USTOA Names Elizabeth George Membership and Programming Director
Strategic Hire Strengthens Association's Continued Efforts to Grow Member Engagement
NEW YORK – July 21, 2014 – United States
Tour Operators Association (USTOA)
President and CEO Terry Dale announced today the appointment of Elizabeth
George, CMM, to the newly created position of membership and programming director,
leading the association’s membership development, education, and communication
activities.
“It is with great
pleasure we welcome Elizabeth George to the USTOA family in this newly created
position that will put a laser focus on the needs and growth of our membership,”
said Dale. “She brings a deep
understanding of the complexity of the industry, with an expertise in
non-profit association membership and sponsorship development, hospitality and
destination sales and marketing, as well as special events.”
A designated senior planner with
Certification in Meeting Management, George most recently served as manager of
northeast regional sales at New Orleans Conventions & Visitors Bureau. She
opened the northeast regional office to help re-brand New Orleans as part of
its recovery to rebuild its post-Katrina image. Under her leadership, the
northeast regional office achieved double digit growth in leads, exceeding 20%
lead goal production before her departure in 2013.
Prior to that, she served as the
manager of global chapter relations and development for Meeting Professionals International
(MPI) where she managed and supported board members in leadership positions
within 64 global chapters of the leading international meetings association
with 24,000+ members. During her tenure,
George focused on recruitment and retention initiatives. Her hospitality
experience also includes serving as director of cluster sales and marketing at
Renaissance Meadowlands in Rutherford, NJ, overseeing a team of eight sales
managers for three Marriott franchise brands: Renaissance Meadowlands,
Courtyard Meadowlands, and Fairfield Inn Meadowlands.
Active within the meetings and
hospitality industry, George has spoken at a variety of industry events
including the MPI 2011 World Education Congress, and served on several
professional committees including 2010-2014 Program Chair, Professional
Convention Management Association (PCMA) Greater New York Chapter and is a past
president of MPI New Jersey Chapter.
An active community fundraiser, George
currently resides in New York City. She studied
opera as an undergraduate at the Juilliard School of Music and the Indiana
University School of Music.
For questions and more
information on USTOA, visit www.ustoa.com, call 212-599-6599, or email information@ustoa.com
About
USTOA:
Representing more than $11 billion in
revenue, the member companies of U.S. Tour Operators Association provide tours,
packages and custom arrangements that allow six million travelers annually
unparalleled access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value and freedom to
enjoy destinations and experiences across the entire globe. Each
member company has met the travel industry’s highest standards, including
participation in the USTOA’s Travelers Assistance Program, which protects
consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes out of business.
As a voice for the tour operator
industry for 40 years, USTOA also provides education and assistance for
consumers and travel agents. For more information about USTOA, visit ustoa.com,
call 212.599.6599 or email information@ustoa.com.
Contact:
Gina Sisco/Liz
Carty
Redpoint
Marketing PR., Inc.
212-229-0119
Sisco@redpointpr.com
Carty@redpointpr.com
