Black Meetings and Tourism

November/December 2024

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M ichael Gunn took the scenic route when decid- ing what he wanted to do with his life. Even after studying business administration at Midland College and moving to various cities for various jobs, Gunn admits that when he was first starting out, he had no clear plan for his future. "I really didn't know what I wanted to do," said the Kansas City, Mo. native who spent most of his time in Midland, Texas. "I thought maybe a salesman. I didn't have a focus on one par- ticular thing. What I did know was that I enjoyed being around people." Today, Gunn, CMP, is the senior vice president of con- vention sales for the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, a position he's held since 2015. Gunn, whose enjoyment for his profession is evident when he speaks, is a highly respected, passionate professional at the top of his game with 40 years of experience in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry – 27 of them at the Greater Birmingham CVB where he is the best at selling the city. "It's easy to sell the city," he said. "I talk about the great attractions, the great restaurants, the sports, the cleanliness of the city, and the friendliness of the people." In his position, Gunn's main responsibility is for the opera- tion of the convention sales staff in booking state, regional, national, and international convention business for the greater Birmingham area. He is also responsible for short and long- term strategic plans. "The city's growth is important," said Gunn, who was previously the vice president of convention sales, a position he held for 10 years. "We are vital to the eco- nomic development of the city. I'm here to bring in as many conventions as possible." On average, Gunn, who oversees a multimillion-dollar sales and marketing budget, hosts about 400 conventions annually. "We just hosted the National Association of Black Journalists," Gunn said. "We also had about 3,500 here for the National Baptist Convention board meeting. We've also had the Church of God in Christ. We do a large faith-based business. Gunn, who is the kind of leader who "trusts" his diverse team of 11 to bring in the business, wants them to be "self-moti- vated." "I don't micromanage," he said. "I like to listen to other people's ideas. I like people to be themselves. I lead by exam- ple. I allow them to breathe." Diversity is important to Gunn. "I was glad to see people take diversity seriously," he said. "I'd like to see more diversity. There's not a lot of color in the magazines and things like that. We have to do a better job of selling to young people that it's a big and fulfilling career. We need to start when they are in high school." While DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is important for the industry, so too, said Gunn, is getting things back to normal. He admits that COVID continues to impact the industry. "When it comes to COVID, the same thing happened to us as it did around the country," Gunn said. "It's still not back to A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H MICHAEL GUNN BIRMINGHAM IS AN EASY SELL BY DARLENE DONLOE B M & T ••• November/December 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 19

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