Black Meetings and Tourism

Jan / Feb 2015

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N E W S M A K E R S B M & T ••• January/February 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 6 ELITE Audio Visual Solutions has named Lawrence Williams as the company's new president. Williams's immedi- ate plans involve expanding the company's presence in new markets and playing a key role in all business development efforts. Prior to joining ELITE Audio Visual Solutions, the 25-year industry veteran served as general manager for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts and Richfield Hospitality in Texas and Arizona. Williams's career includes leadership posi- tions with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Morgans Hotel Group in both the Chicago and New York markets. He also gained experience opening and marketing for hotels and restaurants, and has worked with multiple national franchisors, includ- ing the Hilton and Marriott brands. Chad Lucas, CEO, stated, "As we continue to seek opportunities to expand ELITE's portfolio with new hotel and resort partnerships, Lawrence's knowledge, industry expertise and the meaningful relationships he has built over two plus decades in the industry will open many doors for the company. We are excited to have Lawrence lead our team. His experience and enthusiasm will be great assets to the company and will have an immediate impact on our aggressive growth strategy." ELITE Audio Visual Solutions is a service-oriented technology company that has partnered with hotels and resorts nationally to provide audio-visu- al production services for meetings and events since 2001. The company is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and can be contacted at www.eliteavs.net. ELITE AUDIO VISUAL SOLUTIONS NAMES LAWERNCE WILLIAMS PRESIDENT Visit Seattle announced the addition of Rob Hampton as senior vice president Convention Sales and Services. He will begin work for Visit Seattle in mid-January at the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Convening Leaders meeting in Chicago. Hampton will oversee Visit Seattle's Convention Sales and Services departments, working to expand business growth in both areas. Hampton has served as the vice president of Sales for the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau since 2006 and has more than 25 years of progressive sales leadership experience in the convention and meeting industry. Prior to his Austin position, Hampton served as vice president of Sales and Services at Visit Jacksonville and director of Sales for Experience Columbus. Hampton is an active member of several meeting industry organizations, including the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and PCMA. "We're excited to welcome Rob to Seattle," said Tom Norwalk, president & CEO of Visit Seattle. "Rob is a respected industry veteran and we are fortunate to have worked with him in various industry capacities over the years. While we've competed with him for business – and Rob is worthy com- petitor – we've worked with him to jointly host our Seattle-Austin client collaborations, and have greatly valued his expertise and collegial approach to doing business." Hampton and his husband Mark enjoy traveling and having new experiences in unique destinations. Visit Seattle, a private, nonprofit marketing organization, has served as Seattle/King County's official destination marketing organization (DMO) for more than 50 years. The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and economic prosperity of the region. VISIT SEATTLE APPOINTS ROB HAMPTON SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONVENTION SALES AND SERVICES

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