People News: Events Industry Council, Caesars, ProExhibits and More Make Hires

May 8, 2019
Amy Calvert

April showers brought May new hires to many companies in the trade show and destination marketing world. Here’s all the news you need to know.

Big news for the Events Industry Council: The Washington, D.C.-based organization appointed a new CEO in April. Following an extensive global search, Amy Calvert is now leading EIC. She brings more than three decades of experience in the industry to her new role, and was most recently with Visit Baltimore. (Stay tuned for more on Calvert in an upcoming Q&A on TSNN!)

Dawn Holden joined Destinations International as vice president of membership engagement in April, with her first day on the job this week. In her new role, she will develop and implement overall strategic direction of DI’s membership operations, including recruitment and retention of members, member services and engagement. Most recently Holden was vice president of partnership development for VisitPittsburgh. Also at DI, Paula Beck has is now director of marketing. Beck was previously with Aramark’s Parks & Destinations division as well as onPeak LLC. 

Caesars Entertainment Corporation’s board of directors named Anthony “Tony” Rodio CEO in April. He will join the board of directors and be based in Las Vegas. Most recently, he was CEO of Affinity Gaming and brings nearly four decades of experience in the gaming industry to his new position. 

Anthony “Tony” Rodio, Caesars
Tony Rodio, Caesars 

Experiential marketing agency Access TCA has brought Pat Haggerty back as senior exhibit designer after a 13-year absence from the company. He’s designed everything from exhibits for Zippo lighters to projects for Ericsson and will bring his expertise in fabrication, technology and materials trends to his new position.

Louisville Tourism has four convention sales staffing updates. Emily Hixon has been promoted from convention sales assistants to sales coordinator in the convention development department; Morgan Kemmeling has filled her previous role. Sally Chin also joined the organization as an additional convention sales assistant. Laura Crawford, most recently director of sales and marketing for 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, is filling the national sales manager role.

Lorne Edwards is now senior vice president of convention sales and services for Visit Phoenix. After joining the CVB in 2012 as director of sales, he was promoted to vice president of convention sales and services in 2017 before this latest promotion. He previously spent 16 years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Following the retirement of Jean-Claude Madier, current managing director of the Life, Leisure & Experience division of Comexposium, in June, Carine Préterre will step into this leadership role. Préterre is currently event director of Foire de Paris and will transition next month. Jean-Claude joined Comexposium in 1993, and Préterre has been with the company since 2012.

CompuSystems in Downers Grove, Illinois, has a new hire and four promotions. Ian Twentey, based in Washington, D.C., has joined the company as vice president of business development; he has more than 25 years of experience in the trade show industry. Additionally, Jackie MacPherson was promoted to vice president of event services; Alex Schneider to vice president of client success; Jen Mitchell to senior vice president of sales and service; and Mike Blazejewski to senior vice president of on-site operations. 

Maureen Carter
Maureen Carter, CSI DMC

Maureen Carter has joined international destination marketing company CSI DMC, headquartered in Washington, D.C., as vice president of national sales for the West Coast. She was most recently national sales director at The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

David Mandt has been promoted to executive vice president and chief engagement officer for IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry. In this newly created position, he’ll oversee association member engagement as well as global marketing, communications and education.

Jorge Martinez Garibay has been named EXPO PACK General Director at PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies’ Mexico office, where he will direct sales, marketing, operations and PR efforts for EXPO PACK México and EXPO PACK Guadalajara. Additionally, Laura Thompson has been promoted to vice president of trade shows at PMMI; she previously served as senior director of expositions.

AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, announced Sarah Joyce as new chief global officer in April. She comes to AVIXA after a dozen years at Electrosonic Ltd. Joyce will take over from Terry Friesenborg, who retires at the end of this year.

Erika Welling has joined business event management firm PRA Las Vegas as general manager. She will be responsible for local strategic direction, developing new business opportunities, increasing revenue streams and managing the Las Vegas team.

ProExhibits has brought on Peter Gallagher as creative director. In this role, he will lead the design team in helping clients in guide their visions into brand-building experiences and environments. He will also manage the creative team for ProGlobalEvents, the sister company of ProExhibits that focuses on corporate events.

Visit KC, the CVB promoting Kansas City, Missouri, added Nathan Hermiston to the team as senior vice president of sales and services. He was previously with Meet Minneapolis CVB and brings 15 years of experience to the leadership team.

Danielle Miles
Danielle Miles, MetroConnections

MetroConnections, headquartered in Minneapolis, has two new additions to the team. Danielle Miles has joined as manager of conferences and meetings, where she will oversee the conference and meeting management teams, as well as all client work in both areas. David Everett is sales manager and also an experienced event designer. He will focus on designing experiences and continuing to grow his client base.

Business information company Questex has expanded its team by two. Kurt Nelson has been named group vice president of talent strategy, where he will create the human resources direction for Questex; and Derek James is now director of information technology, where he’ll implement new strategies to improve and maximize technology resources.

Have People announcements to share? Send them to kogletree@tsnn.com. 

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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.