Event-related organizations, particularly CVBs and meeting and convention venues, have been busily appointing industry veterans to executive roles and promoting team members. Take a look! 

Orange County Convention Center 

The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla., has welcomed two industry veterans to its executive leadership team with the appointment of Anthony “Tony” Camarillo as the venue’s new general manager and Keri Burns as its new director of sales. 

With a career spanning more than three decades, Camarillo brings a wealth of experience in sales, events and general management to the OCCC. He most recently served as the director of the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Fla., for eight years and prior to that worked at Chicago’s McCormick Place and Navy Pier, where he held various positions and was instrumental in developing the facilities, standardizing operations, increasing sales and enhancing event management. 

As the OCCC’s general manager, Camarillo will assist the executive team in the overall management of the building with an emphasis placed on safe and efficient operations. He will also respond to outside organizations’ needs and lead the overall direction, coordination and evaluation of assigned OCCC divisions. 

A proven leader in the hospitality industry, Keri Burns brings more than 15 years of experience to the OCCC, most recently serving as the Central Florida regional director for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). 

As director of sales for the OCCC, Burns will oversee daily operations of the sales division, providing leadership and development for the staff. She will also coordinate with other OCCC divisions and external organizations such as Visit Orlando, I-Drive Chamber and the hotel community to drive business to the convention center. 

New York City Tourism + Conventions  

NYC Tourism + Conventions has made senior leadership changes on its tourism market development team to expand the organization’s investment in critical inbound markets for New York City, including LGBTQ+, luxury, accessible travel, Black travel and U.S. Hispanic segments.

Robert Beckham, who previously served as senior vice president of membership, will transition to senior vice president of tourism market development for Europe, responsible for overseeing all European markets, and will be based in the U.K. A sales and marketing veteran, he joined New York City Tourism + Conventions in 2002 and has worked on the membership development and services team since 2014, leading efforts to diversify and grow the member base, while also providing education and marketing opportunities to businesses and organizations from all five boroughs.  

Reginald Charlot, who was previously managing director for tourism market development, which included 15 years leading in the European markets, will now serve as senior vice president of tourism market development for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.S., Luxury and LGBTQ+ markets. A member of the organization’s tourism market development team since 2008, he has led the effort to develop core markets across Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S., and has helped develop the organization’s luxury strategy, which he will continue to grow in this new capacity.  

Makiko Matsuda Healy, previously managing director for tourism market development, will serve as senior vice president of tourism market development. Her role remains unchanged and will continue to focus on leading trade development for the Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa markets. 

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina 

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, a waterfront resort located on 342 acres of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has appointed Shane Nicolopoulos as general manager, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the 400-room waterfront resort.  

Bringing nearly 25 years of experience to his new position, Nicolopoulos began his Hyatt career as a corporate management trainee at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. Throughout his tenure with the company, he has held various management and leadership positions, from executive housekeeping manager at Hyatt Regency Windwatch on Long Island, N.Y. to director of rooms at Hyatt Regency Orange County, Hyatt Regency Albuquerque and Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. He was promoted to general manager in 2017 at Andaz San Diego and most recently held the position at Hyatt Regency Portland, Oregon. 

Visit Salt Lake 

Experienced sales professional Jill Lackey recently joined Visit Salt Lake as its convention sales director, responsible for pursuing citywide conventions in the education, cultural, social welfare and trade/business/commercial markets.

Lackey worked for 22 years at Snowbird, where she held multiple sales-related positions, most recently as senior sales manager handling an eight-state region, and prior to that, worked at Michigan’s Iroquois Hotel and with Deer Valley Lodging. 

Associated Luxury Hotels International 

Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), a luxury global sales organization spanning the spectrum of hospitality, is expanding its strategic consulting services (SCS) division with the addition of behavioral expert Heather Hansen O’Neill and international consultant Eric Rozenberg.

A behavioral expert with 25 years of extensive experience consulting with professionals within the event and hospitality industry, O’Neill is president of From Fear to Fire and host of its podcast, an international keynote speaker, a three-time author and coach to top sales executives and C-suite leaders. She has worked extensively in events and hospitality for the last 10 years including speaking for large hotels, holding leadership roles at Meeting Professionals International and as a designated retreat facilitator and speaker at numerous industry associations.

Eric Rozenberg is an acquisition entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster and two-time Amazon bestselling author. For more than two decades, he has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and produced award-winning sales meetings, incentive trips, product launches and conferences in more than 50 countries across diverse industries. An expert in helping entrepreneurs grow and manage their business, his offerings will include acquisition entrepreneurship, small business strategy consultation, thought leadership and business owners group coaching. 

Metro Toronto Convention Centre 

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) recently appointed Julie Shorrock as vice president of sales, responsible for leading the strategic sales plan and promote the Centre’s future growth across all international, U.S. and Canadian market segments.  

She is replacing MTCC’s current vice president of sales, David Chisholm, who will be leaving the MTCC after 24 years of service and will see the transition through to fall of 2023. Shorrock will join the MTCC team Aug. 8 after serving as complex director of sales and marketing at Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

Bringing more than 25 years of sales experience in the meetings, conventions and hospitality industry to the MTCC, Shorrock has been successful in building and managing large sales teams for first-class hotel brands, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. 

Visit Atlantic City  

Visit Atlantic City recently welcomed back Gary Musich as vice president of sales, responsible for productivity reporting, ensuring the sales team has the resources they need to meet their goals and managing the synergy between the Atlantic City Convention Center and property partners. He previously held executive positions within the sales departments at Visit Atlantic City (formerly Meet AC), the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) and at casino resorts for more than 25 years.

Musich is replacing Sandi Harvey, who officially retired on April 28 after more than 25 years in the tourism and hospitality industry. Through her tenure at Visit Atlantic City, she was responsible for productivity reporting, ensuring the sales team had the necessary resources to achieve their goals and managing the synergy between the Atlantic City Convention Center and property partners. 

Sahara Las Vegas 

SAHARA Las Vegas has appointed Mike Hnatuick as its new vice president of security and Stan Williams as its new director of security.

After working as the casino-resort’s director of security for more than five years, Hnatuick is now tasked with leading the security department in providing a safe environment for guests and team members. Prior to joining the company more than seven years ago, Hnatuick served 25 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where he retired as a sergeant. 

Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau 

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) is continuing to expand its sales and services team with the addition of Andre Walker Sr. as senior national accounts director, responsible for supporting the organization’s efforts to attract and book citywide business from the Washington, D.C., metro area.  

Walker brings 20 years of Mid-Atlantic group sales experience and experience representing CVBs in Chicago, Memphis, Kansas City and Spokane to his new role. Prior to joining the PHLCVB, he served as national sales and operations manager at Northwest Environmental.

Hall Technologies 

Hall Technologies, a global AV company specializing in end-to-end solutions, recently added 30-year AV veteran and education technology specialist Flynn Kelly to its team as national business development manager, responsible for building its education sector business.  

Kelly hails from a long career on the system integration and engineering side of designing audiovisual projects, serving in various management roles at companies including Bluum Technology, Trox and Troxell Communications, to name a few. 

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