People News: March Brings Plenty of New Hires, Promotions

March 28, 2018

Michael Fetter has been hired as the director of marketing in the Marketing Communications department for the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Before coming to the bureau, Fetter was a media buyer for Bandy Carroll Hellige (BCH), as well as a marketing manager for Phoenix Process Equipment Company where he oversaw all strategic marketing and communications plans.

Fetter returned to BCH in 2016 as an account manager, with the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau among his clients.

He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Strategic Communications and a minor in Business. Fetter will start March 26 at the bureau.

The Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau recently promoted Mallory Cappelli to convention sales manager in the Convention Development Department.

She replaces Allison Joyce who was promoted in February. Cappelli has been with the bureau in a convention sales assistant role since July 2016.

In this position, she will pursue meetings with 300 peak nights and below for the corporate, agriculture, fraternal, public affairs, veterans, and military/family/class reunions.

UF, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, recently has welcomed Monika Fourneaux-Ceskova as the new marketing and communications manager to the UFI team in Paris.

Fourneaux-Ceskova takes over the role from Angela Herberholz, who has managed UFI’s marketing and communications activities for the past three years, and who is taking on a new position within UFI as program manager.

Fourneaux-Ceskova brings extensive experience in marketing and communications. For the past eight years, she has been responsible for the exhibition and marketing activities of an international broadcast technology solutions provider, Ateme.

Herberholz will continue her journey with UFI as program manager. In her new role, Herberholz will focus mainly on coordinating and supporting the work of the various working committees to aid them in their global development, while also leading and driving projects in UFI’s education programmes.

Ceasars Entertainment Corporation has hired Lisa Gray Messina as vice president of Sales.

Messina will be responsible for leading the Caesars Entertainment sales strategy for meetings and events globally.

This will include the oversight and coordination of all Meeting and Convention Sales, and all direct and inside sales efforts in the regions and at the properties.

“With Lisa’s veteran experience in hospitality, sales and meetings, coupled with her tenure at reputable and international brands, we are thrilled to welcome her to the Caesars family and bring her talent, expertise and leadership to our Caesars Meetings team,” said Chief Sales Officer Michael Massari.

Messina has more than 20 years of leadership sales experience at international hospitality brands and was most recently executive director, Intermediary Group Sales Hilton Worldwide in Las Vegas, leading a team of sales directors and managing key intermediary customers to achieve the annual revenue goals.

Jon Borschow, chairman of the newly established Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization (“Corporación para la Promoción de Puerto Rico como Destino”), announced that Brad Dean has been appointed as CEO of the new DMO, effective late April 2018.

The private, not-for-profit DMO was created in March 2017 through bi-partisan legislation that provides a $25 million annual investment to manage all global marketing, sales and promotion of Puerto Rico in collaboration with local government and tourism partners.

The legislation reflects the government’s philosophy of transferring more responsibilities to the private sector to improve Puerto Rico’s economic development initiatives.

“Brad has an impressive track record of revenue growth, destination marketing, product development and community-building, both in the public and private sectors,” said Borschow.

He added, “He is a proactive and influential leader with nearly 25 successful years in the travel, tourism, meetings, and hospitality industry, and we are delighted to have him as our CEO.” Most recently, Dean served as the president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for 15 years.

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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.