August 21, 2007

David J. Sargent Named Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.

ORLANDO, Fla. - David J. Sargent has been named the senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Orlando CVB). In this new position, Sargent will provide direction in the creation of strategies and development of comprehensive programs that will integrate convention sales and leisure marketing resources to maximize efficiencies and fulfill the strategic direction and ensure the integrity of the brand. In this role, he will oversee both the sales and marketing areas including convention sales and destination meeting services, domestic and international leisure marketing, partnership marketing, visitor services, travel industry marketing, publications, interactive services initiatives and outside agencies. He will begin in his new position on Aug. 21, 2007.

Sargent has had a distinguished sales and marketing career in major markets including Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. He was most recently the area director of sales and marketing for the Hiltons of Chicago where he oversaw a team of 50 people in three distinct properties. Prior to that, he served as the director of sales and marketing at The Westin New York at Times Square and Sheraton New York. He has also held progressively higher sales positions with the Chicago Global Sales Office of the Sheraton Corporation, Sheraton Washington Hotel, Sheraton Bal Harbour, Hyatt Regency O'Hare and Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.

"Dave brings outstanding leadership qualities and has a proven track record of growing the market through building consensus," said Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando CVB. "He will be a tremendous addition to the Orlando CVB team and the Orlando community."

Sargent received a B.A. degree in Broadcast/Journalism and a minor in English from Drake University in Iowa. He has served as president of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association and was awarded the Presidential Award by ITT Sheraton Corporation.

The Orlando CVB is the sales and marketing agency responsible for positioning Orlando as the destination of choice for leisure and meetings business for the economic benefit of the Orlando region.