Appointments follow retirement of 24-year convention sales and services veteran
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Experience Grand Rapids, the area’s official destination marketing organization, has promoted two team members to leadership roles in sales and convention services. The appointments come after Director of Sales & Services, Tim Nelson, announced his upcoming retirement on April 7.
EXGR Associate Director of Sales, Kelsey Helstowski, will take on the role of director of sales. EXGR Convention Services Manager, Brandy Martin, will assume the role of director of convention services.
“Kelsey has demonstrated strong leadership skills by training our new sales team members, working closely with our key hotel and convention center partners on securing future convention business for our community and leading new sales initiatives like the Site Experience Project,” said Manier.
“Brandy has shown exemplary leadership skills by mentoring services team members, arranging and conducting meetings with convention services staff and event coordinators at partner hotels and the convention center,” said Manier. “She has become the ‘go-to’ person at Experience Grand Rapids for local service team members and a growing leader in the industry through her work with the Event Service Professional Association.”
Both team members will start their new positions on April 10.
“Tim helped drive phenomenal growth in area visitorship over the past 24 years, and he did so with authenticity, professionalism and a passion for our community. We’ll miss him, and we wish him the very best in his retirement,” said EXGR President & CEO, Doug Small. “We have a tremendously talented sales and convention services team, so it was a natural decision to promote Kelsey and Brandy to fill Tim’s role. They have proven themselves to be outstanding leaders, and we’re confident they’ll continue to exemplify excellence as they partner with Mary to lead the sales and services team.”
