People News: Caesars Entertainment, Impact XM and More Tap New Executives, Elevate Team Members
October 18, 2022
Despite rumblings of a slowing job market, the trade show industry is continuing its strong hiring and promoting momentum, with organizations far and wide filling executive roles with seasoned industry veterans and elevating strong-performing team members with new titles. Check them out!
Caesars Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. has promoted 20-year sales and hospitality industry veteran Kelly Gleeson Smith to vice president of sales, meetings and events, responsible for leading the global sales strategy for meetings and events for the enterprise and overseeing a team of more than 120 sales executives.
Based in Florida, Gleeson Smith joined Caesars Entertainment in 2017, and in her previous role at the company, led the East Coast sales team and its efforts. She is actively involved with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and was recently named to the Industry Partner Alliance board.
Impact XM
Growing global full-service event and experiential marketing agency Impact XM announced two major appointments recently.
Shana Carr has been tapped as the agency’s new COO, tasked with leading and scaling the company’s growth as well as acting as a strategic partner to CEO Jared Pollacco in setting and driving organizational vision and operational strategy.
With more than 25 years of experience in the trade show, event, experiential marketing and brand environment industry to her new executive position, Carr has held multiple roles at top event marketing companies including as president and vice president. She brings a diverse background to the Impact XM team that offers a blend of strategic insight, operational oversight, program/business management and financial evaluations to clients and organizations.
The agency also appointed Francesca Gangitano as senior director of strategy and planning, a role in which she will work closely with clients to uncover insights, realize new opportunities and help brands form deep connections with their customers. With 25 years of experience in all forms of live, virtual and digital immersive experience design, she will play an instrumental role as a leader in the agency’s growing strategy team.
Gangitano brings a vast portfolio of expertise in brand and event strategy, planning and measurement for some of the world’s most iconic brands across a variety of verticals, including technology, consumer products and pharma. Her experience with client activations, road-tours, festivals and product launches will help the agency support its experiential capabilities in these growing areas.
Ungerboeck
Global event and venue management software leader Ungerboeck has named event technology veteran Steve Mackenzie chief innovation officer. In this newly created role, Mackenzie will advance Ungerboeck’s innovation pipeline, building on the company’s history of developing premium and versatile event management solutions, and lead the newly launched Worldwide Innovation Lab, focused on designing next-generation event management capabilities.
Bringing four decades of industry expertise to his new role, Mackenzie most recently served as executive vice president at Ungerboeck following its recent merger with EventBooking, where he served as president. Prior to that, he held leadership roles in event tech companies including Oracle (Micros-Fidelio) and Aventri (etouches).
A Certified Venue Executive, Mackenzie serves as adjunct professor for Event Technology Management at Florida International University.
Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) has appointed Karen Dougherty Buchholz as the new chair of its board of directors. She will succeed 18-year PHLCVB chair Nicholas DeBenedictis, chairman emeritus of Aqua America.
Buchholz currently serves as executive vice president of administration for Philadelphia-based Comcast Corporation, where she has worked for more than 20 years and has held several positions. Early in her career with Comcast, she founded the organization’s first corporate communications infrastructure, unifying communications for the company’s family of companies, and was also responsible for the development of both corporate headquarters: the Comcast Center and neighboring Technology Center.
Buchholz led Comcast’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for nearly 10 years, at one point serving as chief diversity officer. Under her leadership, Comcast launched employee resource groups and drove progress in supplier diversity, diverse programming and community impact initiatives.
Prior to joining Comcast Corporation, Buchholz was president of Philadelphia 2000, the organization that secured Philadelphia as host city for the 2000 Republican National Convention and served as the city’s official host committee.
ASM Global
Leading venue management and event strategy company ASM Global has tapped a new executive and announced a major promotion at one of its partner venues.
On Oct. 13, the company announced it had appointed convention industry veteran Kimberly Weedmark as the new general manager for the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), part of the ASM Global venue portfolio for the past nine years.
Bringing a wealth of experience to the downtown L.A. venue, Weedmark has worked in the city’s convention industry for more than two decades. For the past 20 years, she has led high-performing sales teams in all aspects of sales, event management and customer/partner relations at NBC, Universal Studios Hollywood, most recently as vice president of special events and group sales since 2008. She was also involved in managing partnership relations with the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, hotels, tour operators and others to support business development.
In her new role, Weedmark will work closely with the City of Los Angeles to grow and modernize the LACC.
Liam Thornton has been named executive vice president strategy and development, responsible for further expanding ASM Global’s rapidly growing project development program. In his new role, Thornton will be responsible for strategic planning, market research, site selection, lease and partnership negotiations, development feasibility, site planning, project advisory and investment analysis.
Thornton brings many years of business development leadership experience to his new position, most recently serving as executive vice president development at Live Nation Entertainment for more than five years.
The company also promoted 12-year hospitality veteran Austin Connors to general manager of the Abilene Convention Center in Texas. Connors has been part of the ASM Global team for seven years, most recently serving as senior events manager at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.
Connors previously served as event manager for the Tucson Convention Center complex, which includes the Tucson Arena and two performing arts theaters, the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall and the Leo Rich Theater. He received a Master of Science in hospitality management from Temple University School of Sports, Tourism and Hospitality Management in May of this year.
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber & CVB
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) and Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in South Carolina has promoted John Cramer to facilities manager. In his new role, Cramer will work with Diana Greene, MBACC chief of administration, to manage the operation of chamber offices and facilities, including maintaining the storage warehouse, visitor centers, mailroom, equipment and supplies. He has been with the chamber for seven years, serving as the facilities assistant manager.
The Opus Group
Global agency network The Opus Group announced some leadership changes recently.
Dena Lowery has been promoted to president of Opus Agency. Over a career spanning more than 26 years with the agency, she has proven herself as a leader in global experience and event operations. She is replacing Kim Kopetz, who has been appointed president and COO of The Opus Group, who will oversee day-to-day operations across the collective’s brands.
Beginning her career at Opus Agency in 1996, Lowery has served in a range of roles, starting as an event manager, followed by director of client services and then as executive vice president, events division. Most recently, as COO, she has been overseeing the agency’s event operations, registration, attendee management and the international capabilities.
Lowery currently serves on the boards of AVIXA and MGM Resorts International.
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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors.
TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders.
Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA
With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role?
Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”
These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.
Allegiant Stadium
As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward?
Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees.
What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events?
We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.
Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city.
Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.
What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization?
We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.
What are your favorite ways to recharge?
My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.
Valley of Fire
What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing?
I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.
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