Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1094854
B M & T ••• January/February 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 13 KARIN AARON, PRESIDENT A N D C E O O F G R E A T E R NEWARK CVB SAYS… "EVERYBODY LOVES A COMEBACK STORY" B Y V I C T O R I A H E A D K a r i n Aaro n was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey and recalls growing up years after the 1960s rebellion. Her fam- ily owned a thriving business in the city but quickly watched how neighborhoods deteri- orated, property values fell and many began moving out of the city. And although she and her three siblings moved away, her parents refused to leave as they continued to work, vol- unteer and commit to Newark for the long haul - that Newark will rise again. Well that is no longer the case as Newark is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing cities in the Nation. Headquarters to Prudential Insurance, Audible, Panasonic North America and PSEG, Newark has seen a rise in corporate and technology firms moving into the area. And with the recent return of the Mars Corp, once located in Newark – and Amazon's potential HQ2, real estate, housing and growing employment opportunities are generating a huge interest for those who want to live, work and play in the city. "When Searchwide called about the CEO position at Greater Newark Convention & Visitors Bureau I was a bit "set back," as I didn't know that Newark had a flourishing tourism scene." Unfortunately, my return trips to Newark mostly involved funerals, weddings and family reunions. This was home and for the most part, I was in and out in a single weekend." Now she is here, driving visitation and managing a staff of 15 as an anchor agency in the City. Things have never been sweeter. The irony of this is "My first job was in 1990 at Eastern Airlines and the Hilton Penn Station in downtown Newark." It was the first time I was introduced to the travel industry. Subsequently she worked for Continental and United Airlines before moving to the Washington DC area. And for the next 26 years she worked for part- ners such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels, and the Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner. But it was in 2007 that the Newark-born tourism specialist took a National Sales position with Visit Loudoun County and then as director of Sales at Visit Montgomery (Maryland). "It was my first taste of the tourism industry and I loved it. Tourism is bigger than an overnight stay in a beautiful hotel, it is about your experi- ence in that destination. It's partnerships with your hotels, restaurants, attractions and entertainment venues that brings life to your city and I am proud that Newark has all of these attributes that make for a great destination to visit," says Aaron. While working in her current role, Karin says "the greatest return for working as president and CEO of Newark is being able to give back to the town I grew up in. This is my way of 'paying it forward' and I am thrilled to be a part of this growth. There are five new hotels in the pipeline along with discussions for a future convention center. Our proximity to NYC (12 miles) is a natural draw for those who want the accessibility to New York but don't want the high costs of lower Manhattan. New attractions such as the Grammy Museum Experience or upscale restaurants like Marcus B&P are keeping visitors close and as occupancy and ADR continue to climb, conventions such as KCON America, Amazon's VOICE Summit and Tony Robbins are drawing in thousands of people into the city for the first time. International markets such as China, Brazil and Canada are flooding in and we are starting to see an uptick in domestic visitors from LA and Chicago. Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) is the 15th busiest in the county, and with 42 Million passengers annually it is about time that they realize that Newark is Open for business and is a great city to visit too!" A B O U T N E W A R K : Newark is the 3rd oldest city in the coun- try; founded in 1666, it has rich history and culture. There are various nationalities repre- sented, Asians, Jewish, African-American, Caucasian, Latino- photo credit: Andrew F. Kazmierski Cherry blossom time in Branch Brook Park, Newark NJ.-