Meeting Planner Contacts

We have brought together one of the industry's most experienced sales teams; with backgrounds ranging from hotel sales, general service contractors and convention and visitors bureaus providing a breadth of knowledge and experience that is ready to work for you.

Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau Offices:

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive Metro Plaza
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-567-8500
Fax: 312-567-8472

Chicago Eastern Region:

1629 K Street, N.W., Suite 402
Washington, D.C. 20006-1633
Phone: 202-507-7070
Fax: 202-507-7079

		Mark Theis, Executive Vice President Phone: 312-567-8564 Email: mtheis@choosechicago.com Assistant: Lyndell Fong-Jones, Executive Assistant Phone: 312-567-8486 Email: lfongjones@choosechicago.com Oversee and direct the vision of the sales, client services, research and special event departments.
		Mark Tunney, Managing Director, Convention Sales Phone: 312-567-8481 Email: mtunney@choosechicago.com Assistant: Sandra Becerra, Senior Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8592 Email: sbecerra@choosechicago.com Market: Association 1,000+ guest rooms on peak (1 segment) medical segment and managerial responsibilities
		Bill Williams, Vice President, Diversity/Sales Phone: 312-567-8476 Email: bwilliams@choosechicago.com Assistant: Sandi Kulpa, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8487 Email: skulpa@choosechicago.com Market: SMERF and other: (churches/ministries, colleges/universities) <1,000 guest rooms on peak SMERF vertical segments include: fraternal, government, labor unions, military/veterans, minority, religious, social/personal events and sports/recreation
		Barbara Balaguras, Director of Corporate Sales Phone: 312/567-8484 Email: bbalaguras@choosechicago.com Assistant: Maria Alvarez, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8557 Email: malvarez@choosechicago.com Market: Corporate 750+ guest rooms on peak (all vertical market segments excluding For Profit Tradeshow Producers, SMERF and sports)
		Meghan Brennan, Director, Corporate Sales and Navy Pier Specialist Phone: 312/567-8576 Email: mbrennan@choosechicago.com Assistant: Sandra Becerra, Senior Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8592 Email: sbecerra@choosechicago.com Market: Corporate business guest rooms on peak Navy Pier business (all vertical market segments excluding For Profit Tradeshow Producers, SMERF and sports)
		Ihsan Gursoy, Director, Association Sales Phone: 312/567-8454 Email: igursoy@choosechicago.com Assistant: Maria Alvarez, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8557 Email: malvarez@choosechicago.com Market: Association 1,000+ (5 segments) building/construction, food/beverage, home/housewares, public administration/safety, and retail
		Bill Lemmon, Director, Trade Show Sales Phone: 312-567-8522 Email: blemmon@choosechicago.com Assistant: Jacqueline Moraine-Wells, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8554 Email: jwells@choosechicago.com Market: For Profit Tradeshow Producers (all sizes), SMERF and other (churches/ministries, colleges/universities): 1,000+ guest rooms on peak SMERF vertical segments include: fraternal, government, labor unions, military/veterans, minority, religious, social/personal events and sports/recreation
		Lisa Meredith, Director, Association Sales Phone: 312-567-8469 Email: lmeredith@choosechicago.com Assistant: Thelma Walker, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8489 Email: twalker@choosechicago.com Market: Association: <1,000 guest rooms on peak (all vertical market segments excluding For Profit Tradeshow Producers, SMERF and sports)
		Karen Riha-Johnston, Director, Association Sales Phone: 312/567-8551 Email: krihajohnston@choosechicago.com Assistant: Thelma Walker, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8489 Email: twalker@choosechicago.com Market: Association 1,000+ (7 segments) medical, business, hobbies, hospitality, insurance, telecommunications, and utilities
		Dawn Young, Director, Association Sales Phone: 312/567-8459 Email: dyoung@choosechicago.com Assistant: Jacqueline Moraine-Wells, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8554 Email: jwells@choosechicago.com Market: Association 1,000+ (7 segments) agriculture, art/entertainment, automotive, education, manufacturing, professional trade, and science/technology
		Sandra Becerra, Senior Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8592 Email: sbecerra@choosechicago.com ; ezMeetings@choosechicago.com Provides sales and administrative support for both association and corporate markets. Point of contact for ez-MEETINGS. Manages the sales coordinator team in Chicago. Reports directly to Mark Tunney and Meghan Brennan.
		Maria Alvarez, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8557 Email: malvarez@choosechicago.com Provides sales and administrative support for both association and corporate markets. Reports directly to Barbara Balaguras and Ihsan Gursoy.
		Sandi Kulpa, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312-567-8487 Email: skulpa@choosechicago.com Provides sales and administrative support for the SMERF Market. Reports directly to Bill Williams.
		Jacqueline E. Moragne-Wells, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8554 Email: jwells@choosechicago.com Provides sales and administrative support for the association market. Reports directly to Dawn Young and Bill Lemmon.
		Thelma Walker, Sales Coordinator Phone: 312/567-8489 Email: twalker@choosechicago.com Provides administrative support for the association market. Reports Directly to Lisa Meredith and Karen Riha-Johnston.

Our Eastern Regional Office located in Silver Spring, MD, represents the CCTB in the Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland.

Brien Zamperetti, Director, Eastern Regional Sales Office
Phone: 202-507-7076 Email: bzamperetti@choosechicago.com

Assistant: Artrice M. Smith, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 202-507-7072 Email: asmith@choosechicago.com

Market: Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland, 1,000+ guest rooms on peak: Medical (Virginia)

Darrell Baker

Darrell Baker, Director, Washington DC Regional Sales
Phone: 202-507-7073 Email: dbaker@choosechicago.com

Assistant: Artrice M. Smith, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 202-507-7072 Email: asmith@choosechicago.com

Market: Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland Area, 1,000+ guest rooms on peak. (24 segments) Agriculture, Environmental, Art, Entertainment, Cultural, Automotive, Transportation, Business, Hospitality, Travel, Manufacturing, Professional Trade, Public Administration, Safety, Social Welfare, Publishing, Printing, Retail, Science and Technology, Engineering, Computers, Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Utilities, Natural Resources

Artrice M. Smith

Artrice M. Smith, Manager, Washington DC Regional Sales
Phone: 202-507-7072 Email: asmith@choosechicago.com

Market: Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland area, <1,000 guest rooms (all vertical market segments excluding For Profit Tradeshow Producers, Government, Labor Unions, SMERF, and Sports)