Marci Krueger
Vice President, Sales and Services, VisitLEX
Lexington, Ky.
Describe your job.
I have the pleasure to market and promote Lexington, Ky., and the beautiful Bluegrass Region to increase visitation to our destination and drive revenue.
What made you choose the meetings and events industry?
I was born and grew up in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and the only jobs I ever had were in the tourism industry. It was fun, and I just loved it, so I was lucky from an early age to know what I wanted to go to college for and the career that would make me happy. Over the years, I have worked at various attractions, including Melody Fair, which was a popular music venue in Niagara Falls, and for hotels in operations and sales, and now, I am vice president of sales and services at the Lexington Convention & Visitors Bureau. I’ve had the good fortune to live and work in eight different cities in my career, which has given me a better perspective based on the geography and the size of the city.
How did you get started and what got you from there to today?
My very first job was at The Cave of the Winds, the cave that is behind Bridal Veil Falls on Goat Island at Niagara Falls. It was so much fun for me to meet people from all over the world who came to my hometown and were excited to experience this amazing attraction where I worked. I would see them light up and smile, and it made me happy to see them exploring something new. That’s all it took; I was hooked.
After graduating from Northwood University in Midland, Mich., I started my hotel career beginning with a restaurant at a hotel in Niagara Falls. I later migrated to the sales department after my mentor thought that I had the talents to be a successful salesperson. Over the years, I worked at the Marriott in Buffalo and then in Ithaca, N.Y., then Chicago, Ill.; Tulsa, Okla.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri; back to Chicago; St. Louis, Mo.; and then Lexington. My husband is a chef, so the hotels loved to move both of us. Two for the price of one move!
Since I first worked in operations prior to my sales role, I had a better understanding of executing what was sold. When I moved into sales, I was very mindful of not over-promising what we couldn’t deliver successfully. I have a great respect for good salespeople who have some type of operational experience. All of my past experience has helped me in my role now at the CVB, as I get to work with all of our industry partners. We all lift each other up!
How do you keep up with industry trends, changes, and cutting-edge developments?
I read articles on trends in our industries and other industries that impact travel and tourism, but networking and asking questions of my peers are ways I have learned and shifted direction.
I am a member of Destinations International (DI). I serve on two committees with DI, and that helps me learn about new trends in other destinations and allows me to share what is working for us in Lexington. As an example, we are now leaning into our intellectual capital in Lexington. We highlight the physical assets that we have in Lexington and partner with the professionals who are best in their field. These professionals, who we call our LEXperts, have brought a meeting to Lexington, and in return, they are great ambassadors to help sell our city for meetings. They have joined us on site visits with out-of-town planners, offered to be a speaker at a conference, and they provide testimonials to new groups looking at LEX.
What essential skills should every industry professional possess?
Hospitality skills, I think, come naturally. Other skills can be learned. For example, I can teach someone our computer systems, how to prospect for business, or how to work a trade show floor. A person can take personal development classes to learn skills. But it is almost impossible to teach someone how to be more hospitable. It is a gift that you either have or don’t have. Tie that gift in with the passion to serve others and make them feel comfortable and welcomed, and you have an outstanding sales professional.
What is the philosophy or approach to work that gets you through stressful times?
Give yourself some grace. Give others some grace. Prioritize what tasks must get done today, and push the other tasks to another day.
What is the best professional advice you ever received, and what advice do you have for others in the industry?
A high tide raises all boats. Be happy for others when they are doing well, and your turn will come.
Describe your biggest professional success.
Building and creating a great team, which sounds easier than it is. You must bring the right people together with different skill sets in order to have an amazing and productive team. And you must have fun at work! At least, that is my view of success.
Share an anecdote about a meeting or event that did not go as planned (something funny or odd) and how you handled it.
Seriously, I tend to block these situations from my memory bank after we solve them.
What is the best part of your job?
Being with meeting planners and hearing how I can help them be successful. I enjoy learning about challenges that they currently face so that I can understand how to better serve them.
