On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to share some exciting news: the SDTA board of directors has appointed Julie Coker to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. Currently serving as the President and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Julie will join the San Diego team in March, taking the helm from Joe Terzi, who announced his retirement in 2019 after 10 years with the SDTA. Julie has an extensive record of success in the tourism…

From the start, my company, Multi-Cultural Convention Services Network, MCCSN, like other third-party meeting and event managers, has traditionally relied on a 10 percent commission that the lodging industry paid them for booking hotel room block business. We research and solicit clients, assess their needs, arrange initial property site tours, review proposals, negotiate concessions, confirm agreements, and then hand their group business over to the hotels. All packaged neatly with a bow on…

Clara Carter, CDMP Students of SDSU’s Meeting and Event Planning Professional Certificate program consistently cite the program’s biggest strength as its instructors — veterans of the industry with decades of wisdom and experiences to share. Instructor Clara Carter is the perfect example, as well as a 1998 graduate of the program. Today, she is president and owner of Multi-Cultural Convention Services Network Inc., a full-service meeting and event management company based in San Diego,…

While the winds of change will usher in the predictable and unpredictable in 2017, RAR Hospitality founder/CEO Robert Rauch (pictured below with his wife, Linda, and daughters Melissa and Meredith) shared 10 key hospitality trends he anticipates will take hold this year. Text and Chat – Use of texting to respond to guest needs and safety and security issues that require immediate attention; provide subtle communication; or eliminate language barriers will be technologically feasible and…

Mar 30, 2017, Studies are clear: Gender diversity in corporate leadership pays off in spades. In fact, the Harvard Business Review estimates that companies with women in 30 percent of senior leadership roles are 15 percent more profitable than peers without female leaders. What’s more, McKinsey research found that simply eliminating the global gender pay gap could add $28 trillion to the world economy by 2025. The diversity of thought, experience and skill that women have to offer in the…