People News: March Brings Plenty of New Hires, Promotions

March 28, 2018

Michael Fetter has been hired as the director of marketing in the Marketing Communications department for the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Before coming to the bureau, Fetter was a media buyer for Bandy Carroll Hellige (BCH), as well as a marketing manager for Phoenix Process Equipment Company where he oversaw all strategic marketing and communications plans.

Fetter returned to BCH in 2016 as an account manager, with the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau among his clients.

He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Strategic Communications and a minor in Business. Fetter will start March 26 at the bureau.

The Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau recently promoted Mallory Cappelli to convention sales manager in the Convention Development Department.

She replaces Allison Joyce who was promoted in February. Cappelli has been with the bureau in a convention sales assistant role since July 2016.

In this position, she will pursue meetings with 300 peak nights and below for the corporate, agriculture, fraternal, public affairs, veterans, and military/family/class reunions.

UF, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, recently has welcomed Monika Fourneaux-Ceskova as the new marketing and communications manager to the UFI team in Paris.

Fourneaux-Ceskova takes over the role from Angela Herberholz, who has managed UFI’s marketing and communications activities for the past three years, and who is taking on a new position within UFI as program manager.

Fourneaux-Ceskova brings extensive experience in marketing and communications. For the past eight years, she has been responsible for the exhibition and marketing activities of an international broadcast technology solutions provider, Ateme.

Herberholz will continue her journey with UFI as program manager. In her new role, Herberholz will focus mainly on coordinating and supporting the work of the various working committees to aid them in their global development, while also leading and driving projects in UFI’s education programmes.

Ceasars Entertainment Corporation has hired Lisa Gray Messina as vice president of Sales.

Messina will be responsible for leading the Caesars Entertainment sales strategy for meetings and events globally.

This will include the oversight and coordination of all Meeting and Convention Sales, and all direct and inside sales efforts in the regions and at the properties.

“With Lisa’s veteran experience in hospitality, sales and meetings, coupled with her tenure at reputable and international brands, we are thrilled to welcome her to the Caesars family and bring her talent, expertise and leadership to our Caesars Meetings team,” said Chief Sales Officer Michael Massari.

Messina has more than 20 years of leadership sales experience at international hospitality brands and was most recently executive director, Intermediary Group Sales Hilton Worldwide in Las Vegas, leading a team of sales directors and managing key intermediary customers to achieve the annual revenue goals.

Jon Borschow, chairman of the newly established Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization (“Corporación para la Promoción de Puerto Rico como Destino”), announced that Brad Dean has been appointed as CEO of the new DMO, effective late April 2018.

The private, not-for-profit DMO was created in March 2017 through bi-partisan legislation that provides a $25 million annual investment to manage all global marketing, sales and promotion of Puerto Rico in collaboration with local government and tourism partners.

The legislation reflects the government’s philosophy of transferring more responsibilities to the private sector to improve Puerto Rico’s economic development initiatives.

“Brad has an impressive track record of revenue growth, destination marketing, product development and community-building, both in the public and private sectors,” said Borschow.

He added, “He is a proactive and influential leader with nearly 25 successful years in the travel, tourism, meetings, and hospitality industry, and we are delighted to have him as our CEO.” Most recently, Dean served as the president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for 15 years.

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact