The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau is pleased to welcome Melissa Richter-Piraino to the role of national sales manager in the convention sales division. In this position, Richter-Piraino will report to Tim Haggerty, vice president of sales, and will be responsible for maintaining and actively building the association segment in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland, for meetings ranging from 500-1,500 rooms on peak.
“Melissa brings extensive experience in the production of meetings and events, a proven ability to grow business and a history of exceeding goals,” said Rick Staub, senior vice president, convention division at the PHLCVB. “We are excited to welcome her to the team, and we are confident that her vast knowledge of the hospitality and sales industries, combined with her drive to succeed, will be invaluable assets as national sales manager.”
Prior to joining the PHLCVB, Richter-Piraino spent more than seven years with Starwood Hotels and Resorts. She served as a guest service agent-whatever whenever agent at W New York Downtown as well as a sales coordinator at Starwood Global Sales, and most recently worked as a sales manager for group meetings and events at the Westin New York at Times Square. In this position, Richter-Piraino was responsible for managing group business in the pharmaceutical-medical, technology, manufacturing, and food & beverage markets, in addition to key third party accounts across all market segments.
Richter-Piraino holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University, where she majored in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, and minored in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management.
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the city of Philadelphia globally, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets. For more info, visit www.discoverPHL.com.
