Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1480919
B M & T ••• September/October 2022 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 37 ST. KITTS TOURISM AUTHORITY APPOINTS FIRST CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER The St. Kitts Tourism Authority recently announced the appointment of Mia Lange as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). This is a new role at the Tourism Authority, created to further strengthen the destination's presence in key international source markets. Lange will oversee the strategic direction and implementation of all global marketing and branding efforts and will manage St. Kitts' various international agencies. She will also lead the on- shore public relations and marketing team in St. Kitts to ensure the seamless promotion of the island to citizens and residents. "Ms. Lange brings more than two decades of Caribbean destination messaging and market- ing experience. She has proven success in launching key advertis- ing and branding strate- gies that in turn have increased tourism and tangible economic development," said Nick Menon, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. "Lange has also shown through key partnerships with agencies and outside data partners an under- standing of establishing relevant KPIs and increasing ROI over time. We look forward to having Lange at the helm of our glob- al marketing during our continued tourism rebound." "Mia Lange's experience working within the Caribbean and truly understanding our target audience will allow her to create destination campaigns that will keep St. Kitts top-of-mind among travelers," added Ellison "Tommy" Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. "Her distinctive insights and approach will bring St. Kitts to the forefront as travelers plan their long-awaited vacations." Lange will lean on her knowledge, global experience, and her passion for the tourism industry and the region to build brand awareness for the island of St. Kitts. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with destinations to create branding and external messaging with the intent to increase awareness among key audiences, in addition to navigating mul- tiple channels including digital, social and traditional media to drive consumer engagement. "I am eager to continue immersing myself in the island, get- ting to know the people and experiences while embarking on this new challenge," said Lange. "St. Kitts has a strong foundation and is poised for continued growth. I look forward to showing the world the destination's exceptional offerings." Most recently, Ms. Lange served as Executive Director of Global Communications for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. In this role, she managed the Ministry's key agencies of record, strategic planning, budget management, crisis commu- nications, organizational messaging, and leadership of the Communication teams. Lange received her MBA, with a spe- cialization in marketing and graduated magna cum laude from Lynn University in 2017. She served several roles for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism such as Senior Director of Global Communications, Senior Manager of Advertising and Branding, Manager of Cruise Development, Sales and Marketing Executive and more, and worked in The Bahamas, England, Germany, France and the United States. Under her leadership, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism was awarded a number of top destination marketing and public relations awards. communities by creating programs that educate, connect and support the people and nature of Dominica. The GEMS Foundation will support projects in four key areas: environment; education; entrepreneurship; and enter- tainment and the arts. The new hospitality school, which falls under the auspices of the education initiative, will provide students the opportu- nity to gain practical skills in the hospitality industry through job exposure and classroom education. Its main objective is to train and develop Dominicans for fulfilling careers in tourism and to ensure that they understand the importance of the industry to Dominica. Each hospitality program will run for three months; the most recent intake, which focused on food and beverage, front desk and housekeeping, took place August 15, 2022. The GEMS portfolio includes Secret Bay, The Residences at Secret Bay, Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, and Tibay Villas. For more information about GEMS Foundation and GEMS Hospitality School, visit gems.dm/responsibility.