COMMUNITY NEWS | DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau Looks to Grow Visitor Industry

DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) Executive Director Beth Marchetti today announced details of a restructure to the organization’s sales team. Earlier this year, Marchetti and the DCVB Board of Directors unveiled a new tourism plan that includes an enhanced promotional program to target new audiences regionally and nationally, and a strategy to secure larger and high-quality meetings and conferences. The redeployment of sales team leadership is critical to the organization’s commitment to growing the DuPage visitor industry, an important sector of the DuPage economy.

Marchetti welcomed Noonie Aquilar as Director of Sales effective at the end of November. Aquilar joins the DCVB team with 27 years of experience in the hospitality industry, 18 of which have been in the DuPage area. Her hotel background represents a variety of leadership roles at the property level with both Hilton and Marriott in the city and suburbs, including 12 years in General Manager positions.

“Noonie’s varied and solid relationships with DuPage County hotels are instrumental in our continued efforts to execute a successful tourism grant program among DuPage’s 38 communities,” said Marchetti. “Her leadership skills blend incredibly well with our entire team, and we are excited to witness this transition as we work collaboratively to capitalize on new and returning business, leisure and sports business from markets beyond the greater Midwest.”

With the addition of Aquilar, Justin Roach, Director of Business Development, will redirect his focus towards building the DuPage Sports Commission (DSC) to capitalize on one of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry. As identified in the DCVB’s strategic plan, sports and event tourism is an $11 billion industry and a lucrative market with great potential for DuPage County. Roach was named “Connect 2018 Game Changer,” by Connect Publishing.

Marchetti also announced that Sonja Knowles, CFMP has been promoted from her role as Market Manager to Senior Market Manager. Knowles’ knowledge of and ability to source DuPage’s two million square feet of meetings and event space for the religious, military and professional fraternal markets delivers a significant impact for the DuPage community. She recently completed her Certified Faith-Based Meeting Professional accreditation and is currently working towards her Professional in Destination Management certification.

The mission of the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau is to actively promote DuPage County as an enticing destination, attracting individual travelers and meeting/event planners in order to enhance the County’s economic fiber and resident quality of life.

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