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The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) has reopened its Chicago convention sales office, adding Judy Parker as the national sales manager for the Midwest region. “Mayor Newsom recognizes that San Francisco’s convention and leisure visitors are a fundamental element to the City’s growing economy,” said SFCVB President & CEO Joe D’Alessandro. “I applaud him, his staff and the Board of Supervisors for listening to our partners and Midwest customers’ concerns.”
The SFCVB’s Chicago sales office had been closed in December 2004 due to budget challenges. Its reopening Oct. 15 will help San Francisco better serve existing clients and reach out to new customers.
“San Francisco is a popular meeting destination for organizations based in the Midwest but we believe we can increase our market share in the region with a stronger presence in Chicago,” said Leonard Hoops, executive vice president, sales and marketing for the SFCVB. “We spent several months searching for the right person to reopen our office there and are excited to have found Judy. She is a very savvy and personable sales professional and we think our current and future customers will really enjoy working with her.”
Parker, an 18-year veteran of the hotel and hospitality industry, was most recently the director of national accounts for Marriott International’s global sales organization where she managed a portfolio of 42 corporate and association accounts. In her new position, she is responsible for generating both self-contained meetings and citywide conventions for groups from the Midwest region. Parker will also act as the SFCVB’s in-market staff member, representing San Francisco at Chicago industry events.
“I’ve enjoyed a wonderful career in the hotel and hospitality industry but have been intrigued about selling a world-class destination like San Francisco,” Parker said. “It’s a vibrant city and there’s always something new to see and do there for meeting attendees. I’m very excited to be representing San Francisco to meeting professionals in the Midwest.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
