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
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 Vegas Hotel & Casino recently completed a $63M redesign and remodel of its 1,830 guest rooms and 155 suites. Down the street, Bellagio Las Vegas is sporting renovated rooms in the Spa Tower with sunrise-inspired decor and luxurious soaking tubs in Premier King rooms after a $110-million transformation. Reinvented Luxury Experiences The Luxury Meetings District, made up of Bellagio Las Vegas, ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas, is now more connected than ever before. A new interior walkway opened this October for a seamless attendee experience – connecting Vdara, Bellagio, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, guests can now walk from Park MGM to Bellagio in around 15 minutes. New on the scene in the Luxury Meetings District is Cathedrale at ARIA, TAO Group’s upscale establishment specializing in exquisite French-Mediterranean cuisine offering elevated private dining experiences that opened in May. Heralded by World’s Best 50 Restaurants, GQ and VOGUE, LPM at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is opening this fall and will deliver its signature spontaneity and imaginative celebration of France’s Mediterranean cuisine, art, and culture to the unique luxury resort in impeccable fashion.  A “New Wave  for Mandalay Bay A new wave of enhancements and experiences has arrived at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, including Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar, an 8,445-square-foot restaurant that opened this June, perfect for pre- and post-game eats and drinks. Event planner’s favorite, Chef Michael Mina’s StripSteak, received a full renovation and now includes one of the largest private dining rooms on The Strip. Retro by Voltaggio debuts a one-year residency with a fun take on pop culture of the 80s and 90s with classic American dishes. An exciting addition planned for 2024 is Swingers, a 40,000-square-foot oasis of street food, miniature golf and art at Mandalay Bay. Most exciting for meeting planners, the 2.1 million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center  is undergoing a complete refresh, with lightened space, added eye-catching art, and improved technology infrastructure for even more flexible space. Energy-efficient digital signage now leads the way with faster internet speeds and new AV options. From renovated guest rooms and meeting spaces to celebrated dining options and dedicated teams, MGM Resorts is dedicated to delivering exceptional and innovative meeting experiences.