people and development

Straight Talk: IMEX's Carina Bauer on Human Nature, Mental Health, Sustainability and DEI

IMEX Group has long been at the forefront of championing important industry topics such as mental health and well-being, sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), all of which it has become a model for with its two annual shows in Frankfurt and Las Vegas, as well as numerous other initiatives throughout the year.

People News: Visit Spokane, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Visit KC and More Make Executive Appointments, Grow Staff

Across the country, event-related organizations are tapping new leadership and expanding their teams. Take a look!

Visit Spokane

Visit Spokane has tapped Rose Noble as its new president and CEO, effective May 15. She is currently finishing out a five-year tenure as president and CEO of Galena Country Tourism in Galena, Ill., where she has worked for more than seven years, previously as interim director and prior to that as director of marketing. 

Developing an Employee-Centric Workplace Culture With Joshua Vaught, Sodexo Live! General Manager, Indiana Convention Center 

Workplace culture can have a direct impact on the overall success of an organization, as it affects how employees perceive their jobs, colleagues and employer. When staff are happy and motivated in their work environments, they tend to be more productive and engaged, as well as more likely to stay at a company long-term, thus reducing turnover and contributing to that organization’s productivity and financial success.

Women at the Helm: Laura Purdy, General Manager, Exhibition Place

The story of how Laura Purdy found a career in the exhibitions and meetings industry will be a familiar one for many event professionals: She fell into it – and never left. While in the process of building a marketing and retail management career at a prestigious commercial real estate firm in Toronto, Canada, Purdy had the chance to participate in new business development projects, including responding to RFPs for management contracts for global commercial real estate properties. 

People News: ASM Global, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and More Scoop Up New Team Members, Promote Staff  

The steady influx of new hires and promotions continues as corporate events move full steam ahead in 2023. Take a look at who’s landing new career opportunities or moving up the ladder!

ASM Global

Global venue management and event strategy leader ASM Global has appointed 20-year San Francisco travel and convention veteran Leonie Patrick as the new general manager for the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. 

Women at the Helm: Cathy Schlosberg, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Encore

Pre-teen girls certainly have a lot of things on their minds but hatching a business—let alone brainstorming best marketing practices for its success—ordinarily aren’t some of them. Cathy Schlosberg, however, was an extraordinary girl, and those were the exact thoughts swirling through her 12-year-old brain when she and her brother came up with the idea to launch a catering business servicing events for their parents and parents’ friends.

Taste Trends: Phil Evans, Executive Chef, Raleigh Convention Center

Oftentimes, the careers we imagine for ourselves as children aren’t necessarily what we end up pursuing as adults. Ask Phil Evans about his path into the culinary arts, and he’ll tell you a similar story.

“My parents were the driving force for me to get into the culinary industry,” Evans explains. “I actually wanted to be a schoolteacher, but I grew up in the kitchen cooking with my grandmother and then my mother, so it came to me naturally. I inevitably fell in love with cooking.”

Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is more