Major Events – Their Importance for Destination Tourism

Destinations offer many local events for their local residents. What is the connection and how are events marketed to also attract visitors?

Featured speaker, Tom Kiely, CEO/President Visit West Hollywood, will discuss how major events in West Hollywood like Gay Pride and Halloween have put the city on the map, and how these events contribute to the local economy and quality of life for all to enjoy.

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Registration: 11:30am

Lunch: 12:00pm

Education Program: 12:45pm

Adjorn: 1:30pm

The Pendry Hotel

8430 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Tom Kiely

CEO/President Visit West Hollywood

Tom Kiely is the President and CEO of the West Hollywood Travel and Tourism Board – also known as Visit West Hollywood.

In his role – Tom oversees the global brand marketing and sales strategy for the city known as the “Heart of Los Angeles” – one of the most progressive, inclusive, and welcoming cities in Southern California. A deeply experienced Travel and Tourism Executive, Tom is a dynamic and innovative leader that has completely reinvented and reinvigorated the organization since his appointment in 2016.

Tom came to West Hollywood by way of San Francisco Travel, the Convention and Visitors Bureau where he served as the Executive Vice President of Tourism.

His robust hospitality background includes positions with The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios Parks and Resorts, Hilton Hotels Corporation and an international assignment as Director of Marine and Park Sales at Atlantis The Palm Dubai.Locally, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Economic DevelopmentCorporation, and the Boards of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and Sister Cities ofLos Angeles, as well as the Advisory Boards of the Los Angeles Sports & EntertainmentCommission and Allen Robinson’s Within Reach Foundation. In addition, he is the current BoardVice Chair of L.A. Works, the region’s largest community volunteer action network.

TTMA's goal is to enhance the effectiveness and knowledge of professionals working in the travel and tourism industry. We seek to accomplish this by educating and updating our members in the areas of marketing, communications, tourism research and planning skills and by bridging the gap of understanding between these highly inter-related specialty areas in the travel industry today.

​​​Our Objective:

• To serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among travel and tourism professionals.

• To encourage the educational and professional development of those involved in & pursuing careers in travel and tourism.

• To promote high quality, credible and effective marketing applications in the travel and tourism industry.

• To facilitate cooperation between producers and users of travel and tourism marketing research.

• To advocate the effective use of marketing research in the decision-making process of providing quality services and products to the travel and tourism industry.

Where bold meets beautiful. Pendry West Hollywood shines on the famed Sunset Strip with its glamorous take on Los Angeles’ inimitable sense of life and style. With stunning interiors that frame a backdrop of collected artworks, beautifully layered design and striking views of the city, the hotel’s sophisticated take on California’s sensibilities stands out from every angle, day and night.