The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) appointed Dan Williams to serve as the organization’s next president and CEO, with Williams set to officially assume the role in June.
Williams has served as the chief sales officer for Experience Columbus since 2015 and has over 27 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industries. During his time at Experience Columbus, Williams led the organization’s sales and services team and spearheaded initiatives that led to record-setting growth in the city’s meetings and conventions segment. Prior to working with Experience Columbus, Williams served as the vice president of sales at Destination Cleveland.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dan as the next president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau,” said Bill Murray, chair of the GBCVB Board of Directors. “After a comprehensive national search, it was clear that his energy, strategic vision and deep understanding of destination marketing make him the right leader at the right time. We’re confident that, under his leadership, Birmingham will continue to grow as a premier destination for meetings, events and tourism.”
As president and CEO of GBCVB, Williams will oversee all strategic operations of the organization and will focus on positioning Birmingham as a premier destination for leisure travel, meetings, conventions and sporting events. Williams will be the seventh leader of GBCVB since its founding in 1969, succeeding John Oros, who is set to retire after leading the organization since 2015.
“I am extremely excited for this new endeavor and honored to lead the tourism efforts for Birmingham and Jefferson County,” Williams said in a press release. “The momentum here is tangible, and I look forward to building on the outstanding foundation and impact that John and the GBCVB team have established.”
Williams is also an active member of Destinations International, PCMA, ASAE and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP).
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