People News: Spiro, Orange County Convention Center, Freeman and More Tap New Executives, Promote Team Members 

September 12, 2022

As summer turns to fall, event-related companies, CVBs and venues are continuing to build their teams, appoint new leaders and reward hard-working staff to elevated roles. Check them out!

Spiro

Spiro, the brand experience agency within the GES Collective, appointed David Kuznick as its global chief financial officer, effective immediately. As an integral part of Spiro’s executive leadership and finance teams, Kuznick will aid the company’s rapid disruption response and strong future growth trajectory. 

Before joining Spiro, Kuznick held executive roles at MC2 as COO and at FoodPrep Solutions, where he served as COO and board director. With his extensive executive leadership experience, integrating and running global agencies within the industry, combined with his time spent as a partner at Deloitte, Kuznick brings a diverse set of skills and expertise to the Spiro team. 

Orange County Convention Center  

The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) promoted Eric Blanc, Sr. to deputy director, responsible for overseeing the venue’s sales, marketing, event management and exhibitor services divisions. 

Blanc joined the Orlando, Fla.-based convention center in 2019, when he was hired as the assistant director of sales, and in February 2020, he was promoted to senior director of sales. 

Prior to joining the OCCC’s sales division, Blanc served as director of sales, marketing and convention services for the Tampa Convention Center, where he spent 15 years of his career. His professional background spans various top organizations in the meetings and convention industry, including Freeman and GES, where he was a national sales manager for both companies. 

Freeman

Cameron Geiger has joined Freeman as executive vice president of business operations and digital transformation to lead the company’s supply chain, digital transformation and sales enablement teams. According to Freeman officials, the newly-created executive leadership role is designed to drive the organization’s global supply chain and sourcing as well as architect the systems and processes required for digital transformation.  

A former U.S. Marine Corps captain and helicopter pilot, Geiger brings more than 30 years of experience in operations, supply chain and technology roles in global organizations to his new role, including at TriMark and Walmart. In his nearly 20 years at Walmart, Geiger held leadership roles in sourcing, inventory management, operations and IT before being named senior vice president of supply chain services. Most recently, he served as COO for Soli Organic. 

Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau  

Following a nationwide search, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) recently appointed DEI advocacy expert Sheila Alexander-Reid as executive director of PHL Diversity, a key business development division of the PHLCVB. A champion for marginalized communities who brings decades of leadership experience in diversity, equity and inclusion, she will oversee PHL Diversity’s efforts to promote the city as an inclusive, welcoming destination for meetings and conventions. 

In her new role, Alexander-Reid is responsible for leading implementation and strategy to develop and synergize relationships with industry and government stakeholders across the city’s diverse community. She will lead PHL Diversity with the goal of increasing the net convention, meetings and tourism brand value of Philadelphia while also advancing opportunities for growth of local businesses as a result of increased event and visitation to the city.

Most recently, Alexander-Reid served as senior vice president, business development at BiasSync, a firm that helps organizations more effectively assess and manage unconscious bias in the work environment. She also founded two agencies with which she remains active: Branding4Change, a boutique branding and training agency focused on DEI, and Women in the Life, a social justice non-profit organization that creates safe spaces and social gatherings for lesbians of color. 

In 2015, Alexander-Reid was appointed by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser as executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs, a role in which she advised the mayor on the implementation of discrimination protections and diversity and inclusion policies that supported D.C.’s LGBTQ residents. Along with being instrumental in the city’s successful fight for marriage equality, she also served on a policy committee advising the Biden-Harris campaign and often collaborated with Destination DC to help attract diverse conventions. 

Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre 

Northwest Atlanta’s Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority has appointed Shawn Stinson as director of food and beverage at the Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Bringing 25 years of experience in venue and food and beverage management to her new role, she is responsible for providing strategic leadership and execution of the company’s food and beverage concepts. 

A Michigan native, Stinson began her career in country club management and spent 12 years with the Academy of Medicine at Georgia Tech. She most recently served as general manager of the Proof of the Pudding catering company at Savanna Hall at Zoo Atlanta. 

Have some people news to share? Please send announcements and high-resolution headshots to lpsavas@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.