People News: Events Industry Council, Caesars, ProExhibits and More Make Hires
May 8, 2019
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.
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 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.
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.
Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
Add new comment