Neil Brownlee
Brownlee, the head of business events at VisitScotland, has been inaugurated as the 2025 chair of PCMA. He has spent over 35 years in the international hospitality and business events industry, having began his career in hotels. He joined VisitScotland Business Events in 2008 and has served as head of business events for the past 14 years. In 2018, he joined the PCMA board of directors and has served as EMEA Advisory Board member and secretary-treasurer before being appointed chair elect in 2025, and chair in 2025. He was sworn in at Convening Leaders in Houston in January 2025 alongside chair elect Kelly Ricker, COO of Global Technology Industry Association.
Cathy Ruhling
Fidelity Hotel appoints Ruhling as director of sales. She joined Fidelity Hotel from Hotel Indigo, where she worked alongside Eric Conrad, who was recently appointed as Fidelity Hotel’s general manager, to implement various marketing strategies to attract business in new markets. She brings a successful background in strategically tracking sales and revenue against booking requirements, and has held leadership roles at several top hotels in Cleveland, enabling her to successfully introduce this new hotel to the city.
Kaytlin Dangaran
Dangaran is promoted to corporate chef of dining and events at Elior North America Dining & Events, a global leader in food service. She will oversee operations across four brands within the Elior North America profile, traveling throughout the East Coast region to ensure the delivery of unparalleled culinary experiences at prestigious cultural institutions, off-premise events and dining venues. She previously served as executive chef at Sarasota Art Museum, part of Constellation Culinary Group, a brand under Elior North America.
Pilar Florez
Bernardus Lodge & Spa appoints Florez as director of sales & marketing. Across her over two decades of luxury hospitality and brand positioning experience, she has developed a proven track record of success in developing and executing integrated sales and marketing strategies that drive business growth, prioritize storytelling and elevate brand positioning. She most recently served as director of sales at San Diego Mission Bay Resort.
Felice Kreitman
Kreitman takes on the role of director of sales & marketing at THesis Hotel Miami, Curio Collection by Hilton. At the lifestyle hotel, Kreitman will leverage her successful track record of hospitality industry leadership to further the hotel’s reputation as a premier South Florida destination. She will oversee all sales and marketing efforts for the hotel, including its celebrated culinary venues and 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, guiding initiatives to drive revenue growth, strengthen brand positioning and enhance guest engagement through innovative marketing strategies.
Kelly Peiffer
Meetings & Incentives Worldwide (M&IW) welcomes Peiffer as its new business development director. She brings over 20 years in the meetings, events and incentives industry, most recently serving as the director of national accounts for the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA). An active member of industry organizations including PCMA, MPI and SITE, she has also served as the president of Destination Reps. She will focus on growing M&IW’s business in enterprise accounts and large-scale events.
Jamal Brown
Brown is appointed as sales manager for The ATL Airport District Convention & Visitors Bureau, the destination marketing organization representing the cities of College Park, Hapeville and Union City, Georgia. With over two decades of experience in sales, marketing and event management, he will focus on promoting the district as a premier meetings and sports destination and enhancing visitor experiences by providing thoughtful, tailored guidance to groups planning events in the destination.
Timothy Carr
AC Hotel Seattle Downtown welcomes Carr as director of sales and marketing. He began his hospitality career at Caesar’s Lake Tahoe, and later took on the role of director of group sales at Edgewater Hotel in Seattle, Washington in 2006, where he earned numerous personal and team rewards for sales achievements. He is now part of the opening team for AC Hotel Seattle Downtown, which opened in December 2024, and has already brought success to the hotel through his numerous relationships and successful promotion of the new property.
Lisa Luna
Luna is appointed as director of marketing at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa. She brings over a decade of experience in public relations and marketing, and began with the Omni Rancho Las Palmas team in 2015 as a marketing manager, before moving to a senior marketing manager role. After four years, she became director of marketing at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas, and now has returned to Omni Rancho Las Palmas to manage the marketing team, create campaigns and oversee branding and hotel revenue from various marketing channels.
Molly Horton
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa promotes Horton to the role of director of group sales. She previously served as associate director of group sales at the property, and made a significant impact by collaborating with teams handling small and intimate gatherings to mid-sized events and overseeing key accounts in the Texas market. She has proven herself instrumental in managing relationships with some of the hotel’s largest legacy clients, including the Valero Texas Open, and now will lead all group sales efforts.
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