(Rancho Mirage, CA) – January 8, 2018 - The Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is pleased to announce the hiring of Mark Crabb as Vice President of Convention Sales and Services.
Crabb comes to the Coachella Valley from Sonoma County Tourism where he served as the Chief Sales Officer. He led and managed a sales team of nine who provided sales and hospitality services for both the domestic meetings and international travel markets. In 2016, Crabb successfully led the “Trio” of partners (Sonoma County Tourism, Sonoma County Vintners Association and Sonoma County Wine Grape Growers) as the wine destination partnership for the Super Bowl 50 host committee. Crabb currently serves on Destinations International (DMAI) Accreditation Board and is a Certified Tourism Ambassador.
“With more than 25 years of tourism industry experience, both domestically and internationally, Mark will be able to share his vast knowledge and skills with our Convention Sales team as well as our Hospitality Partners,” said Scott White, Greater Palm Springs CVB President & CEO. “We are excited to welcome Mark to our CVB family and the entire tourism community.”
Crabb previously served as Deputy Director of the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB) in Fort Myers, FL. His responsibilities included strategic planning and directing of the VCB’s various sales and marketing initiatives and activities. Prior to that, Crabb served as Executive Director of the Muncie/Delaware County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Rising Sun/Ohio County Convention and Tourism Bureau. In those two positions, he was responsible for increasing visitation of leisure and business travelers, as well as motor coach, convention and sports markets. He started his career with the Anderson/Madison County Visitors and Convention Bureau as Director of Sales.
Crabb holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Advertising from Purdue University. He holds a Fellow, Certified Destination Management Executive (FCDME) designation through the Destination International, Purdue University, and the University of Calgary. The CDME program is recognized by the tourism industry as its highest educational achievement, with coursework covering vision, leadership, and business strategy implementation in preparation for increasing change and competition. He also holds a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) certification from Convention Industry Council.
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About the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official tourism agency for the entire Coachella Valley, providing sales, marketing and promotional efforts targeted to potential leisure and convention group markets. The CVB serves more than 2,000 business partners throughout Riverside County’s nine-city region of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. For more information on Greater Palm Springs visit www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com.
