COMMUNITY NEWS
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Norwegian Cruise Line christens Norwegian Joy
Norwegian Cruise Line christened a new ship , the Norwegian Joy , the first ship to be specifically crafted for the China market . The new ship can accommodate 3,883 guests , and its design and interior finishes are tailored to the expectations of Chinese guests .
“ After years spent carefully designing this amazing vessel , my team and I are both proud and thrilled to finally christen the world ’ s first cruise ship custom-designed for the wonderful people of China ,” said Frank Del Rio , president and CEO .
The hull ’ s artwork was designed by renowned Chinese artist Tan Ping and depicts a phoenix . Musician and film director Wang Leehom will be the ship ’ s godfather , and he was on hand to christen the vessel with Norwegian Cruise Line executives at a ceremony in Shanghai .
The celebration marked the end of a month-long inaugural tour for the ship , which included events in Hong Kong , Shenzhen , Singapore and Qingdao .
Chattanooga CVB CEO announces retirement
Bob Doak announced his retirement as CEO of the Chattanooga CVB . He will continue to lead the organization until February and assist in its transition . Doak has served in his position for 15 years , and he has been in the tourism industry for 35 years .
“ For the last 15 years while leading the CVB , I have had the opportunity to
work with an excellent team , tourism partners , supportive mayors and county , and city and civic leaders in making tourism a vital component in elevating Chattanooga as a place to visit , work and live ,” Doak said in a prepared statement .
“ Chattanooga has become a thriving , vibrant city , and I am humbled to be part of that process . It has been a pleasure bringing millions of visitors from around the world to Chattanooga ,” he said .
“ We are fortunate to have great natural resources and the vision of those involved in selling Chattanooga and Hamilton County ,” said Mayor Jim Coppinger . “ With the leadership of Bob Doak , the CVB has invested in telling and selling our message and has generated over $ 1 billion in return on the investment .”
Doak was recognized in 2016 as the Tennessee Tourism Professional of the Year at the Governor ’ s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism . The award is given after a vote of industry peers .
Atlanta CVB promotes Dyson and Childers
The Atlanta CVB announced the promotion of Amanda Dyson ( above , left ) and Kristen Childers . Dyson is now the manager , membership events , and Childers is sales manager , domestic tourism .
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Dyson plans and oversees the CVB ’ s events , such as its Connect networking meetings and the bureau ’ s hospitality industry briefings . She also builds partner engagement and manages customer relationships . Dyson joined the CVB in 2004 , spending seven years in the tourism and sales departments before leaving . She rejoined the organization in 2015 as a sales manager focused on domestic tourism , small meetings and reunions . Childers works to bring domestic groups and meetings to the city . She is also responsible for marketing to these groups and connecting them with CVB services once they arrive . She previously worked as the organization ’ s marketing specialist , a role in which she helped implement the 360ATL virtual reality tool and developed content for the website . Childers began as an intern for the CVB in 2014 before joining the sales team and then the marketing department .
NYC & Company appoints Cole
NYC & Company appointed Elan Cole as its new creative director in July . Cole brings more than two decades of design and marketing experiences , and most recently he led his own consulting company , The Future is Forever , for the past three years .
“ We are pleased to welcome Elan to the NYC & Company team ,” said President and CEO Fred Dixon . “ His outstanding design and creative experience across a broad range of industries will be a tremendous asset to us as we look to evolve our work and continue to position NYC ’ s five boroughs as must-see , visit-now destinations .”
“ I couldn ’ t be happier to join the NYC & Company family ,” said Cole . “ Both design and New York City are so deep in my DNA . I ’ m thrilled to be helping the organization continue to build and amplify the presence of the five boroughs in the imagination of visitors and locals alike .” Cole also gives his time as a founding instructor of branding at New York ’ s School of Visual Art ’ s GroundFloor Incubator Program .
52 October 2017