CVBs ‘AForce of Positive Change’

FOOTHOLD: J. Stephen Perry said that while

the meetings industry has “gained a foothold inthe psyche of

our national political leaders,” DMAI must continue to make advocacy its top priority.

BY MICHELLE RUSSELL

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO J. Stephen Perry, who serves as the current chair of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Board of Directors, took some time out from both jobs to speak with Convene about the role destination marketing organizations (DMOs) play. As he sees it, not only do DMOs assist meeting professionals in executing “flawless” events, they work in an industry that “is tied up with the most fundamental of all Americanfreedoms—the freedom to travel.”

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CONVENE Q&A