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.