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Meeting Planner Contacts 

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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

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

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: Select medical accounts: RSNA, AHA, AAO, HIMSS, AAOS and managerial responsibilities

Bill Williams

Bill Williams, CMP, 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

Barbara Balaguras, Director, 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 500+ guest rooms on peak (all vertical market segments excluding For Profit Tradeshow Producers, SMERF and sports)

Meghan Brennan

Meghan Brennan, Director, Navy Pier Accounts
Phone: 312/567-8576 Email: mbrennan@choosechicago.com

Assistant: Sandra Becerra, Senior Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312/567-8592 Email: sbecerra@choosechicago.com

Navy Pier and Merchandise Mart business (all vertical market segments)

Ihsan Gursoy

Ihsan Gursoy, Director, Association and Pharmaceutical 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, retail and pharmaceutical groups; 500+ guest rooms on peak 

Bill Lemmon

Bill Lemmon, Director, Trade Show Sales
Phone: 312-567-8522 Email: blemmon@choosechicago.com

Assistant: Sandi Kulpa, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312/567-8487 Email: skulpa@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

Lisa Meredith, CMP, 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-Johnson

Karen Riha-Johnston, CMP, Director, Association Sales
Phone: 312/567-8551 Email: krihajohnston@choosechicago.com

Assistant: Jacqueline Moraine-Wells, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312/567-8554 Email: jwells@choosechicago.com

Market: Association 1,000+ (7 segments) medical, business, hobbies, hospitality, insurance, telecommunications, and utilities

Dawn Young

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.

Sara Turkowski

Sara Turkowski, Corporate Sales Manager
Phone: 312-567-8544 Email: sturkowski@choosechicago.com

Market: Corporate Accounts up to 500 guest rooms on peak.

Assistant: Jacqueline Moraine-Wells, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312-567-8554  Email: jwells@choosechicago.com

Sandra Becerra

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, Meghan Brennan and Darrell Baker.

Maria Alvarez

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, Ihsan Gursoy and Tracy Janosko.

Sandy Kulpa

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 and Bill Lemmon.

Jacqueline E. Moragne-Wells

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, Karen Riha-Johnston and Sara Turkowski.

Thelma Walker

Thelma Walker, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312/567-8489 Email: twalker@choosechicago.com

Provides administrative support for the association market. Reports Directly to Lisa Meredith, Brien Zamperetti and Artrice Smith.

Our Eastern Regional Office located in Washington, D.C. represents the CCTB in the Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland.

Brien Zamperetti

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

Assistant: Thelma Walker, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312-567-8489 Email: twalker@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:  Sandra Becerra, Senior Sales Coordinator 
Phone: 312-567-8592 Email: sbecerra@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

Tracy Barrett Janosko

Tracy Barrett Janosko, Director, Washington DC Regional Sales
Phone: 202-507-7075  Email: tjanosko@choosechicago.com

Assistant:  Maria Alvarez, Sales Coordinator 
Phone: 312-567-8557 Email: malvarez@choosechicago.com

Market: Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland Area, 1,000+ guest rooms on peak:  Medical DC and MD, Education, Building Construction, Food and Beverage

 

Artrice M. Smith

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

Assistant: Thelma Walker, Sales Coordinator
Phone: 312/567-8489 Email: twalker@choosechicago.com

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

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