June 2017 - SearchWide Global

Meet the DMAI 30 Under 30 Class of 2017

6.15.2017 by jsl_web_admin

Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Chairman Gary C. Sherwin, CDME and President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, Inc; Destination and Travel Foundation Chairman Joe Marinelli, and President of Visit Savannah, and President and CEO Don Welsh today announced the 2017 “30 Under 30” class, which will convene for the first time at the Association’s Annual Convention in Montreal, Canada July 11-14.

“One of the main priorities for our industry today is developing our workforce, and specifically our leadership, for tomorrow,” said Marinelli. “The ’30 Under 30” initiative gives us the ability to do both. It has been exciting to watch the enthusiasm of these young professionals as they form a network they can rely on. Attending the Annual Convention will most certainly deliver the critical insight they will need regarding today’s challenges and trends.”

“Our future as an industry is dependent on young professionals choosing to pursue a career with destination organizations and bringing their energy, insight and dynamic skills to our benefit,” said Sherwin. “I look forward to meeting our 2017 class of ‘30 Under 30’ and encouraging them to continue in our profession.”

Now in its seventh year, “30 Under 30” is supported by founding program partner SearchWide Global, and sponsored by IMEX and USAE. The 30 individuals, 30 years of age and under, will have the opportunity to engage in professional development and networking opportunities throughout 2017. The honorees originate from a variety of destination organizations of all sizes, including Meet Puerto Rico, Destination DC, Travel Oregon, Visit Wichita and Brand USA.

“Each year we’ve seen very impressive submissions for DMAI’s ‘30 Under 30,’ and this year was no different,” said Mike Gamble, president and CEO of SearchWide Global. “The top 30 selected for the Class of 2017 show remarkable leadership potential in the tourism industry. As we embark on the seventh year as the founding partner, we continue to be very proud of this program and thank DMAI for their commitment.”

The program benefits include:

– Complimentary registration and accommodations for three nights during DMAI’s 2017 Annual Convention
– Complimentary registration for Fundamentals in Destination Marketing, the first course of DMAI’s PDM program
– Year-round professional development focus, including regular interactive webinars and an online community to share ideas

“The ‘30 Under 30’ program remains a critical part of DMAI’s vision and mission,” said Welsh. “As we continue with rebranding the organization, we remain focused on a powerful forward-thinking, collaborative association; exchanging bold ideas, connecting innovative people, and elevating tourism to its highest potential. Congratulations to this very impressive group and we look forward to recognizing them on their success in Montreal.”

The 2017 class includes:

– Jose Arana, Marketing & Communications Executive, Meet Puerto Rico
– Jake Buchheit, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Visit KC
– Lauren Cleland, Digital Content Strategist, Visit Savannah
– Kenzie Coleman, Sales Manager, Visit Omaha
– Jamie Cox, Marketing Coordinator, Visit Franklin/Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Katie Egresi, Graphic Designer, Experience Columbus
– Kimberly Franz, Marketing Director, Dunwoody Convention + Visitors Bureau
– Andrea Gardi, Senior Project Manager, Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc.
– Drew Hays, Sports Sales Manager, Visit Wichita
– Emily Hendricks, Creative Services Coordinator, Visit Saint Paul
– Kate Herron, Director of Marketing, Experience Grand Rapids
– Britt Hijkoop, Senior Manager, International PR, NYC & Company
– Ahmed Ibrahim, Membership Sales Manager, Destination DC
– Natalie Jamieson, Manager of Research & Data Analysis, Visit Baltimore
– Cambria Jones, Marketing Specialist, Allen Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Chandler Jones, Account Manager, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Victoria Lightfoot, Public Relations Specialist, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Roxanne Lombard, Senior Researcher, Cape Town Tourism
– Wesley Lucas, Communications Manager, Frisco Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Aime O’Keefe, Senior Web Specialist, Discover The Palm Beaches
– Kara Reed, Convention Services Manager, Visit Indy
– Daniel Schwartz, Senior Manager, Tourism, San Francisco Travel Association
– Crystal Solberg, Content Creator, Tourism Richmond
– Joe Tacynec, Creative Director, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board
– Maranda Tippin, Site Experience Specialist, San Diego Tourism Authority
– Elena Vizzini, Destination Development Coordinator, Travel Oregon
– Ivette Wilhelm, Public Relations Manager, Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
– Angela Wirkler, Group Sales Manager, Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Meet the IAVM 30 | UNDER | 30 Class of 2017

6.15.2017 by jsl_web_admin

“We (Board of Trustees) are extremely proud to announce the third class of your IAVM Foundation 30 | UNDER | 30. This group truly represents the talent, passion and drive we all have for the industry. These 30 deserving individuals will come together at VenueConnect 2017 to represent the Foundation at the Legacy Project, UpSTART Emerging Leaders Program and at the Foundation Lounge on the trade show floor. We encourage everyone to come by and meet the next 30 | UNDER | 30 class,” said Bob Hunter, Board of Trustee Chair.

Applicants were required to submit an application and a creative video. Four members of the IAVM Young Professional committee, along with two IAVM Foundation Board of Trustees, Mark Gnatovic, Senior Vice President of SearchWide Global and Bill Bavirsha, Associate Athletic Director Facility Operations/ General Manager UIC Athletics Sports Complex, served as the evaluation committee.

“We received a staggering number of applications and it was extremely hard to narrow down the list to 30 as all submissions were top notch” stated Bill Bavirsha.

When asked what being a Class of 2016 30 | UNDER | 30 member meant to him, Michael Santa, IAVM Young Professional Committee Vice Chair said, “It has been extreme honor to be part of the current 30UNDER30 class. Meeting and networking with so many of my talented peers and colleagues in my class has been an incredible opportunity. My VenueConnect 2016 experience as part of the 30|UNDER|30 class in Minneapolis was unforgettable!”

Recipients receive complimentary registration to VenueConnect 2017, along with an $850 stipend.

Congratulations to the 30 | UNDER | 30 Class of 2017!

Brittany Atwell, Guest Services Coordinator, Spectra Venue Management/ Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)

Tyler Baldwin, Director of Booking & Events, Orleans Arena/Orleans Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV)

Matthew Bauer, House Manager, Englert Theatre (Iowa City, IA)

Trenton Becker, Event Coordinator III, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (Dallas, Tx)

Beth Bryant, Membership and Ticketing Services Manager, The Classic Center (Athens, GA)

Brian Caputo, General Manager, Spectra Venue Management/Mullins Center (Amherst, MA)

Zach Cornwall, Event Manager, Oilers Entertainment Group (Edmonton, Canada)

Bahiah Odeh -Eppig, Facility Services Supervisor, San Diego Convention Center (San Diego, CA)

Josh Hernandez, Sales and premium Services Manager, Frank Erwin Center (Austin, TX)

Joshua Hezlep, Event Coordinator, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (Dallas, TX)

Ethan Honaman, Guest Relations Assistant Manager, Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver, CO)

Tamlyn Hornew, Event Coordinator, Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)

Randle Jackson, Division Manager, Travis County Exposition Center (Austin, TX)

Nick Kaizer, Associate Ticket Office Manager/Webmaster, Iowa State Center/managed by VenuWorks/Stephens Auditorium-Fisher Theater (Ames, IA)

Nic Lawrence, Event Manager, Spokane Public Facilities District (Spokane, WA)

Hannah Mothersbaugh, Guest Services Coordinator, Cleveland Browns (Cleveland, OH)

Jocelyn Munson, Event Services Supervisor, Cobb Galleria Centre (Atlanta, GA)

Robert Phillips, Director of Sales and Guest Services, The 5th Avenue Theatre (Seattle, WA)

Sarah Kate Rogers, Event Coordinator, Cox Business Center/SMG (Tulsa, OK)

Anna Rosburg, Assistant General Manager/Director of Marketing, Spectra Venue Management/Casper Events Center (Casper, WY)

Marcus Sanchez, Events Supervisor, The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (Santa Rosa, CA)

Andrew Saunders, Booking Manager, Venue Coalition (Westlake Village, CA)

Eric Schleicher, Senior Marketing Manager, BOK Center/SMG (Tulsa, OK)

Dana Schmitz, Manager of Special Events, BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI)

Daren Smylie, Event Manager, San Diego Convention Center (San Diego, CA)

Raney Stryk, Event Coordinator, Curtis Culwell Center (Garland, TX)

Courtney Tetreault, Assistant Production Manager, Neal S. Blaisdell Center (Honolulu, HI)

Jake Whitcomb, Event Operations Manager, San Francisco Giants/AT&T Park (San Francisco, CA)

Danielle Wright, Sales Manager, SMG Tulsa/Cox Business Center (Tulsa, OK)

Samantha Zastrow, Event Manager, Spurs Sports & Entertainment/AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX)

9 Tips You Can Use NOW to Create a Better Work-life Balance

6.6.2017 by jsl_web_admin

Do you ever feel stressed, overworked, or spread too thin? You’re not alone in feeling this way. Many professionals are in your same boat and are searching for a way to be successful in all aspects of their lives.

Creating a work-life balance can definitely be a challenge at times, but by achieving a good balance in life is key to one’s happiness and overall health. Separating our professional lives from our personal lives is becoming more difficult, thanks to technology and the need for immediate communication.

At SearchWide Global we believe it needs to be a top priority, as poor work-life balance can produce high levels of stress which can lead to health issues, unhappiness and reduced production at work. Nobody wants that!

Here are 9 tips that you can use now to create a more balanced life:

1. Rise and shine – Wake up an hour earlier. It may be tough in the beginning but easing into your morning instead of rushing will produce a more peaceful day. You’ll often hear this as a common denominator among CEO’s and entrepreneurs offering advice on being successful. Do whatever you want with the time, some ideas would be to; get some work done while you have uninterrupted time, have coffee in quiet, prepare a healthy meal for the day, exercise, or read.

2. Build downtime into your schedule – looking ahead, schedule time with family and friends. This way, even when work life is busy, you can manage your time around your already scheduled downtime like you would any meeting on your calendar.

3. Eliminate activities that don’t serve you– limit time wasted on social media sites, gossiping with colleagues and other mindless activities. Take stock of activities that don’t enhance your career or personal life, and reduce the time you spend on them.

4. Exercise – exercise is essential to physical and mental health. We know there are countless studies that show a direct correlation between health, productivity, and energy levels and exercise, yet it is still a challenge to squeeze it in a busy schedule. Find an exercise you enjoy and a time in the day that works for you, before work and before your household wakes, at your lunch hour, or in the evenings perhaps. Then commit to that time throughout the week.

At SearchWide Global we use FitBit’s to track activity and motivate regular exercise; this is also great for team building.

5. Meditate – Meditation is not just for the zen, and has huge benefits when it comes to reducing stress and becoming more aware. Anyone can do it, and anyone can benefit from it. Learn to become more mindful in the present moment (even when you are a busy professional). The Headspace app offers an introduction to medication. Just use the app to walk you through it, at just 10 minutes a day.

6. Relax – take some quiet time for yourself to reflect and make time to do things you enjoy. There is an art about literally, doing nothing. That means no phone, social media, tv, etc. It’s shown to create calmness and create space in your mind for new ideas. But, if your idea of relaxing is watching some tv shows, go ahead. Just try not to fall asleep to it as research shows that can negative effects on your sleep.

7. Volunteer – Giving back and volunteering your time in your community provides stress relief and gives you a sense of accomplishment while helping others. It’s also a great way to offer your skills and learn key leadership attributes. At SearchWide Global, staff is encouraged to take one volunteer day a year during work hours. So if finding the time is an issue, talk to your boss about implementing a similar program.

8. Turn off your phone – You can’t be in 2 places at the same time. If you’re enjoying dinner with your family yet looking down at your phone, the perception is you would rather be with your phone. Make yourself fully available when spending quality time with family and friends.

9. Get back to nature – Evidence shows that spending time in nature can provide a restore your mental well-being, relieve stress, boost your creative juices, and more. Even though a trip to a national forest would be nice, any green space, park, community garden or similar will do.

10. Plan an annual vacation – Okay, actually it’s 10! Consider it a bonus, because this one can be life-changing on its own. Take a vacation (or vacations if possible) throughout the year. The Dalai Lama said,

“Once a year go someplace you’ve never been before”.

The memories and experiences that you gain from taking a vacation are truly priceless. If you have a hard time getting away, plan ahead. This helps you stay committed to the dates you plan to travel and gives you time to save funds for the trip.

For on-going encouragement, a great resource is Project Time Off.

“Project: Time Off aims to shift culture so that using personal time off is not considered frivolous, but essential to strengthening families and improving personal health, a business investment with proven returns, and an economic necessity.” (www.projecttimeoff.com).

Start today by trying a few of these tips and you will begin to experience a better balance at work and home. Here’s to a more balanced you!

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SearchWide Global is a full service executive search firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management and experiential marketing industries. We specialize in C-Level and Director level executive searches for companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to mid-sized public and private companies and associations. Headquartered in St. Paul, MN, USA and several regional offices, we’re able to serve clients and candidates nationwide. Founded in 1999, we have remained focused on our four core values for almost two decades: INTEGRITY, ETHICS, PASSION and RESPECT.