STS October 2020 Newsletter: STS Member Spotlight, Kyle Edmiston Leads Brand USA, and Visit Mountaineer Wins Readers' Choice Award

In This Issue:

STS Member Spotlight
STS Members in the News
Industry News
Speaking at an STS Event
STS Member Offers

Welcome New Members
Industry Jobs/Member Offers
Upcoming Events
Top 20 Events
STS Corporate Partners

STS Member Spotlight

Sam T. Lacy

Director of Marketing &

Bourbon Experiences

Bardstown/Nelson Co. Tourism & Convention Commission

What inspired you to take on this role?

Bardstown is my hometown. It’s special to be able to come home and help drive your town forward. Bardstown has so much potential and we’re just starting to realize it. We are The Bourbon Capital of the World in a town of 14,000 people. We get great people from all over the world that come in to visit our distilleries. I work very closely with many distilleries, historic and new, and it’s incredibly exciting for me to help push this worldwide industry forward here in my hometown. Read more.

STS Members in the News

Victoria Isley

President & CEO

Explore Asheville CVB

Beginning December 1, nationally recognized and former North Carolina tourism executive Victoria “Vic” Isley will begin her position as President and CEO of Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Read more.

Kyle Edmiston

President & CEO

Visit Lake Charles

Join us in congratulating Kyle Edmiston, President & CEO of Visit Lake Charles, on being named Chairman of the Board for Brand USA.

Herb Malone

CEO

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Beth Gendler

VP of Sales & Sports Commission

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

The board of directors of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism (GSOBT) voted unanimously to name Beth Gendler as the organization’s future president and CEO upon the retirement next year of long-time CEO Herb Malone. Gendler currently leads the organization’s sales/meetings and sports commission efforts. Read more.

Industry News

Simpleview and EventBooking Expand Partnership with VenueOps

Simpleview, the global destination marketing industry’s leading provider

of CRM and CMS, has enhanced their partnership with EventBooking, a cloud-based venue software company, to provide a complete and fully integrated destination and venue management platform solution to Explore St. Louis. Read more.

Entrada Insights Hires

Ted Sullivan as

Chief Marketing Officer

Entrada Insights, creator of the world’s first Destination Intelligence Platform, has hired Ted Sullivan as Chief Marketing Officer. Formerly VP of Adara’s Vice President Destination Analytics, Sullivan has extensive knowledge and experience in global travel marketing, data, analytics, branding and media. Read more.

Gary Schirmacher

CEO

Total Hospitality Industry Solutions

Schirmacher Named CEO of Total Hospitality Industry Solutions

Gary Schirmacher, CMP joins Total Hospitality Industry Solutions as Chief Executive Officer. Schirmacher has over thirty-four years of experience in the hospitality industry with well-known brands such as Maritz Global Events and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. Read more.

Visit Mountaineer Country CVB wins Readers'

Choice Award

Visit Mountaineer Country Convention and Visitors Bureau (VMCCVB) is pleased to announce that it has won a ConventionSouth magazine 2020 Readers' Choice Award. Read more.

SCPRT Recognized by Golf Course Owners Association

The South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association honored SCPRT with an Award of Merit for supporting the golf industry during the pandemic. Read more.

Randa Simpson Hovater, TMP, wins City Council election

Randa Simpson Hovater, TMP, was elected for a four year term as City Council member for the City of Sheffield, Alabama.

Randa is the Media Relations Manager for Florence/Lauderdale Tourism.

Interested in Speaking at

an STS Event?

Our travel and tourism attendees want to hear from thought leaders and industry experts. The STS Education Pillar is seeking submissions for compelling sessions for upcoming programs.

Speaker Submission Form

STS Member Offers

2021 Cooperative

Motorcycle Advertising Program

View Offer

STS is partnering again to offer members a discounted co-op program to reach motorcycle tourists. Please note 5% of all advertising dollars spent will also be sent back to STS to promote the southeast.

Cooped up motorcycle tourists will make next year’s riding season travel plans during the upcoming off-season. As they plan their next adventure, they will carefully comb through all ads in RoadRUNNER’s Spring and Fall Travel Guides for guidance and good travel destination ideas.