people and development

People News: Visit Spokane, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Visit KC and More Make Executive Appointments, Grow Staff

Across the country, event-related organizations are tapping new leadership and expanding their teams. Take a look!

Visit Spokane

Visit Spokane has tapped Rose Noble as its new president and CEO, effective May 15. She is currently finishing out a five-year tenure as president and CEO of Galena Country Tourism in Galena, Ill., where she has worked for more than seven years, previously as interim director and prior to that as director of marketing. 

Developing an Employee-Centric Workplace Culture With Joshua Vaught, Sodexo Live! General Manager, Indiana Convention Center 

Workplace culture can have a direct impact on the overall success of an organization, as it affects how employees perceive their jobs, colleagues and employer. When staff are happy and motivated in their work environments, they tend to be more productive and engaged, as well as more likely to stay at a company long-term, thus reducing turnover and contributing to that organization’s productivity and financial success.

Women at the Helm: Laura Purdy, General Manager, Exhibition Place

The story of how Laura Purdy found a career in the exhibitions and meetings industry will be a familiar one for many event professionals: She fell into it – and never left. While in the process of building a marketing and retail management career at a prestigious commercial real estate firm in Toronto, Canada, Purdy had the chance to participate in new business development projects, including responding to RFPs for management contracts for global commercial real estate properties. 

People News: ASM Global, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and More Scoop Up New Team Members, Promote Staff  

The steady influx of new hires and promotions continues as corporate events move full steam ahead in 2023. Take a look at who’s landing new career opportunities or moving up the ladder!

ASM Global

Global venue management and event strategy leader ASM Global has appointed 20-year San Francisco travel and convention veteran Leonie Patrick as the new general manager for the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. 

Women at the Helm: Cathy Schlosberg, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Encore

Pre-teen girls certainly have a lot of things on their minds but hatching a business—let alone brainstorming best marketing practices for its success—ordinarily aren’t some of them. Cathy Schlosberg, however, was an extraordinary girl, and those were the exact thoughts swirling through her 12-year-old brain when she and her brother came up with the idea to launch a catering business servicing events for their parents and parents’ friends.

Taste Trends: Phil Evans, Executive Chef, Raleigh Convention Center

Oftentimes, the careers we imagine for ourselves as children aren’t necessarily what we end up pursuing as adults. Ask Phil Evans about his path into the culinary arts, and he’ll tell you a similar story.

“My parents were the driving force for me to get into the culinary industry,” Evans explains. “I actually wanted to be a schoolteacher, but I grew up in the kitchen cooking with my grandmother and then my mother, so it came to me naturally. I inevitably fell in love with cooking.”

People News: Radisson Blu Mall of America, Miami Beach Convention Center and More Continue Hiring and Promoting Momentum

The corporate meetings industry is moving full steam ahead into 2023, with organizations far and wide continuing to welcome new leaders and fill newly created positions with experienced professionals. Here’s the latest people news you need to know!

Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.  Remodeled Guest Rooms MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more