Stay up to date on new positions, promotions and other career changes for your partners and peers in the meetings and events industry. Have a job change announcement for consideration? Get in touch with Lizzie Wilcox.
Spotlight: Hillary Smith Stone and Melissa Van Dyke
Event-experience agency Creative Group, Inc., has appointed Hillary Smith Stone as global head of creative and marketing, and Melissa Van Dyke as senior vice president of technology and data.
"This role formalizes what Creative Group has always believed: Creativity is not an accessory to execution, it's the engine behind meaningful experiences," Smith said. "Being appointed to this position signals a clear shift in how we lead, how we show up for clients and how we advance the brand. As steward of the brand, my responsibility is to ensure that our creative point of view, methodologies and talent consistently deliver on our promise to unite people with brands through experiences that feel real and unforgettable."
Added Van Dyke, "For me, this role really marks a shift not just for Creative Group, but for the events industry overall. Technology and data aren't sitting quietly in the background anymore — they're shaping how experiences come to life, how people engage and how we understand what actually worked."
Smith, the founder of Smith + Stone, also previously had been the senior vice president of strategy and creative for PRA Business Events.
"Every phase of my career has reinforced the same belief: Strong creative cultures are built deliberately," she said. "Founding a creative agency, leading enterprise-level change and advising organizations through periods of transformation have shaped how I think about scaling creativity without compromising its integrity."
One of her goals is to assist Creative Group own its identity as a modern event-experience agency.
"We now have clear permission to be bolder, to push thinking further, and to challenge clients in ways that elevate both the work and the outcome," she said. "The work ahead is about creating relevance at scale, helping brands build connection, community and cultural resonance in an increasingly fragmented world. Success will be measured not only by what we deliver, but also by how the work is shared, talked about and remembered."
Van Dyke has been part of the Creative Group team since 2019, originally joining as vice president of design and insights, and most recently serving as senior vice president of integrated marketing and innovation.
"I feel like every role I've had here has led me to this moment," she said. "From my roots in technology to owning products in our space; to leading operations, design and marketing; each step has reinforced how important connection is across teams and ideas."
In her new role, Van Dyke wants to help the organization lead what's next and create experiences that are smarter, more intentional and are continuously improved by using data.
"By bringing technology, data and creative strategy together, we can move beyond one-off events and start building connected experience ecosystems," she said. "That shows up in practical ways: smarter sourcing and planning, more personal attendee journeys, better real-time decisions, and insights after the event that actually shape what happens next. With how quickly the event-tech space is growing, this finally feels achievable in a very real way."
Cindy Wallace
Cindy Wallace is the first woman to be named as executive director of the Oregon Convention Center and the Portland Expo Center. She has been with the convention center since 2005, and most recently was the senior director of strategy and business development before acting as interim executive director.
Tiashia Knight
Tiashia Knight was hired as the vice president of sales for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority and the executive director of Visit Charlotte in North Carolina, effective Dec. 2. She joins the organizations from Atrium Hospitality, where she had been vice president of sales and marketing.
Megan Seppman
The Wisconsin Center District promoted Megan Seppman to vice president and chief commercial officer. Seppman joined the WCD in 2018 as vice president of sales and began her new role on Jan. 1. Having undergone an expansion recently, the Wisconsin Center District owns and operates the Baird Center, the Miller High Life Theatre and the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
Shirley Del Carpio
Shirley Del Carpio was promoted to director of sales for Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital. She originally joined the company in 2021 as senior national account director.
Genia Artis
Genia Artis has joined the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau in North Carolina as senior sales manager for the corporate and sports markets. A Wilmington native, she most recently served as director of events for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.
Kevin Holland
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has welcomed Kevin Holland as the national accounts manager for Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Prior to joining the PHLCVB, he was national sales manager for Richmond Region Tourism. Holland also will support the sales efforts of PHL Diversity, a division of the organization focused on connecting meeting planners with diverse local businesses and suppliers, as well as community leaders who can help facilitate community engagement programs or serve as speakers.
Johannes Ripper
Johannes Ripper was named Associated Luxury Hotels International’s director of global sales, Europe. Based in Germany, he previously held the position of assistant director of the German national sales team for Marriott International. The addition of Ripper is part of ALHI’s efforts to expand its international presence and strengthen relationships in the European market.
Lauren Silberman
Explore St. Louis has hired Lauren Silberman as director of national accounts. With more than 20 years of experience in hospitality sales and marketing, she formerly served as the complex senior sales manager for the Hiltons of San Francisco Union Square. From her home base in Chicago, Silberman will focus on securing large-scale national conventions that drive hotel demand and generate business for the America’s Center Convention Complex.
Matthew Bryant
Matthew Bryant has joined the Mobile Convention Center in Alabama as its general manager. His experience includes senior executive roles at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa and the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport in Michigan, as well as the Embassy Suites Nashville SE Murfreesboro in Tennessee. Bryant also had been chair of Traverse City Tourism and treasurer of the Saugatuck Convention and Visitors Bureau in Michigan.
Meenaz Diamond
Maritz welcomed Meenaz Diamond as global general manager for EMEA and APAC. She previously had been vice president of sales – EMEA for the Auberge Resorts Collection. In addition to her new role, Diamond is vice president of finance on the International Society of Incentive Travel Excellence board and a mentor within SITE’s Women in Leadership group.
Mai Lim
ConferenceDirect announced Mai Lim as its vice president of industry relations and global accounts. Most recently, she was the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s director of intermediary accounts. Lim assumed her new role on Oct. 1.
Brittany Matthews
The 809-room JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Florida has appointed Brittany Matthews as director of sales and marketing. Matthews has worked for Marriott International since 2018 and previously held the position of senior director of sales for 73 properties across the southern United States.
Lucy Shulman
The Kimpton Ashbel New York-Park Avenue has announced Lucy Shulman as director of sales and marketing. Bringing nearly two decades of experience to the role, she was formerly director of sales and marketing at The Muse New York. The 205-room IHG Hotels and Resorts property is scheduled to open in early 2026.
Farzanah Johnson
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs has appointed Farzanah Johnson as director of national sales for the Northeast region. She joins the 784-room property from Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania, where she had been the Northeast director of national accounts.
Cassandra Affleck
Cassandra Affleck has assumed the role of director of national accounts at the Naples Grande Beach Resort on Florida’s west coast. Prior to joining the 474-room property, she was director of sales at the Hilton Washington in the nation’s capital, and is a recipient of the Hilton Circle of Excellence Award.
Matthew Davis
The 704-room InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel promoted Matthew Davis to director of sales and marketing. He began his tenure at the property in 2017 as director of business travel and luxury leisure sales.
Cherylanne Thomas
Cherylanne Thomas has been named area director of group sales for Grenada’s 71-room Six Senses La Sagesse and the 131-room InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa. With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, she was most recently senior executive director of sales and marketing at the Conrad Nashville and the Grand Hyatt Nashville.
Paul Buff
Paul Buff has been appointed director of sales and marketing at the Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis. He joins the 398-room hotel from the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, where he also held the position of director of sales and marketing. While in Georgia, Buff was a board member of the Atlanta Sports Council.
Michael Mansoor and Katrina Skogsbergh
The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, has hired Michael Mansoor as director of event operations, and Katrina Skogsbergh as director of meetings and special events planning and operations. Prior to joining the resort, Mansoor served as director of event planning and operations at the Ritz-Carlton, Portland, in Oregon, and Skogsbergh had been director of event operations at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Arizona. The 427-room property recently underwent a $55 million renovation.
John Staub
John Staub has been promoted to director of sales at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South. He had been associate director of sales at the 300-room hotel since March 2025.
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