December 2004
|
||||||||||
| Industry Insider: Gina Speckman
Following a nationwide search, Chicago’s North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau (CNSCVB) proudly named 16-year industry veteran Gina Speckman as its new executive director October 2004. As executive director, Speckman is responsible for promoting CNSCVB and developing programs that will attract even more visitors to the area. She also will work toward increasing the number of local municipalities and businesses that partner with the CNSCVB in its efforts to promote the region to business and leisure travelers. Currently, the CNSCVB represents Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette and Northbrook. Speckman was previously the senior director of marketing communications and membership for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB). Since 1988, she had been employed by the CCTB in a variety of positions including director of special projects and director of membership. In her most recent position, Speckman was responsible for all the electronic, print and verbal communications programs utilized by the Bureau in positioning the City of Chicago as a leading destination for business and leisure travelers. She created and implemented a strategic plan for the department on an annual basis and managed the relationships of all CCTB outsourced vendors. Other responsibilities included directing the content, design and technology of the CCTB’s three Web sites, and managing the editorial and overall production of six consumer and trade publications with a total circulation of more than 1 million. Speckman also was instrumental in managing the city’s first toll-free visitor information call center. Prior to joining the CCTB, Speckman was employed in the Corporate Communications Department of the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York where she managed program funding for the metropolitan New York City area. She also was employed in a variety of other marketing communication positions, including: Exxon Corporation, the Urban Business Assistance Corporation, the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as Eclipse Jazz in Ann Arbor, Mich. For the past 10 years, Speckman has been involved with the Chicago Plus Regional Tourism Development Office where she most recently served as vice president. The office is a collaborative effort between the resources of 15 area convention and visitor bureaus to conduct a variety of marketing programs. A native of Southfield, Mich., Speckman has lived in Chicago for 17 years where she continues to reside with her husband and two children. During her college days, she promoted and produced concerts at the University of Michigan. She also spent a summer working for singer/songwriter Jackson Browne. |
To help you get to know who’s who in Illinois tourism, ITN profiles an industry leader each month. This month, we introduce Gina Speckman, executive director of Chicago’s North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau and vice president of the Chicago Plus Regional Tourism Development Office.
