Meetings industry veteran Lisa Messina is leaving her post as senior vice president of sales at Caesars Entertainment to promote the destination she’s made home for over a decade. In September, she steps into the role of chief sales officer at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a new position for the organization.
Messina, who will be responsible for growing meeting, convention, and trade-show sales for the city overall as well as for the Las Vegas Convention Center, says she looks forward to the challenge. “We are at a pivotal moment where the landscape is evolving in a fun and transformative way. It gives business and leisure travelers even more reasons to return here.” Messina will lead a team of 120 sales directors.
In addition to Caesars Entertainment, where she spent four and a half years, Messina’s career has also included several positions with Hilton Worldwide, most recently as executive director, group sales—intermediary accounts, and five and a half years as chief marketing officer at ConferenceDirect. She currently volunteers as a member of the International Board of Directors for Meeting Professionals International.
In a statement, Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA, welcomed Messina’s expertise and experience. “She knows Las Vegas, knows our customers, and has earned the respect of the entire industry. Lisa is clearly the right person to be the LVCVA’s first-ever chief sales officer.”
