Industry Insider

Visit Albuquerque Celebrates the Retirement of Larry Atchison

Visit Albuquerque honored the legacy of Associate Director of Sales Larry Atchison at the Visit Albuquerque Holiday Party. After 31 years of dedication and service to Visit Albuquerque and the travel and tourism industry, he will be retiring in January.

To honor Larry’s hard work and impact on the community, Visit Albuquerque announced the Visit Albuquerque scholarship honoring Larry Atchison. The scholarship will be provided to create opportunity for a tourism student with a focus on diversity and inclusion. This scholarship was granted for the first time last week at the Greater Albuquerque Hotel & Lodging Association luncheon to Grace Sarfo, a graduate student from Ghana who is completing her master’s degree in the Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism Management program at New Mexico State University.

Thank you to Larry for his unwavering support for Visit Albuquerque and dedication and passion for this industry and city. He will be greatly missed, but the city will continue to benefit from the impact he’s had.

Sales Team Attends Industry Trade Shows

Trade shows provide a dynamic platform for Visit Albuquerque’s Convention Sales Team to engage with industry professionals, forge meaningful connections, explore business opportunities for Albuquerque and elevate the destination’s visibility within the competitive market. These face-to-face interactions are essential for building and sustaining successful business relationships in the meetings and events industry. In November, our sales staff participated in two trade shows. 

Visit Albuquerque’s Associate Director of Sales Larry Atchison attended Connect DC in Washington, D.C., from Nov. 27-29, including the Faith and Association markets. There were 139 planners and 203 suppliers in attendance. Larry met with 45 planners for future business opportunities. Connect trade shows are “reverse” shows where the supplier or destination marketing organization visits each planner's tabletop booth.

On Nov. 30, Visit Albuquerque’s Midwest Convention Sales Manager Dionne Hulsey, along with Mark Mares, Corporate Sales Manager with Heritage Hotels, attended the Association Forum’s Annual Holiday Showcase in Chicago. Now in its 35th year, this annual event offers two full days of high-level education for association professionals plus an afternoon trade show that allows destination marketing organizations and association suppliers the opportunity to network with the Chicago association community. Over 40 association professionals, most of whom hail from scientific and medical associations, stopped by the Visit Albuquerque booth during the trade show.

On Dec. 5-7, Visit Albuquerque exhibited with the Albuquerque Convention Center, within the ASM Global Pavilion, at the International Association of Exhibitions & Events Annual Meeting, Expo! Expo! in Dallas TX. Expo! Expo! brought together more than 1,850 exhibition and event industry professionals.

Visit Albuquerque’s Vice President of Sales, Services and Sports Scott Craighead and National Sales Manager Terri Dean were joined by Craig Barkdull, Director of Sales at the Albuquerque Convention Center, and Angela Case, the National Sales Manager at Heritage Hotels & Resorts. The Albuquerque team met with over 50 qualified prospects for future business, including a wide array of trade associations, such as the American College of Surgeons, American Staffing Association, International Sign Association, the National Association of College Stores and the National Association of Realtors.

Visit Albuquerque activated an in-booth experience with Jason Younis y Delgado, a fifth-generation tinsmith artist. Jason produced stamped tin ornaments for attendees.

In addition, Visit Albuquerque and the ASM Global-managed Albuquerque Convention Center co-sponsored the IAEE Rocky Mountain Chapter Reception, hosting meeting professionals from several states within the Rocky Mountain region.

Visit Albuquerque Debuts New 30-Second TV Commercial

Viewers across the country who tuned in to ESPN to watch the Isleta New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 16 also saw Visit Albuquerque’s new 30-second video spot. The commercial, which ran twice during the national broadcast, showcases Albuquerque’s beauty, diversity and vibrancy by highlighting outdoor recreation, culture, cuisine and attractions. By focusing on authentic Albuquerque experiences, the ad inspires curiosity about visiting and motivates people to go to Visit Albuquerque’s website to learn more. The commercial is one of a series of eight new video spots that were filmed in September 2023 at more than 30 locations in the city. The 30-second spot will air again nationwide in February 2024 during NBC’s broadcast of the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships, and it and the other spots will be streamed on digital platforms to viewers in selected states throughout 2024. All the videos are narrated by Vicente Griego, a noted local flamenco vocalist. Our thanks to the Visit Albuquerque Partners who opened up their venues as locations for video production.

Visitor Information Center Participates in Old Town Shop and Stroll

Visit Albuquerque’s Visitor Services Manager Liz Burnam participated in the Old Town Shop and Stroll Dec. 1 at the Old Town Visitor Information Center. She passed out hot chocolate, cider and biscochitos from Celina’s Biscochitos. Santa Claus and The Grinch even stopped by to grab some treats!

Volunteers Recognized at Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

Visit Albuquerque volunteers were recognized for all their hard work at the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Dec. 11 at Sawmill Market. Thank you, volunteers, for all you do for Visit Albuquerque and the city! Thank you to the Visit Albuquerque Partners who donated gifts for the volunteers.