On July 1, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) announced the hiring of Maddie DaMario to its Chicago, Illinois, area sales office and the promotion of David McAuley to senior sales director for the Washington, D.C., and Chicago sales offices.
DaMario joins ACVB with over 10 years of professional convention management experience including destination marketing and sales, medical meeting planning, trade association planning, and hotel group sales. She will be responsible for selling and marketing Atlanta, Georgia, as a destination for prospective trade shows and group meetings with a specialized focus on attracting customers from the Midwest.
Actively engaged in the Chicago hospitality community, DaMario volunteers and holds membership with the Greater Midwest Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Chapter, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence Chicago Chapter, and the Meeting Professionals International Chicago Area Chapter. She was also an award-winner in the PCMA 20 in Their Twenties program that recognizes young business events professionals. A graduate of the University of Missouri–Columbia, DaMario holds a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management.
“Maddie comes to ACVB with an extensive hospitality background that will undoubtedly strengthen our presence in the Chicago and Midwest market,” says Charlene Lopez, executive vice president and chief sales officer of ACVB, in a prepared statement. “Additionally, it is with great pride that we share David’s promotion. His dedication and leadership have been instrumental to the success of our sales efforts.”
McAuley was promoted to senior director of the ACVB Washington, D.C., and Chicago area sales offices. In this expanded role, David will oversee the sales initiatives in the bureau’s leading association markets. While maintaining his primary focus in Washington, D.C., he will collaborate with DaMario to further enhance Atlanta’s meetings destination presence with customers based in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.
McAuley began his tenure with ACVB in 1997 as national sales manager based in Atlanta. In 1999, he relocated to Washington, D.C., where he was promoted to director and began representing Atlanta while overseeing the sales operations.
