by Kerstan Szczepanski, Exhibit City News
San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) President and CEO Julie Coker was hired to lead New York City Tourism + Conventions Board of Directors, effective December 9.
Coker has led SDTA since 2020; she has served in executive roles in the tourism and hospitality industries for more than three decades, including leading the Philadelphia CVB.
“Julie is a respected industry expert and deeply experienced leader who will steward both NYC Tourism + Conventions and New York City’s $74 billion tourism economy,” said NYC Tourism + Conventions Board Chair and Shubert Organization EVP Charles Flateman in a statement announcing the hiring. “We are thrilled to have Julie on board.”
“Leading the San Diego Tourism Authority has been an incredible journey, and I’m immensely proud of what our team has accomplished,” Coker said in the statement. “Together with our Board of Directors, members and the local tourism community, we successfully navigated the challenges of the pandemic and have driven San Diego’s tourism recovery. This resilience and collaborative spirit have laid a strong foundation for my new chapter with New York City Tourism + Conventions. I’m eager to bring my passion for the tourism industry to New York City and look forward to building upon the remarkable work of the talented team in place, further enhancing the global appeal of one of the world’s most iconic cities.”
According to the news release San Diego has ranked as one of the top-performing U.S. destinations during Coker’s tenure, ranking third in the nation in hotel occupancy at 73.5% in 2023, while the city’s groups and convention business surpassed 2019 levels and the tourism industry generated $14.3 billion in visitor spending.
Destinations International (DI), the world’s leading association representing destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), announced that Lauren Shoaf Pace has joined the association as Vice President of Marketing.
Pace joins DI from Travel Show Marketing Group, where she served as Vice President of Global Development, creating and executing comprehensive global marketing strategies to drive awareness, engagement and revenue growth for the company’s portfolio. Previously, during a career spanning nearly 20 years in the travel and tourism industry, Pace worked in destination organizations at both the state and local level.
As Vice President of Marketing at Destinations International, Pace will be responsible for the strategic development and implementation of all the association’s marketing initiatives. She will oversee the planning, coordination and execution of marketing strategies to ensure the timely and effective delivery of campaigns and projects, as well as advise and facilitate engagement opportunities for partners and members, promote DI products, tools and resources. Pace will report to Chief Operating Officer Gretchen Hall and work closely with Tim Smith, Vice President of Communications, to position DI as an industry thought leader across the globe.
“Lauren is a deeply experienced marketing professional and proven leader in our industry, and I am delighted to have her join our exceptional and growing team at Destinations International,” said Hall.
“I’m excited to be joining Destinations International at a time of tremendous growth and opportunity for the association,” Pace said. “Having spent the majority of my career on the DMO side, I’m eager to transfer and apply that foundational knowledge more broadly across the industry to help DI’s members around the world promote their destinations as great places to visit, work and live.”
Pace joins Destinations International following an extensive search led by SearchWide Global, a full-service executive search firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management, experiential marketing, sports and entertainment industries.
ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management company and producer of live entertainment, announced the appointment of Alan Pryor as the new General Manager for Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB).
Pryor brings more than 40 years’ experience in international convention and hotel management, including as General Manager for the ASM Global operated Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia. Under his leadership the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre became Asia’s first International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) Gold Standard Venue. With more than 28.6 million visitors annually, the centre is now a trusted hub for world-class events and hospitality. Pryor spent a significant part of his earlier career in both convention centres and hotels in London and South Africa.
ASM Global (APAC and MENA) Chairman and Chief Executive, Harvey Lister AM, said, “It’s powerful when we can leverage our collective experience from across the ASM Global family combining people and skills to deliver continued success in Bahrain. Alan is a strong, experienced global exhibition and convention leader and he is ideal to drive the next phase of growth for Exhibition World Bahrain.”
Pryor said, “Exhibition World Bahrain is a stunning new venue and presents an extraordinary opportunity to build an environment that is unique and a world class experience for all – guests, clients, delegates and our own ASM Global team. I am looking forward to generating a long-term legacy for the Kingdom of Bahrain and working closely with our partners Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and all the local teams to create a diverse, inclusive team which will lead the venue into the future.”
ASM Global has also announced that Tina Eggers, Deputy Director of Business Development (APAC and MENA) will spend several months in Bahrain providing support for the new team helping to drive the strategic direction of attracting new business, clients and visitors to Bahrain.
Eggers’ strong experience working with local teams across the Asia Pacific and the Middle East will greatly assist Pryor’s plan to attract and secure local, regional and international conferences, meetings and events for Bahrain.
Eggers sees the connection between the investment in Exhibition World Bahrain and the future of the country. “This is an amazing platform for clients, delegates, visitors and guests to enjoy a glimpse of Bahrain’s warm, welcoming, and authentic Arab hospitality.”
ASM Global has announced the appointment of events industry specialist Martin McGougan as the group’s Regional Director Business Development for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) Region. He is a strategic events specialist with over 20 years in the business across the Middle East and Scotland.
For the last ten years, McGougan has been based at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) helping to deliver the government’s Economic Vision 2030 through the development of core markets and the establishment of key business events. As Head of Sales for ADNEC, Martin led the Exhibition Sales Team to deliver outstanding results while also leading business strategy and strategic partnerships with government entities to deliver and support new markets.
Prior to moving to Abu Dhabi, Mr McGougan was the Business Development Manager for Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus, (SEC) the UK’s largest integrated conference and exhibition centre.
In his new role at ASM Global, McGougan will be based in Riyadh and will identify potential venue management opportunities across the region and be an integral part of the mobilization team as new venues are secured. He will support Venue General Managers and their Business Development teams to deliver conference and exhibition growth across the region.
McGougan said, “I am thrilled my Middle East adventure continues with this move to Riyadh and delivering the very best in events for clients and visitors alike across a growing portfolio of ASM Global venues in the region.”
ASM Global (APAC and MENA) has announced the appointment of venue and entertainment industry specialist Santiago Olea into the role of General Manager of the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Santiago brings over 10 years’ experience across vital sports and entertainment venues and major events in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Dubai to the team. He joins directly from the MBC Group, the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa, where he was Chief Operating Officer for MBC Events helping them grow through excellence in event execution and cultivating strong, strategic alliances with vendors.
Prior to MBC, he managed venues for Live Nation in the Middle East where he developed and delivered the programming strategy in support of the venue’s artistic vision attracting national and international events of all genres.
In his new role as General Manager, Santiago will lead the local leadership team to achieve the business plan and oversee and direct planning, operations and controls across all departments to ensure overall customer satisfaction, commercial compliance, and reporting in accordance with the Management Agreement, ASM Global governance requirements and statutory requirements.
“Part of Santiago’s proven track record has been driven through a relentless focus on achieving international standards in quality and service across all aspects of venue management, event production and customer service. We are pleased to direct that focus now on the KAFD Conference Center as it will be a premium venue for international meetings, tradeshows, and cultural experiences in Riyadh,” said Paul Sergeant OBE, ASM Global Executive Vice President, Asia & The MENA Region.
Santiago said, “I am particularly looking forward to working with King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company and building solid partnerships with local financial event organisers, and the Riyadh community to create a thriving event ecosystem.”
Kelci Balkcom has been promoted to Associate Director of Sales at Atomic Golf. Balkcom was Event Sales Manager for a year prior. Previously Balkcom was Director of Travel and Events at Eventure, LLC. For more information about Atomic Golf visit their website www.atomicgolf.com.
Two Eighteen announced that Samantha Wilson has joined the company as their new Executive Creative Director. Before joining Two Eighteen, Wilson was Creative Director at ASTOUND Group. For more information about Two Eighteen visit their website www.twoeighteen.com.
Linda Tellez has joined 3D Exhibits, a Sparks Company, as Senior Account Manager. Previously Tellez was Senior Account Manager at Impact XM. For more information about 3D Exhibits see their website www.3dexhibits.com.
Pinnacle has announced Jimmy Doucette has joined the company as their new Experiential Strategy Director. Doucette was VP, Strategy Director at Jack Morton Worldwide prior. For more information about Pinnacle see their website www.pinnacle-exp.com.
