New appointments in the meetings industry are:
Mitch Whitten—President & CEO, Visit Fort Worth
Heather Bailey—Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations, MC&A
Rachael Riggs—Vice President of Meetings & Conventions, Visit Seattle
Martha Mayea—Director of Sales, Miami Beach Lifestyle Hotel (Unframed, Autograph Collection)
Mitch Whitten
Visit Fort Worth has named Mitch Whitten president and CEO, following a national search. A 13-year veteran of the organization and former chief operating officer, Whitten will lead efforts to strengthen Fort Worth’s position as a destination for meetings, sports, entertainment and culture. He succeeds longtime leader Bob Jameson at a pivotal time, as the city prepares for the expanded convention center and continues its rapid growth as a tourism destination.
Heather Bailey
MC&A has promoted Heather Bailey to senior vice president of sales and operations. In her expanded role, Bailey will oversee the company’s sales department in addition to operations, program development and travel director teams. A key leader behind MC&A’s growth, she brings a strategic approach and collaborative leadership style that will help drive continued success for the Hawaii-based destination and event management company.
Rachael Riggs
Visit Seattle has named Rachael Riggs vice president of meetings and conventions. With more than 30 years of experience in destination sales, convention strategy and event management, Riggs will oversee the organization’s sales and services teams. Most recently with Maritz, she also held leadership roles at Destination Vancouver, NYC Tourism + Conventions, Visit San Diego and Visit Baltimore.
Martha Mayea
Unframed, Autograph Collection in Miami Beach has appointed Martha Mayea as director of sales. With more than 18 years of hospitality experience, Mayea has held sales and event leadership roles across Marriott properties and above-property sales teams. She will lead strategic sales initiatives for the 149-room hotel, which opened in April.
