Destination On The Left

Jillian Blackbeard's passion lies in Africa Tourism and Conservation. She has been leading the industry for over 10 years specifically marketing, first for a Southern African hotel and resort chain, followed by five years as director for marketing and product development at Botswana Tourism Organisation, followed by Director for Africa for The World Travel and Tourism Association. She is now the C...

Julia Feuell grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and settled in the UK in the 1980s. She set up New Frontiers in 1993, recruiting staff all over the travel industry. In 2008, Julia had an idea to create a training academy for call center workers to learn about products and destinations online. This idea transformed into another business called OTT – a global product marketing and communications busin...

A seasoned tourism executive with more than 35 years of experience in the industry, Don Welsh serves as the President and CEO of Destinations International. Since joining the association in March 2016, Welsh has implemented a strategic realignment for the association through a renewed commitment to focus on member needs to deliver the resources members have determined to be essential to the succes...

Neal Sherman is the founder and President of  TAGeX Brands , a global firm that creates marketplaces for surplus equipment, inventory, and other assets. With a sound foundation in the food industry, TAGeX has expanded into other sectors and focuses on generating return on assets and reducing waste. TAGeX Brands connects buyers and sellers in a common marketplace. The industries served include reta...

A true visionary and entrepreneur, Brian has over 13 years of experience in the property management and vacation rental industry. Passionate about the budding potential of investing in the Finger Lakes region, and fueled by his love for the area and the outdoors, Brian was inspired to buy 80+ acres of local farmland. Dreaming of the possibilities this land could offer to the public, he formed Linc...

Carla Pendergraft is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has a B.A. degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has a master's degree in business from Texas State University. Since 1990, she has worked for the Waco Convention Center and Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau, first in the convention sales area and for the last 4 years, as Director of Marketing. Carla is the pro...

Rebekah Greenhill is the director of sales and marketing at Greenhill Winery & Vineyards in Middleburg, Virginia. She and her husband, David Greenhill, also own and operate Middleburg Life magazine and Greenhill Stables. They are based in Middleburg during the summer and Wellington, Florida in the winter for the equestrian and polo season. In this episode of Destination on the Left, Rebekah Greenh...

For ten years Andria has been leading DMO strategy and development by working with the travel industry to navigate the world of data and analytics. Currently, Andria serves as Senior Director of Tourism and Hospitality at ADARA, providing strategic direction and drives cross-team decision making to grow enterprise opportunities in the Americas. Along with her passion for advancing the travel and t...

Tanner Knorr manages EplerWood International's new business, develops the newsletter, and continues to build a presence for the company via public relations, social media, and events. Tanner holds a Bachelor's in Archaeology and a Master's in Administrative Studies, concentrating in Economic Development and Tourism Management from Boston University. He was also a Teaching Assistant at Harvard Exte...

Jim Bartoo has been the director of marketing and public relations at Nashville Zoo since 1999. During that time, he has seen the Zoo grow from local awareness to national and international recognition with more than 1.2 million guests visiting in 2019. Before coming to Nashville, Jim spent seven years marketing the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, OH. He is accomplished in all aspects of marketing and c...

Erica Paolicelli is a Partner at  Three Brothers Wineries & Estates  and  War Horse Brewing Company  located in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Erica joined the company in 2007, before it opened its doors and helped grow the destination and brand which now sees 150,000+ visitors annually, has distribution regionally to over 300 locations, and employs 150 full and part-time employees. The campus at...

A thirty-plus year veteran of the Travel & Tourism industry, Amir leads the entire Longwoods international team responsible for the development and execution of all facets of the organization from program development to customer acquisition and retention. He joined Longwoods in 2015 from his previous role as Vice President, Partner Engagement with Brand USA, the public-private partnership serving...

In this solocast episode of Destination on the Left, BTI's Nicole Mahoney shares her thoughts surrounding the impact of the Coronavirus on travel and tourism since the pandemic took hold. She discusses the components of great leadership and mental strength and explains the importance of each in times of crisis. What You Will Learn in This Episode: BTI's thoughts surrounding the impact of the Coron...

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for my dad's car stereo shop, I got my start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester and I began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, I headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Roch...

Scott Hutchinson is the Director of Marketing & Communications for the Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau and has been with the WCCVB since June of 2014. Scott oversees the bureau's marketing efforts, managing its advertising and public relations campaigns, as well as the production of its blog content, e-newsletters, and annual Visitors Guide. Prior to joining the WCCVB, Scott held roles...

To Scott Osborn, Rochester native, the acquisition of Fox Run Vineyards was the natural culmination of his passion for wine and commitment to the industry. The son of two professors, Osborn's first interest was international politics. Attending the Friends World College, a unique university with campuses all over the globe, he studied in Kenya, India, Thailand, Japan, and England. He went into rea...

Paul Soseman is the founder and CEO of Department Zero, an experiential marketing agency based in Kansas City, MO. Paul began his career 20 years ago, running the marketing department for a consumer electronics retailer where he oversaw a multi-million dollar advertising budget and created special events and promotions that ultimately became a primary driver of the retailers business. He then brou...

With more than 20 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, Kristen Jarnagin oversees the official regional organization charged with furthering Long Islands $6.1 billion tourism economy. A Long Island transplant from Arizona, Jarnagin's vast knowledge of the tourism industry spans from state tourism marketing, branding a luxury resort and serving as a lobbyist for tourism advoc...

Listed on Inc.'s listing of the Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts in the world, and #1 on Huffington Posts 12 Business Speakers to See, Steve Farber is a bestselling author, popular keynote speaker, and a seasoned leadership coach and consultant who has worked with a vast array of public and private organizations in virtually every arena. Farber is the former Vice President of legendary man...

Marsha Walden is the President and Chief Executive Officer for Destination BC. A lifelong British Columbian, Marsha's career spans corporate leadership roles in marketing, strategy, transformation, operations, communications, and social responsibility. Marsha holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia, loves to travel, and takes full advantage of family life in our extrao...

Executive Director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo since 2012, Kuhar manages the Zoo's extensive animal collection and oversees the daily operations of the 183-acre facility. Since joining Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 2008, he has also served as Curator of Primates and Small Mammals and Curator of Animals. Prior to that, Kuhar was the Research Manager at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Flo...

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for my dad's car stereo shop, I got my start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester and I began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, I headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Roch...

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for my dad's car stereo shop, I got my start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester and I began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, I headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Roch...

Aileen Ramos is the Director at the Laredo Convention & Visitors Bureau in the heart of South Texas. With a decade of experience in the hospitality industry and a long career in Marketing and Sales, she leads the CVB team in promoting the best of the city she calls home. In this episode of Destination on the Left, Laredo Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Aileen Ramos discusses the unique bicul...

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for my dad's car stereo shop, I got my start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester and I began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, I headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Roch...