Mark Calitri speaks tourism: The intersection of life and business

By Mark Calitri
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
https://www.clermontsun.com/2015/10/01/mark-calitri-the-intersection-of-life-and-business/

UNLESS, it’s one word that means a lot to Dr. Seuss. It’s funny how a quote from a children’s book written over 45 years ago applies so much to us today. As we close out 2019 and look to start a new journey into 2020 take a step back from our hectic and over scheduled lives to reflect on what you care about most.
Ask yourself these important questions.
Are you proud of any accomplishments in 2019? What are you going to continue?
What am I doing today to become a better, more valuable person?
Think about your job, family, and friends. What are you going to start caring a “whole awful lot” more about to make things better? Who are you going to care about?
Maybe one person can’t change the world, maybe they can, but the real aspiration should be to become the best YOU that is possible. UNLESS is a powerful word and unless you care, nothing is going to get better. Your UNLESS starts now.
Mark Calitri is the president of the Owensboro Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri and Laura Alexander, General Manager, Owensboro Convention Center presented the Most Valuable Recruiter award!

Mark Calitri and Laura Alexander, General Manager, Owensboro Convention Center presented the Most Valuable Recruiter award!

Mark Calitri and Laura Alexander, General Manager, Owensboro Convention Center presented the Most Valuable Recruiter award during the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Rooster Booster event. This honor is in recognition of outstanding efforts in creating an economic impact for Owensboro-Daviess County.
Chief Art Ealum is receiving this award for his efforts in working to bring the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police to Owensboro this summer.

This conference is will create a huge economic impact right here in our community!

https://twitter.com/markcalitri

Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism:  Gulfstream proposes 12- to 15-story hotel, apartments, parking downtown. Owensboro future looks great!

https://www.owensborotimes.com/features/business/2019/03/gulfstream-proposes-12-to-15-story-hotel-apartments-parking-downtown/

The hotel is estimated to be seven stories and 120 rooms. Ray said just before the Historic Preservation Board meeting he spoke with President of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau Mark Calitri who asked for a timeline on the new hotel. Calitri said he had been in discussions with the convention center staff about events for 2021 and 2022 but couldn’t place bids for those conventions because of lack of downtown hotel space.

“This opens new windows of opportunity to go after larger conventions that Owensboro has been unable to attract due to lack of downtown hotels,” Calitri said. “The larger the conventions the more room nights push out business to other hotels.”

Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri, former president and chief executive officer of the Cincinnati East Convention and Visitors Bureauand the Clermont (Ohio) Sports Development Corp., began his duties as president of the local CVB on June 1.

Ruth Ann Dearness, the CVB’s board chairwoman, said the decision to hire Calitri was easy.

“We interviewed three people,” she said. “Mark has the track record we need. He came with incredible recommendations. He has Kentucky roots, and he lived in Northern Kentucky. He understands the culture. He impressed us with the homework he had done on Owensboro. He came here and studied the community before his interview.”

Dearness said Calitri fits the job description so well that, “Had we known Mark first, it would look like we built the job description around him.”

http://www.connect2win.org/going-for-gold-visit-owensboro-transforming-the-owensboro-daviess-county-cvb/

Air show crowd tops 70,000 over weekend in Owensboro Kentucky

https://visitowensboro.com/2018/10/air-show-crowd-tops-70000-over-weekend/

Mark Calitri, president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the air show, combined with the National Softball Association World Series tournament in town and the Jerusalem Ridge Festival in Ohio County, “had a large economic impact for our community.”

He said, “I spoke to multiple hotels that were sold out, and several others that had only a couple rooms left on Friday.”

Calitri said the air show “was great for (hotel) occupancy and rates because you’re selling multiple nights — not just Saturday night. The dollar is turned over numerous times when you think about all of the people who were downtown eating, shopping and buying gas to go home after the air show wrapped up.”

He said, “We partnered with the city on some marketing strategies, hitting the Nashville and Louisville markets really hard, and I think it really paid off. When you throw in a bluegrass music festival in a neighboring county and teams from all around the country in to play softball, it makes for a winning combination for tourism.”

Kentucky Wesleyan to Host Two Major NCAA Division II Events

https://kwcpanthers.com/news/2018/1/8/general-kentucky-wesleyan-to-host-two-major-ncaa-division-ii-events.aspx?path=general

"When you consider the direct spending from the NCAA for the Regional Tournaments, the room nights, the days in the market, and the economic multiplier, the projected economic impact of the Division II Regionals will be over $620,000 for Daviess County," said Mark Calitri, Visit Owensboro President & CEO.
 
"We would like to congratulate Kentucky Wesleyan College for securing this incredible opportunity for Owensboro.  In addition to the tournament, we look forward to sharing all the incredible amenities that Owensboro has to offer," added Calitri.
 

Australian publication touts Owensboro

Mark Calitri, president of the CVB, said, “We believe Owensboro is becoming an international tourist destination. Just look at how many people we had at ROMP from all over the world. We are working closely with the Kentucky Department of Tourism international travel department to bring more international travelers to Owensboro. With the opening of the bluegrass museum, O.Z. Tyler and the new flight from London to Nashville, we will see more international people checking out Owensboro.”

The item appeared in Escape, a newspaper supplement that appears in the Sunday Herald Sun, Sunday Mail Adelaide, Sunday Mail Brisbane, Sunday Tasmanian, Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Times in Australia.

https://visitowensboro.com/2018/07/68691/

Messenger Inquirer reports on how conventions should be modeled

Mark Calitri reported from the official Visit Owensboro board meeting
“Conventions can get lost in Louisville and Cincinnati,” Ross, who serves on the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said at a recent board meeting.
https://visitowensboro.com/2017/07/messenger-inquire-reports-on-how-conventions-should-be-modeled/

Mark Calitri speaks tourism:  Owensboro, Kentucky, steps up with $15M bluegrass museum and more

Mark Calitri and Dave Kirk work for the Owensboro Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is tasked with spreading the news on the exciting transformation of Owensboro.

"Our riverfront is incredible," Calitri said. "I had a pretty high-profile job in Cincinnati. While there, I could go out to eat and to the store and everything else, and never see somebody I knew. But here in Owensboro, it is different. In the summertime, every Friday we have what is called 'Friday After Five' on the riverfront, and it blows your mind how many people come to this free event. And, we just opened a new bourbon distillery, which is now on the official Bourbon Trail, which is visited by over a million people a year here in Kentucky. Our job is to rebrand this city. All roads lead to Owensboro."

 http://www.connect2win.org/mark-calitri-speaks-tourism-owensboro-kentucky-steps-up-with-15m-bluegrass-museum-and-more/



https://www.herald-dispatch.com/features_entertainment/owensboro-kentucky-steps-up-with-m-bluegrass-museum-and-more/article_f129d3f6-ad52-5bae-8478-a3ce1dbfb7f1.html



Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Tourism officials trying to make Owensboro a destination

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Tourism officials trying to make Owensboro a destination

http://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/ap/article_44825af8-f411-11e8-8846-536cac7481c5.html

"We're partnering with the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum and O.Z. Tyler Distillery to promote Owensboro," Mark Calitri, president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Wednesday. "When we split the costs three ways, billboards are affordable.

"We're trying to market Owensboro as a destination," Dave Kirk, the CVB's destination management director, said of the billboard. "We're a one-stop shop with bluegrass, bourbon, barbecue and shows."

Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Continuing education is important for a thriving destination marketing organization.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism:  Continuing education is important for a thriving destination marketing organization.





https://www.visitclermontohio.com/clermont-news/mark-calitri-receives-destination-marketing-executive-designation/

“This distinction is awarded based on coursework completed at the national level over a period of two years,” Calitri said. “I look forward to using this information in continuing to build on the great momentum that the Clermont County CVB has developed.”

The CDME program is designed to better prepare senior destination marketing organization (DMO) executives and managers for increasing change and competition and to become more effective organizational and community leaders.  The class of 2016 included more than 40 graduates. Over the course of 22 years, more than 400 students have participated in the CDME program.

“Education is the foundation to what DMAI provides for its members,” said Gary Sherwin, DMAI Chair and President and CEO, Newport Beach and Company.  “CDME is the only comprehensive educational program available to destination marketing organizations around the world, and we will continue to reinvest in this critical offering so that industry leaders may continue to learn from their peers, share best practices and propel our industry forward.”

Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Momentum begins to build for Owensboro in 2019 and the future looks great.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism:  Momentum begins to build for Owensboro in 2019 and the future looks great.



https://www.owensboroliving.com/the-buzz/convention-visitors-bureau-names-mark-calitri-president/



“Opportunity…that’s the word we used last year when describing Owensboro and the transformation of the CVB. One year later, the future looks bright as we have already opened one new hotel, ready to cut the ribbon on a 2^nd hotel, and getting ready to announce an ambitious new downtown hotel development,” said Mark Calitri

Calitri said, “Convention bookings continue to climb, and we are looking at record breaking years in 2021, 2022, and 2023. “



Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Owensboro is known as the culinary hub of Western Kentucky!

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Owensboro is known as the culinary hub of Western Kentucky!



Trip Advisor is widely recognized as an expert in all things travel. Take a look at the link below and discover you next culinary adventure.





https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurants-g39722-Owensboro_Kentucky.html





Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Daviess County Kentucky continues to thrive!

Mark Calitri speaks tourism: Daviess County Kentucky continues to thrive!

According to the Messenger Inquirer-Daviess County has again received top marks from national bond rating company Moody's Investor Services for its strong credit position, according to a report released March 22.


https://www.daviessky.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/10-18-2018-Agenda.pdf


http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/county-receives-high-credit-rating/article_4d3c744e-100a-5b2e-966b-32c2654d5f56.html

‘This highlights the strong leadership coming from Daviess County and will only help Visit Owensboro generate more business through tourism,” said Mark Calitri.



Visit Owensboro is the official destination marketing organization for Owensboro and Daviess County Kentucky. www.visitowensboro.com Mark Calitri serves as President/CEO.

Mark Calitri interviews Knox County Central High School Cheerleaders