While some industries are known for slowing down in the summer months, the corporate event industry has been doing anything but resting idle, as evidenced by the extensive array of event-related organizations and suppliers continuing the industry’s ongoing hiring and promoting trend. Read on for all the latest People News you need to know!

Associated Luxury Hotels International

Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), a luxury global sales organization catering to the hospitality industry, has appointed Jim Perrin as vice president of sales for the Mid-Atlantic region. Boasting an impressive career spanning more than three decades, Perrin brings extensive knowledge of luxury global sales and a deep understanding of ALHI to its team of more than 80 sales professionals worldwide. 

Perrin has served in a wide array of sales director roles at leading hotel and resort companies across the country, including as complex director of sales and marketing at Highgate and director of sales and marketing roles at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento and Salamander Resort  Spa in Middleburg, Va. His previous experience at ALHI member hotels not only reinforces his industry-leading expertise but also demonstrates his seamless understanding of the ALHI global brand, according to ALHI officials.

Perrin currently serves on the AMCI’s Annual Meeting Committee and has previously acted as the co-chair of PCMA’s EduCon Committee, as well as the ASAE Meeting and Exposition Section Council. 

Destination DC  

Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for Washington, D.C., has promoted Shelby Luzzi to the new role of senior manager, sustainability, responsible for leading the development and implementation of DDC’s sustainability strategy, including addressing the growing demand for sustainable travel practices across meetings, conventions and leisure travel. She will also work to educate colleagues and industry peers about the latest city initiatives and trends in an effort to inspire stakeholders to embrace more sustainable practices.

Luzzi previously served as a coordinator in DDC’s convention sales and services department and has been leading DDC’s internal sustainability task force since March 2022. Under her leadership, Washington, D.C. has been the only U.S. city to participate in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS*) Index in 2021 and 2022. The index is a leading sustainability benchmarking and improvement program for destinations worldwide.  

Luzzi actively contributes to sustainability efforts through her involvement in Destination International’s Sustainability Task Force, the U.S. Travel Association’s Sustainable Travel Coalition and the Global Destination Sustainability-Index Technical Advisory Committee.

Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau 

The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) has welcomed Marcail Bayer as national sales manager, tasked with selling and marketing Atlanta as a premier destination for group meetings requiring 251-1,200 rooms on peak night, focusing on the Midwest market. She will also represent ACVB at trade shows and coordinate the participation of the organization’s partners.  

Prior to ACVB, Bayer served as the complex convention sales coordinator for Legacy Ventures, where she was charged with responding to leads and conducting site inspections.     

CSI DMC 

CSI DMC, Destination & Event Management, recently announced the addition of award-winning events and destination management expert Maddie DaMario as its new vice president of national sales, based in Chicago. 

Before serving a five-year tenure at Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, where she excelled in managing client relationships and driving convention business to Reno, DaMario successfully oversaw national conferences and meetings for the American Osteopathic Association. She currently serves on the PCMA National Membership Task Force. 

Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau in Arlington, Texas, has announced the addition of Kelly Wildfong as its new director of national accounts. She will play a key role in supporting the sales endeavors and operations of the Arlington CVB sales team, working toward the successful promotion of hotel meetings and other venues in Arlington, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of strategic plans designed to ensure a positive ROI in convention sales.

Boasting an impressive background in hospitality sales spanning more than 12 years, Wildfong most recently served as the national sales manager for Caesars Entertainment’s extensive portfolio of 50 properties. Prior to that, she served as the national sales manager for Omni Hotels and Resorts. 

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

To further this mission of supporting small and emerging businesses (SEB) and disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) in the region, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has named LaToya Martin as its SEB program manager, responsible for overseeing SEB and DBE initiatives designed to enhance opportunities for diverse and small businesses to access NOENMCC contracts and projects.

Previously, Martin served in the City of New Orleans’ Office of Supplier Diversity as a compliance officer, where she later received a promotion to senior compliance officer. In this capacity, she supervised a team of four compliance officers and managed a substantial portfolio of public and private sector funds totaling $700 million.

Martin assumes her new role as the previous SEB program director, Rocsean Spencer, was promoted to chief diversity officer, becoming the first individual to hold this role at a U.S. convention center. 

Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau 

The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (AICVB) recently promoted Amy Boek from CMO to vice president and CMO of the organization following her nine-year tenure overseeing the CVB’s marketing department.  

Since joining the AICVB in 2014 as director of marketing, Boek has overseen the development and execution of numerous award-winning advertising campaigns and introduced new programs and events benefiting the local community. 

Prior to AICVB, Boek served as marketing communications manager for Omni Amelia Island Resort, during which she helped relaunch the luxury beachfront resort following a $100 million renovation. She also spent five years as a real estate marketing manager for Amelia Island Plantation. 

She is currently a member of the VISIT FLORIDA marketing council and Destinations Florida board of directors. 

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