Oct 04, 2021
A bevy of new hires and promotions are moving at record pace as the event, hospitality and destination marketing industries continue to forge ahead, pandemic or no pandemic. Check out who’s moving in and up at event-related organizations across the country. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort  Bill Liedholm has been appointed general manager of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach, Fla, where he will serve as its ambassador while overseeing its leadership team and all day-to-day operations. As a mentor to staff, he will lead the resort team in delivering consistent, unique… more
Sep 13, 2021
From new leadership positions at leading organizations to management roles at new hotel properties, corporate event professionals are continuing to find fresh career opportunities as the industry forges ahead toward recovery. Here’s the latest people news to keep on your radar: Associated Luxury Hotels International Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has welcomed 25-year meetings and events industry veteran Silvia Zamora as its new vice president of meeting design and experience. In this executive role, Zamora will lead and accelerate the global sales organization’s vision for… more
Sep 09, 2021
Ellen Schwartz isn’t exactly afraid to speak her mind. In fact, being outspoken is more like her superpower. A dynamic yet down-to-Earth industry professional who has worked for more than 40 years in the trade show and events industry, she exudes the kind of confidence that comes from years of experience and the wisdom gained from working her way up the ranks in show management, convention center sales and marketing roles and finally, venue management.  In this first edition of our new interview series about women in leading roles in the meetings and events industry, TSNN had the privilege… more
Aug 27, 2021
The flurry of hiring and promoting in the corporate events industry continues, with event and destination organizations expanding staff and bringing on industry veterans to lead up teams. Take a look: Banzai  Leading SaaS-based engagement marketing solutions company Banzai has appointed Ashley Levesque as its new vice president of marketing. She comes to Banzai from webinar platform Demio, which the company acquired in February, starting as an executive assistant and working her way to senior executive in just five years.  A results-oriented, impact-driven communications professional,… more
Jul 27, 2021
Mirroring the red-hot U.S. job market, the meetings and events industry is continuing to experience a deluge of new hires and promotions as it works to get back to normal. Check out who’s moving up the ladder at a host of organizations across the events spectrum: Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Randy Fiveash has been named interim president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in Fayetteville, N.C. Charged with leading and directing strategic planning and executing research-based marketing, sales and public relations, he will also work to… more
Jul 13, 2021
When Josh Hotsenpiller developed the idea of a platform launching events into the virtual world, he sought a name that matched what he believed to be an out-of-this-world idea. Juno, the name of a satellite orbiting Jupiter, immediately jumped out.  JUNO, Hotsenpiller’s company, has been firing on all cylinders since launching in mid-2020. Already a successful entrepreneur through CrowdHub and three previous start-ups, Hotsenpiller saw there was space in the ever-evolving events industry to reach a new level of connection. He has not so quietly been building an all-star team to meet the… more
Jul 12, 2021
The first time Margaret Launzel-Pennes worked on a virtual trade show, it was still a year or two before Y2K became three infamous characters. In the more than 20 years since that groundbreaking endeavor, technology has changed (particularly in the past year) but the idea of bringing communities together regardless of distance is nothing new, Launzel-Penne says. It’s that kind of experience and knowledge that Launzel-Pennes hopes will help her new company, Pop Experiential, stand out among a crowded field of event companies. She isn’t going solo — not by a long shot — and is as prepared as… more
8 Questions with New Hubilo SVP Cathy Song Novelli
Jul 08, 2021
Cathy Song Novelli joined the popular event technology platform Hubilo as senior vice president of marketing and communications in April. But she is quick to point out that this is “not my first rodeo.”  Based in Silicon Valley, Novelli is rich with experience producing events, enhancing branding and delivering high-level marketing for household-name companies like MySpace and Pandora. So her BS alarm is sparked when she hears companies say platforms create events attendees love. “As a marketer, I take great offense at that,” she said. “Event organizers use all of their creativity to create… more
Jul 06, 2021
Mike Davis, newly promoted president and COO of CORT, describes part of the industry’s recovery process as being akin to walking into a child’s toy room. There are a bunch of stuffed animals, games and other odds and ends. The only thing missing is the floor, which is buried under the mess. Behind the scenes, as trade shows and events regain their foothold, is an ongoing clean-up process. When done correctly, there are fewer items to step on and clear paths forward. Less clutter and more room for movement, in other words. It is along those same lines that Davis takes on added… more
Jul 02, 2021
The deluge of hiring and promoting continues in the events industry, with a plethora of event-related organizations appointing new leaders and boosting existing team members up the organizational ladder. Check them out:  Visit Phoenix Following an extensive nationwide search, the executive committee of Visit Phoenix has appointed Ron Price as president and CEO. He brings 25 years of experience in the tourism industry to his leadership role, most recently serving as president and CEO of the Arlington Texas Convention and Visitors Bureau, and prior to that, as the assistant executive director… more
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 more