People News: Corcoran Expositions, MCI USA, Event Tech Tribe, CVBs and More Make Hires

July 1, 2019
Ben Nazario

May and June have been busy months on the hiring front. From many new promotions and hires at CVBs around the country to expanded sales teams, new association leadership, DMO development and more, the future of the trade show and meetings industry looks bright.

Philip Schlitz has joined Chestnut, New York-based brand experience agency MC2 as the company’s first corporate vice president of strategic business development. Also at MC2, Ben Nazario (pictured at right) joined the leadership team as California division president. Prior to his most recent role as chief sales officer at Sparks, he was vice president of national accounts at MC2.

Judy Kent, an industry veteran with 20 years of hospitality sales experience, joined the team at Explore St. Louis as national sales manager in May. Previously, Kent was director of sales and marketing for Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland.

MCI USA’s association management and consulting division added a new vice president of client partnerships and performance in May. Denise Jackson, an experienced association executive who was most recently with Association Headquarters in Washington, D.C., will lead transition management of incoming organizations and oversee MCI USA’s association clients.

Denise Jackson
Denise Jackson

Bill Dosch is now executive director of catering and convention services at The Collection Hotels and Caesars Forum, part of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. After starting his career with the company 30 years ago, he will now oversee F&B at Harrah’s Las Vegas, LINQ Hotel and Flamingo Hotel, in addition to the Caesars Forum conference center and Forum Plaza (opening next year).

National Marine Manufacturers Association selected Frank Hugelmeyer as its next president. This month, he’ll begin a transition period to succeed Thom Dammrich — who’s led NMMA for 20 years and is retiring — before officially leading the organization beginning Oct. 1. Hugelmeyer was most recently president of the RV Industry Association.

Carson Hotard has joined Event Transportation Systems as enterprise development manager, where he’ll managing site operations for industry events. Most recently, he was a production engineer at Daily Thermetrics in Houston.

Chicago-based business events management firm PRA hired Danielle Cirami-Gillis as vice president of strategic partnerships in May. Previously vice president of events and trade shows with Northstar Travel Group, she will have a key focus on developing new hotel partnerships in markets around North America in her new position. 

Danielle Cirami-Gillis
Danielle Cirami-Gillis

Corcoran Expositions promoted four team members and made four new hires in May. Carly DiVito was promoted to group account director; Gavin McAuliffe is now exhibit manager for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Materials Science & Technology and the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society; Jennifer Kattalia is exhibit manager for the Association of Supply Chain Management and the Association of College & Research Libraries; and Kyle Cocoran is now exhibit manager for Water Quality Association Convention and Exhibition. For new hires, Laura Dann is an exhibit manager working with the ASCD and the National League of Cities; Celeste Fuchs is exhibit manager for the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association and the Illinois Library Association; and Sean Fitzgerald and Scott Brewster have joined as sales associates marketing exhibit space.

Falls, Church, Virginia-based CSI DMI has promoted A.J. Bownas from director of event management to general manager of CSI Washington, D.C. He has 15 years of event management experience.

Carsten Pleiser was appointed CEO of Event Tech Tribe in May, taking over for Marie-Claire Andrews, who is stepping into the company’s newly formed board as president. London-based Pleiser has more than a decade of experience in European event technology and SaaS.

Shannon Knox
Shannon Knox

International Market Centers hired Shannon Knox as executive vice president and chief technology officer. Previously vice president of IT field services and strategic sourcing for Hilton Worldwide, he brings valuable experience in the implementation of enterprise architecture to his new role.

Matt Moos is now director of corporate partnerships for International Exposition Center (I-X Center) in Cleveland. He has 15 years of sales experience, working most recently as senior vice president of corporate development for the Lake Erie Crushers baseball team.

Princeton, New York-based event technology firm TRC appointed Brent Pearson chief technology officer in June. He brings two decades of experience in the industry to this position, which coincided with TRC’s release of TRCBLE, an attendee tracking and data analytics tool. 

Phillip Ferger
Phillip Ferger

Following Messe Frankfurt’s acquisition of a stake in nmedia GmbH, a European leader in electronic data interchange, Philipp Ferger was appointed second managing director of nmedia GmbH. He shares responsibility with Nicolaus Gedat and officially began his new role in June.

Event Marketing Partners added Andy Herman to the team in June as vice president of sponsorships and events. In his new role with the Manasquan, New Jersey-based experiential event marketing agency, he will focus on improving efficiencies for clients’ sponsorships programs and driving revenue.

Troy Anderson
Troy Anderson

Visit Seattle has a new director of sales. Troy Anderson, who has been with the CVB since 2013, was officially promoted June 7. His chief responsibility is providing leadership of the convention sales team, which also sells Washington State Convention Center alongside Seattle hotels.

Visit OKC (the Oklahoma City CVB) added three team members last month. Shanna Wilson is director of convention services, working directly with meeting planners; Katy Smith is convention sales manager, working to promote the city specifically to the SMERF market; and Sydney Calls is the new social media manager.

Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB had three staff updates last month. Agnieszka Zaranski is now regional sales executive, focusing on the New England region; seasoned journalist Kara Franker has been appointed senior vice president of marketing and communications; and Heather Miller has joined as a regional sales executive, covering the Midwest region as well as the nationwide incentive market.

Agnieszka Zaranski
Agnieszka Zaranski

Event technology company Crystal Interactive has five new team members. Lewis Thompson and Lucy Skinner have joined the company’s event technology specialists team; Jess Bramley is project coordinator in the apps team; Alex Pooley is logistics coordinator; and David Morgan is business development manager. All are based in the company’s U.K. office.

Crystal Interactive team
Crystal Interactive team

Ben Greenish joined dmg events in late June as senior vice president, leading the company’s construction division. He has previously been in senior roles at various media companies, such as UBM and EMAP.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta hired Vickie Hubbard as its new managing director last month. She replaces Sandie Aaron, who retired. Hubbard has 30 years of experience in the industry, including her most recent role as executive director of the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Detroit Metro CVB named Susan Richardson director of sales in late June. She joins the team from Javits Center in New York, and brings more than 20 years of sales experience to her new position.

Nimlok NYC, a company that provides trade show exhibit and event marketing services, expanded its account management team by two: Melissa Fuentefria, previously with Freeman, and Pierre Combs, who comes from exhibit houses, both joined in June.

Have People announcements to share? Send them to kogletree@tsnn.com for a chance to be featured next month. 

 

Add new comment

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.