NORTHERN KENTUCKY CONVENTION BUREAU CHIEF ELECTED TO INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION MARKETING BOARD

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Pat Frew
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NORTHERN KENTUCKY CONVENTION BUREAU CHIEF ELECTED TO INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION MARKETING BOARD

Covington, KY/August 13, 2008–Tom Caradonio, President and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau has been elected to a three-year term on the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Board of Directors.

The move became official July 30th during DMAI’s 94th Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Caradonio will serve through 2011 on the 25-member board. The Association, formerly known as the International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, is the world’s largest resource for official destination marketing organizations with more than 1,750 professionals, students, educators and industry vendors and partners as members.

DMAI President and CEO Michael Gehrisch said this about Caradonio’s appointment and election. “Tom is an excellent addition to the DMAI Board. His commitment to advancing the destination marketing industry is a vital quality in serving in this role. We believe his experience will provide additional depth and insight as DMAI looks to the future.”

Caradonio has served as Bureau chief in Northern Kentucky since 1998. Under his leadership the Bureau set a record last year reporting $325 million in total economic impact in visitor spending in the three-county NKY region. Caradonio has more than 35 years in the hospitality business. The Fort Thomas resident is Chairman of the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority, sits on the board of Southbank Partners and serves as an Ex Officio Board Member of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center and the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau. He is also an advisory board and board member of the NKY Chamber of Commerce and serves on advisory boards for the METS Center, the Bank of Kentucky NKU Arena, Ryder Cup 2008 and the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

The mission of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is that of an aggressive sales, marketing, service and informational organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact the Northern Kentucky economy through conventions, meetings and visitor expenditures. The direct economic impact of visitors’ spending in Campbell, Kenton and Boone Counties in 2007 was $325 million.