executive Director, Tour Cayuga County in New York’s Finger Lake Region, is our latest guest on The Travel Vertical Podcast in conversation with Adam Stoker and Laurie Jo Miller Farr. Karen discusses the destination’s special attribute as the longtime home of Harriet Tubman and how smaller DMOs can promote authentic qualities that distinguish them.

Take a listen here: https://bit.ly/3zLB7xt

A familiar face has rejoined San Francisco Travel. Beth Melanson is welcomed back as Senior Manager Convention Sales covering the Southeast and Southwest regions.

In Northern California, Redding Chamber of Commerce announced it has hired Danny Orloff as tourism marketing director of Visit Redding, a new position. He joins from outside the travel industry.

Joshua Lambert joins Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau as Social Media Specialist. His previous DMO experience includes five years in marketing roles at The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel.

Anastasia Straley has a new role as Social Media Content Specialist at Delta Air Lines. She has previously handled social media at San Francisco Travel Association, Choose Chicago, and Visit St. Paul.

In Ohio, Katie Thompson joins Visit Dublin as Marketing Coordinator. She’s a recent grad from Kent State University where she was involved in previously PR Comms and interned in PR at Destination Grandview.

Emily Bates has joined the New Mexico Tourism Department as tourism development coordinator. She had previously been in tourism promotion for a DMO in Bordeaux, France.

In Sarasota, Florida, Nicole Brownell has joined Paradise Advertising & Marketing as VP-Digital Marketing. Her past experience includes Miles Partnership and the Regional Office of Sustainability, a DMO in Lake Placid, New York.

Joe Tropia has joined Legends / One World Observatory in NYC as Tourism & Trade Manager. His background includes attractions such as Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, National Geographic Encounter, Blue Man Group, and the Metropolitan Opera.

Destination Canada has announced that Meaghan Ferrigno is appointed to be the new Chief Data and Analytics Officer. She joins from the health sector.

22 Destinations Receive DMAP Designation

The Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) from Destinations International recognizes a destination organization’s commitment to industry excellence and meeting industry standard for performance and accountability. It requires successful compliance with a number of mandatory and voluntary standards across performance areas related to the management and marketing of destination organizations including governance, finance, human resources, sales, communications, destination development and research. The full active list of over 200 accredited destinations is found here. Announced for 2021:

Newly Accredited:

Chattanooga Tourism Co. (with distinction)
Convention & Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody
Finger Lakes Visitors Connection
Ottawa Tourism (with distinction)
Southern Delaware Tourism, Convention & Visitors Bureau of Sussex County
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
Visit Beloit
Visit Corpus Christi
Visit Elizabeth City
Visit Stillwater

4-Year Renewals:

Experience Kissimmee
Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau
Meet Minneapolis
Memphis Tourism
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Tabasco Convention & Visitors Bureau
Visit Knoxville
Visit Norfolk

8-Year Reaccreditation:

Banff & Lake Louise Tourism Bureau
New Orleans & Company
Visit Orlando
Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

REGISTER HERE

What makes a great travel story? From Uber Eats to Twitter Fleets, Spotify to TikTok, and of course, Instagram Stories and Reels, the story format has captivated consumers and marketers alike.

What makes a travel story memorable, engaging, and actionable? Should you use photos, videos, or both? And, most importantly, how can you make the most of the story format to attract interested travelers to your destination?

Miami CVB Names Whitaker, More People News & One Special Dog

July 20, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

David Whitaker has been named as the incoming President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau following a six-month nationwide search process. Whitaker will formally assume the role effective Aug. 16, 2021 when Bill Talbert, who has led the DMO since 1990, moves into a supporting role prior to a one-year consultancy beginning in October. Whitaker had been with the GMCVB for 17 years, most recently as EVP and CMO, departing in 2007 to take on chief executive roles at two DMOs, first in Toronto and then in Chicago.

eXplore Lawrence, Kansas, has named Kim Anspach as its new Executive Director. A nationwide search followed the retirement of Michael Davidson. A local resident, Anspach has served as Interim Director of eXplore Lawrence since May 2021.

Jean Paul Zapata has been appointed by Sonoma County Tourism as Director of Business Development. He joins from Visit Oakland where he was director of public relations, and has also served as media relations manager for Visit Greater Palm Springs.

Frank Filice joins Sonoma County Tourism as Director of Brand Marketing. A longtime resident, his background includes global marketing and communications roles outside the travel business.

Brought to you by Cedar Rapids Tourism. We’re pleased to present Carson Kressley as keynote speaker at Connect THRIVE Summit in Las Vegas on opening day Sept. 18, 2021. He’s an Emmy Award-winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer, interior designer and New York Times best-selling author who will be interviewed by David Downing.

THRIVE Summit is focused on creating business opportunities, developing community and producing partnerships through LGBTQ travel, sports, and entertainment. The two-day event is co-located with IPW, immediately prior to eTourism Summit.

Luisa Mendoza, Founder & CEO of GTSE (Global Tourism Sports & Entertainment) shares the announcement that IPW has selected GTSE to be the first official sports & tourism representation ambassador. GTSE will encourage sports teams and leagues to attend IPW on Sept. 18-22, 2021 in Las Vegas. The 22nd Annual eTourism Summit will co-locate with IPW for its in-person event ((virtual option) on Sept. 20-22, 2021.

Iowa Travel Industry Partners, a newly formed statewide organization to represent the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, has hired Chelsea Lerud as Interim Director. She has served as executive director of the Greater Burlington Iowa Convention & Visitors Bureau since 2014.

James Hebert has joined San Diego Tourism Authority as Content Manager. He comes to the DMO following a career as senior writer and correspondent for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In Illinois, Dan Obert has joined Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau as Marketing Communications Manager. An intern at the DMO in the summer of 2018, Obert joins from a marcomms role at IL Corn.

Amanda Scherlin, Marketing Manager at Visit Casper has turned off her OOO status after returning to work following the early arrival of twins in March and completing her MBA at the University of Wyoming. Triple congrats!

Jeffrey Hentz departs his role as CEO at the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association where he was appointed in January 2020. The board will begin recruitment for a new CEO immediately. In the interim, Bonnie Bavetta will return as CEO.

Anthea Thomas is the new Strategic Communications Specialist for the City of Fort Lauderdale. She joins from Broward County Metropolitan Planning Organization where she was Public Outreach Manager.

In Miami, Christine Kindt is Partnership Marketing Senior Manager at Brightline Trains. She rejoins the company where she had previously worked in corporate partnerships.

Brian Bouchelle departs as Director of Business Development at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas to join Noble House Hotels and Resorts as the Area Director of Sales for Napa Valley Wine Train and the River Terrace Inn in Downtown Napa, California.

Ashley Maddix is the newest team member at TwoSix Digital in her role as Digital Advertising Strategist. Her digital marketing background includes Tours Around Michigan and her travel background includes 42 visits to Disney World.

Badges Olympian. “Some people collect stamps, baseball cards or vintage cars. I collect lanyards from the events and conferences I’ve attended over 14 years in the tourism industry. To me they represent memories and friendships.” — Adam Johnson, Sales Manager at Zartico.

Laurel has joined the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles as Director of Pet Relations. She flunked in her previous role as a trainee at New York’s Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind but now excels at surfing lessons, red carpet walking, and attending full moon crystal recharging parties, says Regional VP & General Manager Philip M. Barnes.

REGISTER HERE

What makes a great travel story? From Uber Eats to Twitter Fleets, Spotify to TikTok, and of course, Instagram Stories and Reels, the story format has captivated consumers and marketers alike.

People on the Move » See Tomorrow Conversations

July 13, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

People on the Move

Visit KC CEO Jason Fulvi is joining Arrivalist as Chief Sales Officer upon his resignation effective in early September. He joined the DMO in 2018 following 16 years at Visit Pittsburgh.

Visit KC’s VP & CFO Randall Landes will become interim CEO. Visit KC’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which began July 1, was reduced to $6.62 million, down 38% from the previous year.

Brian Wright is the new Director of Marketing at Mammoth Lakes Tourism. He joins from Santa Monica Travel & Tourism where he’s been Director of Global Business Development for the past 3+ years, prior to which his background included executive communications roles with Visit California.

Lauren Baker has departed her role as Director of Marketing at Houston First Corporation (Visit Houston) following 10 years with the DMO. She joins Amazon Web Services as Marketing Manager.

Lisa Konupka, Interactive Marketing Manager, has departed this role at Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau in Mississippi following 16 years’ service to join Advance Travel & Tourism, a digital marketing agency, as Account Executive.

Visit Corpus Christi welcomes the newest member of the team, Mallori Johnson, in the role of Destination Services Manager. She’s a graduate of West Texas A&M University with a background in public relations and event planning.

Nevo Waintraub has joined Yelp as Senior Sales Business Director. He joins from Arrivalist.

MMGY NextFactor has announced that Deb Archer (left) and Linda John (right) have joined the consulting team to play a critical role in strategic planning and assisting in the facilitation and development of tourism master plans and recovery plans. Both thought leaders have decades of career experience; Archer led Destination Madison as CEO and John served as the Executive Director for Visit Eau Claire.

At the Destinations International annual meeting held this week in Baltimore, Butch Spyridon, President & CEO of Nashville CVC passes the role of chair to Gretchen Hall, President & CEO of Little Rock CVB.

Register Now: See Tomorrow Conversation Series

While we’ve come a long way in measuring campaign performance, quite the opposite is true for brand performance.

It’s no secret that the ability to quickly turn data into decisions is what separates successful companies from the rest. It’s also no secret that differentiation and relevance allow a brand to stand out from its competition and capture people’s time, attention and money. This is especially true for the tourism industry where competition is vast and the traveler is making decisions every day.

Every DMO, regardless of existing data sources and infrastructure, can quickly harness this wisdom to stand out from competition and learn from the best brands in the world. Maurizio and Michael will showcase examples from inside and outside the hospitality and tourism space while Ed and Will share their experience from their diverse marketing backgrounds. P.S. No technical or data knowledge required. REGISTER HERE.