NKY CONVENTION CENTER NAMES NEW DIRECTOR
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Betty Burns
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Pat Frew, Director of Communications
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E-Mail: Pressroom@nkycvb.com | www.nkycvb.com
NKY CONVENTION CENTER NAMES NEW DIRECTOR
Covington, KY/July 7, 2006—The Northern Kentucky Convention Center Board of Directors has announced the hiring of Gretchen Landrum as the new Convention Center Director replacing the retiring Charles Wheeler, effective August 1, 2006.
Landrum has served the past six years as Director of Sales and Marketing. Wheeler was brought on in 1996 to help start up the Center, then transitioned into Center Director after its opening in 1998. The change in leadership comes at a time of continued sustained Center growth. In March, Center Board Chairman Dan Fay, President of Commonwealth Hotels, announced plans for expanding the eight-year old facility by 2010.
In its first seven years of operation, the Center has hosted nearly 1,400 events with an economic impact of nearly $633-million-41 percent higher than original projections. As a result, the building’s projected draw down on its reserve funds from startup through the end of fiscal year 2003 never materialized. The venue met its third year Performa profit goals in just 18 months and has not stopped producing positive bottom line figures in the ensuing years.
Fay reported that the board interviewed several candidates on a national basis before concluding Landrum was the best choice to succeed Wheeler. “The success of the Center is a result of the excellent team that runs it. Our customers rate their meeting experience in the building very highly on a consistent basis. Much of that credit is due to Gretchen Landrum and Charlie Wheeler’s leadership. Maintaining that continuity in the difficult task of finding a replacement for Charlie was paramount in reaching this important hiring decision.”
Landrum, whose responsibilities include directing the Center’s $3-million-dollar budget and a $2.8-million-dollar catering operation (Masterpiece Creations), says she’s gratified the board selected her for the top post. “This opportunity excites me and is a defining moment in my 19 years in this industry. I am grateful to our board for their continued confidence in my abilities and look forward to leading our team in the coming years and tackling the challenges we will face to bring the proposed expansion of the Center to reality.”
Wheeler says he’s relieved to leave the direction of the building in what he terms Landrum’s ‘capable hands.’ “Gretchen has been integral in the policy-making and planning process for the facility. Her leadership will provide a seamless transition at the top and will enhance the Center’s future growth potential.”
Landrum also received strong support from one of the Center’s key partners, the Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau. Bureau President & CEO Tom Caradonio says he looks forward to continued success of the Center and Bureau. “Gretchen has earned this position through her actions. She already works closely with the Bureau in ensuring the experience for meeting planners at the Center is of the highest quality. That philosophy will only grow stronger under her guidance, which bodes well for our guests and our industry.”
Center officials have been proactive in freshening the building’s appearance and capabilities, investing approximately $575,000 in the past year. New carpeting has been installed. Telecommunications improvements enhanced web conferencing and wireless capabilities. The most ambitious effort this summer involved upgrading interior walls and the ceiling of the 46,200-square foot exhibit hall. Fay adds that these improvements complement the demand for more attractive space to support the Center’s corporate meeting planning requirements.