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Huntington Place and Visit Detroit Teams
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Part 2: Introducing the Huntington Place & Visit Detroit Teams

(Pictured above from ECN’s Q1 cover: The dedicated, motivated and united teams of Visit Detroit and Huntington Place, L-R, front row: Claude Molinari, Greg Brannan, Karen Totaro, Sheila Neal, Greg DeSandy, Yolanda Cason and David Austin; back row: Jennifer Berkemeier, Susan Richardson, Andrea Cadotto, Jennifer Neal-Miller and Constance Wilson.)

Spotlight on Huntington Place: Working Together to Keep Motor City Humming! (Part 2)

The Visit Detroit and Huntington Place teams have spent the last two years feeling like they were “in the pit” but they are ready to get the motor in Motor City humming and back on the track! Introducing the people behind the scenes working to bring conventions, meetings, conferences and live events back to Detroit.

The Visit Detroit Team

Claude Molinari Visit DetroitClaude Molinari

President & CEO

Claude Molinari became president & CEO of Visit Detroit in January 2021. His history at Huntington Place began as assistant general manager from 2011-2016 with oversight of operations, security, events and production services and union labor services. He was named general manager in March 2016 by SMG/ASM Global until he left in 2021 for Visit Detroit. Molinari also oversees the direction of the Detroit Sports Commission (a Visit Detroit subsidiary) which is responsible for securing amateur sports for the region. His prior experience was at the David Lawrence Convention Center/SMG in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 2005-2010. He attended State University of New York College at Buffalo and studied Public Administration at Point Park University.

Greg Brannan Visit DetroitGreg Brannan

Sales Manager

Greg Brannan has been with Visit Detroit for six years, starting off as a sales coordinator and now a sales manager. He is responsible for corporate, governmen, and union market opportunities coast to coast, while also handling the Michigan association market. He is a member of Meetings Professionals International, Society of Government Meeting Planners, and the Michigan Society of Association Executives. He received his BBA in marketing from Adrian College in 2013, where he also played on the football team.

Sheila Neal Visit DetroitSheila Neal

Associate Director, Sales

Sheila Neal, CASE (certified association sales executive), has been with Visit Detroit since 2000 beginning as their national sales manager for the multi-cultural market coast to coast and now as their associate director, sales. She is an active member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Professional Conference Management Association (PCMA), Meeting Planners International (MPI), Association of Meeting Professionals (AMP’s) Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP), and Women in Lodging (WIC). She has served and continues to serve on a variety of Boards and sub-committees within each of the above listed organizations and always looks for ways to empower, elevate and serve within the hospitality community. She’s a native Detroiter and she and her husband have two children.

Yolanda Empson Cason Visit DetroitYolanda Empson-Cason

Sales Coordinator, Visit Detroit

Yolanda Empson-Cason has been with Visit Detroit for 22 years. Throughout these years, she has served as the receptionist, worked in purchasing, membership, services, sports and sales. She has been in her current role in sales since 2014 and is currently responsible for supporting the entire sales team in their efforts in bringing meetings, conferences and conventions to metro Detroit.

 

Susan Richardson Visit DetroitSusan Richardson

Vice President, Group and Convention Sales

Susan Richardson joined Visit Detroit in 2019, bringing more than 25 years’ sales experience in both convention center and hotel sales. Her previous experience was in New York City where she was director of sales and marketing solutions at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, director of sales and marketing for the Park Terrace Hotel, complex (and opening) director of sales and marketing for The Renwick and Gregory Hotels; director of sales for The Roosevelt Hotel and Paramount Hotel; and associate director of sales for The Waldorf Astoria. She has participated on many boards and committees including PCMA Corporate Task Force, PCMA Annual Program Committee and served as chapter president for Canada East chapter of PCMA. She is a native of Toronto, Canada and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Seneca College.

Andrea Cadatto Visit DetroitAndrea Cadotto

Associate Director, Sales

Andrea Cadotto joined the Visit Detroit team in 2012 as national sales manager and in 2018 became the associate director, sales. Previously she had worked as a sales manager/sales account executive at The Henry – Autograph Collection, the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Detroit Dearborn, the Radisson Hotel Lansing and Winegardner & Hammons. She is an experienced sales professional with 20+ years in the hospitality industry, including work with the convention and visitors bureau, hotel sales management and marketing. She has a B.S. in Business Administration/Marketing and Communications from Central Michigan University.

JJennifer Miller Visit DetroitJennifer Neal-Miller

Manager, Events

Jennifer Neal-Miller, DES (digital event strategist), has worked in the hospitality industry since 1985 and joined the Visit Detroit team in 1999.  As the manager of events, she has worked with various departments over the years on marquee events like the ASAE annual meeting’s closing celebration, Super Bowl XL, Ryder Cup, Final Fours and the Frozen Four. Her previous work experience included serving as sales and convention services manager at the Pontchartrain Hotel Detroit and the Omni Hotel Detroit.

This story originally appeared in the special section, Spotlight on Huntington Place, in the Jan./Feb./Mar. 2022 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 29. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2022.

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