One of the first to register on the first day of Active America was Eason Gu, travel trade manager, China, international sales, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Association in the latter’s China office, and who was non-stop busy throughout the show.
Pausing just long enough to say hello to Danny Chow, assistant operations manager for the Los Angeles-based receptive tour operator, Tour America, is Sofia Williamson, the NAJ Group’s chief operating officer.
In the lobby area of the Omni Fort Worth hotel, we saw Louis Lau (left), vice president, Asia business development and support, Triple Five Group (owner-operators of Mall of America and more); and Rolland Chang, sales manager, worldwide sales—Asia, North America leisure travel, Best Western International.
With their cowboy hats making them readily identifiable as part of the Fort Worth CVB staff as they round up Active America delegates for the opening night’s reception and concerts are: Denise Hawkins (left), the bureau’s director of visitor services; and Heather Huhn, convention services manager.
The heart of Fort Worth’s historic Sundance Square proved to be a popular selfie venue for delegates. Here, Marianna Khauv, owner of the Best Western Chelsea Inn & Suites, in Monticello, Minnesota, shows how it’s done.
Part of the Louisiana contingent at Active America’s opening night reception at Fort Worth’s Sundance Square: Erica Howard (left), tourism sales manager, Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau; and Harolyn Falgoust, convention & tourism sales, Monroe-West Monroe CVB.
As is the case with other delegates, Alison Lindsay (left) group sales coordinator, public relations, for the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC; Doug Bourgeois (center), director of the Discover Louisiana Byways Collection, Louisiana Office of Tourism; and Doug Treleaven, sales manager, travel trade, Tourism Victoria, are anticipating the food service and music soon to start at Sundance Square.
Georgia and Memphis showed up in force for the Sundance Square event. Here are (left-to-right): Stella Xu, manager for China initiatives, global commerce and tourism, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Lisa M. Catron, national sales manager, Memphis CVB; Debbie Li, specialist, research, Atlanta CVB; and Carolyn P. Mears, director of sales for Graceland.
Part of the Best Western contingent from properties throughout the USA included: (left) Rossana Wang, sales, and Marty Deng, general manager, Best Western Plus South Bay Hotel in Lawndale, Cailfornia.
At the Sundance Square festivities, Howard Kang (left), vice general manager of the Beijing Yuqi Exhibition Service Company, finds himself with three friends from the Houston CVB (left-to-right): Lee Yao, Asia-Pacific representative, tourism; Jorge Franz, senior vice president of tourism; and Yuting Chen, Asia-Pacific representative, tourism.
Even the party-like atmosphere of Sundance Square could not stop Ruby Wong, director, World Travel Groups, from catching up on several work items.
Though interrupted in mid-conversation, Carl Lee, general manager, China Merchants Tours Business and Exhibition (Tianjin) Company; and Mandy Darsey, a graduate student at the University of Texas Arlington, give the photographer a welcoming smile.
A Destination’s Dream: The first thing that operators did upon arriving at Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth was to put their cameras into action taking photos of one another and the scenery all about the square.
Mitch Whitten, left, vice president of marketing communications for the Fort Worth CVB, introduces the Wednesday evening program at Sundance Square with the help of Oliver Yang, tourism marketing specialist from the Economic Development and Tourism division in the office of Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott.
Taking in the action at Sundance Square are Kevin Streit (left), managing director of Kevin Streit Associates; and Stefan Merkl, the West Coast-based senior international tourism sales manager for the Philadelphia CVB.
Though she hails from Shenzhen, China, Fei-Fei Dong makes Fort Worth her home. Dong, who was a 2013 finalist in the quadrennial Van Cliburn Competition held in Fort Worth and who has become a renowned international pianist, wowed those gathered in Sundance Square with a program that blended classic with contemporary.
Somehow, a statue in Sundance Square sauntered up next to and parked itself at the side of Wei Zhou, head of the sales department at the Shenzhen Commerce International Travel Company.
Among the well-known sales officials who came to Active America: Elizabeth King, southwest regional manager, tourism marketing, Macy’s; and Brian Chuan, director of travel trade development at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California.
Making sure to catch the performance of Van Cliburn Competition finalist Fei-Fei Dong are the Van Cliburn Foundation’s director artistic planning, Sandra Doan (left) and Maggie Estes, director of marketing.
