Traverse City Tourism's Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS and Tori Piersante Vice President in Sales, tell their story, the evolution of Traverse City's Placemaking, and why the city is now a destination for meetings and conferences.
They also review the benefits of geting as CMP certificate or working with someone who is.
Segment 1: Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS sharing about personal introductions and job functions.
Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS, Senior Sales Manager, is a name well-known in the Michigan meetings and events industry. Join us on Association Impact as we learn more about who she is, what she does, and professional insights into the award-winning work of Traverse City Tourism.
Segment 2: Tori Piersante, gives her personal introductions and job functions.
Tori Piersante, Vice President of Sales, leads Traverse City Tourism’s senior sales team. In this segment, Tori reflects on her personal career path, her prior experience working with Visit Salt Lake, and how she brings it all together to support a vibrant tourism industry in northern Michigan.
Segment 3: Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS & Tori Piersante. Taylor finds out -- Why Traverse City? Then, more about upcoming/priority events and new venues: wine month, Hotel Indigo, Park Place Hotel, Grand Traverse Resort’s Governor’s Hall renovations, etc.
Unique problems call for unique solutions. In this segment we explore how the “Cherry Capital of the World” has repositioned itself as one of the state’s major meetings and events destinations and discuss the emerging spirit of collaboration between local venues, business owners, and the convention and visitors bureau.
Segment 4: Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS & Tori Piersante. Next the ladies discuss volunteer meeting planning certifications: CMP, CTA, GMS, along with how has attaining these various certifications improved/impacted your work? Have you found they changed your business approaches and ways of thinking?
As voluntary certifications across all industry sectors continue to be reassessed, Terese McInnis CMP, GMS and Tori Piersante offer their firsthand background with meeting planning certifications in the State of Michigan and their importance to continued, professional development.
Segment 5: Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS & Tori Piersante. Here Terese and Tori focus on business approaches/tactics: what differences in their approach they consider when working with dissimilar groups? (state associations vs. governmental organizations, etc.). Building on that they share why is this important to the tourism industry?
The old adage of “know your audience” seems to be true, even in the events industry. We examine the differences in approach amongst the various groups and target markets Traverse City Tourism partners with and how they’ve learned to leverage these distinctions as positives.
Segment 6: Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS & Tori Piersante. To wrap up their time with Taylor they cover how Traverse City Tourism was awarded the 2018 “Best Convention & Visitors Bureau” in its size-category by Michigan Meetings + Events and MSAE. Finally, looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, groups such as Meetings Michigan and the Michigan Association of CVBs recommend that the Michigan tourism industry maintain its tight-knit community through consistent messaging. Here is how Traverse City Tourism intends to do their part.
As the first of Association Impact’s upcoming spotlights on convention and visitor bureaus, Traverse City Tourism considers what lies ahead for Michigan tourism and meeting planning in 2019. Learn how Traverse City’s spirit of collaboration might serve as a guiding hand for the industry in the show’s final segment.
To hear those six segments with Terese and Tori, please click play on the PodCasts shared below!
More about today's pair of guests:
Terese McInnis, CMP, GMS “My name is Terese McInnis and I am the satellite sales person for Traverse City Tourism. I work from my home office in Lansing, and I represent most of the State Association market, the Federal and State Gov markets, as well as all 517 corporate or education groups. I have been with TCT nearly 8 years. Prior to that, I spent 20 years working as a group sales manager/DOS for large conference hotels in Lansing, Flint, and Battle Creek.”
Tori Piersante “I’m Tori Piersante, very fortunate to be the VP of Sales for Traverse City Tourism. I’m in Traverse City, surrounded by our great team with awesome views of the bay! I handle the National Association and Corporate markets and I’ve been on board for almost seven years. My background in the DMO world was as a DOS at the Salt Lake City CVB for six years, and the Greater Lansing CVB. In the hotel and resort arena, I have worked in Lansing, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Key Largo, Boston and Stow Vermont. None of which hold a candle to Traverse City!”
