Mar 08, 2024
Ask about Visit Salt Lake (VSL) President and CEO Kaitlin Eskelson’s long and accomplished career in the travel and tourism industry and prepare to be impressed. As the organization’s youngest chief executive and only the fourth person to hold the leadership role in its 36-year history, she has made her mark through passionately crafted programs and strategies designed to secure a strong future for business events and tourism in Salt Lake City and Utah. Since taking the helm at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020, Eskelson’s achievements to build back the city’s meetings and… more
Mar 01, 2024
Event-related organizations far and wide, particularly CVBs and suppliers, are elevating staff, welcoming new industry professionals and saying farewell to long-standing team members this month. Huntington Place Detroit’s Huntington Place welcomed Heather Anderson as its new marketing and communications director. She is succeeding Mary Klida, who has headed the downtown convention center’s marketing and communications efforts since 2010 and is retiring March 31. In her new role, Anderson is responsible for leading the facility’s marketing and communications team and working closely with… more
Feb 12, 2024
The U.S. meetings industry is continuing its steady pace of hiring and promoting, with meeting and event-related companies elevating and appointing staff as business forecasts signal a positive outlook for the coming year. Here’s our latest recap of new hires and promotions. Connect Matt Johnson has been promoted to managing director of meetings, events, travel and tourism industry leader Connect, which was acquired by Informa in 2023 and is now part of Informa Connect. A part of the Connect team for nearly 19 years, he is responsible for spearheading new initiatives to best serve customers… more
Jan 22, 2024
Event-related organizations across the U.S., especially DMOs, are kicking off the New Year with new hires, staff promotions and executive leadership announcements.   Seattle Convention Center After serving as Seattle Convention Center (SCC) president and CEO for more than 12 years, 45-year venue management industry veteran Jeff Blosser is retiring in May 2024. During his time at the helm of the SCC, Blosser opened a new building, guided operations through a pandemic, served in leadership on numerous industry boards and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International… more
Dec 13, 2023
Like many event professionals, Stefanie Rowe did not follow a direct path into the hospitality and events industry. If anything, she imagined opening her own dance studio and performing company. While teaching dance classes post-graduation while serving at a local high-end restaurant inside a hotel, Rowe was recognized by a hospitality leader who noted her natural abilities in sales and negotiation and encouraged her to consider hospitality sales and marketing as a possible career. “I was instantly drawn to relationship building, negotiating contracts, the fine details of a perfectly… more
Dec 11, 2023
An array of CVBs, hotels, event agencies and industry associations have been steadily hiring and promoting staff, as well as padding their executive teams as they anticipate a busy 2024.  InVision Communications  Full-service event marketing agency InVision Communications recently appointed 25-year event marketing and leadership veteran Angie Smith as its new CEO, effective Jan. 1. Smith most recently served as head of experiential and field marketing at Atlassian, an InVision client. Previously, she spent more than three years at InVision as its group executive, strategy, a role in which… more
Nov 20, 2023
  Corporate event-related organizations, particularly CVBs and industry associations, have been accelerating the pace of hiring this fall. San Francisco Travel Association San Francisco Travel Association tapped 35-year convention and tourism industry veteran Scott Beck as its new president and CEO. He succeeds Joe D’Alessandro, who will retire in December after nearly 18 years leading San Francisco’s official destination marketing organization.  Beck brings a wealth of knowledge and proven expertise in attracting events, meetings and international and domestic visitors to destinations to… more
Oct 23, 2023
Across the U.S. corporate event-related organizations are placing industry veterans at the helm of venues, event organizing and management companies and CVBs. Check them out. Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority  The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) has appointed Steve Bagwell its new CEO. He will take the helm from outgoing CEO Tom Murray, who retires in November.  Now in his 28th year with the CRVA, Bagwell currently serves as vice president of venues, responsible for overseeing the management of the Charlotte Convention Center, Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium, as… more
Sep 26, 2023
The corporate event industry is continuing its strong hiring trajectory, with myriad industry professionals joining or moving up at event-related organizations, companies and venues throughout the U.S. Take a look!  Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority  The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA) recently added two regional directors of convention sales: Christina Henshall and Misty Sparks representing Reno Tahoe’s group events business in the Northwest U.S. and the Midwest, respectively, responsible for soliciting and selling the Reno, Sparks and North Lake Tahoe… more
nikki
Sep 08, 2023
Who are the up-and-comers that are making an impact on their own organizations, industry associations or the event industry overall? What do they view as the industry’s biggest challenges? What are their hopes for the future?  To find out, Corporate Event News is launching a new series featuring interviews with influential young professionals representing every aspect of the industry, from event marketers to suppliers, to find out their take on the industry’s biggest strengths and weaknesses. In this first one, we feature Nikki Bibbero, owner of Bibbero Meetings and Events. Tell us about… more
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