Michigan native Rachel Benedick was working on a master’s degree in counseling psychology, marriage, and family at the University of Colorado Denver when she started her career with Visit Denver in 1998. She moved up the ranks for 25 years, most recently serving as executive vice president of convention sales and services before departing last year to take on the role of chief revenue officer for Meeting Professionals International (MPI), headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
“I had been thinking about what was next in my career journey,” Benedick says. “I loved every moment of my time at Visit Denver, but after 25 years I felt like there was another career inside of me. The MPI position intrigued me because, in addition to running sales,
I would have the opportunity to be involved in education and raising money for our foundation, which gives back to the industry.” While MPI is based in Texas, she notes that a key perk of the new job is the ability to remain in Denver and work remotely, something that was a must-have for her.
For Benedick, happiness on the job is always about working with the people, including being part of industry associations. “You enhance your network and get a different perspective from each association,” she says. “Education is key to personal and professional growth, and industry associations are a great way to get that. It also helps the industry seem smaller. Hospitality is a huge industry, and sometimes you can feel lost.”
During her time in Denver, she witnessed the city blossom as a meetings and events destination with the addition of numerous hotels, development of a major restaurant scene, and continued expansion of the Colorado Convention Center. “Denver is young at heart, and that playful nature draws people to the city,” Benedick says. “When I started at Visit Denver, we competed mostly regionally, and now it’s on a national and international level.”
Benedick remains one of Denver’s biggest cheerleaders. “The compact, walkable downtown is ideal for meetings of all sizes,” she says. “There’s so much to do, and we have the Rocky Mountains in our backyard.”
