Visit Baltimore’s Convention Sales Team has quickly gained a reputation for its outstanding skills in assisting associations and corporate meeting planners with customized site inspections of hotels, event venues, and attractions throughout the Greater Baltimore metropolitan area. This highly professional staff also represents the city through trade shows and custom presentations.
Meet the Team
Kireem Swinton
Vice President of Sales and Customer Experience
[email protected]
301-868-3158
Kireem Swinton is the Vice President of Sales and Customer Experience. He’s also the go-to person if you’re looking for information about the city or connecting to a local resource. When you’re in town for your site visit, he recommends stopping by Sandlot for a beer and a bite on the “beach.”
Aurelia Welsh
Senior Director of Sales & Special Events
[email protected]
410-659-7017
Aurelia Welsh leads Visit Baltimore’s sales team in its work to provide clients with a customized package that leverages the city’s best assets for attendees. She builds strong relationships with her clients, taking the time to help them experience the outstanding local culinary options, to make connections with industry experts and to showcase why Charm City is a great fit for a conference. Her favorite part of living here is being on the waterfront, where she enjoys taking water taxi rides to Fell’s Point for a bite to eat, a little shopping and an outdoor cocktail.
Jen Dwyer
Director of Sales
[email protected]
410-659-8347
Jen has a diverse background with years of hospitality experience. The last 12 years of her career have been spent in various sales and leadership positions with Marriott International. Most recently Jen was a part of the city-wide sales team for the Chicago Marriott hotels. Prior to her time in Chicago, she was the Director of Sales & Marketing for the Renaissance Harborplace hotel in Baltimore. A Baltimore native, Jen’s roots in Charm City span generations and her love for hospitality started as a child by helping her grandparents with their locally owned catering business.
Laurie Nelson-Choice, CGMP
Director of Diversity and National Sales
[email protected]
202-588-8800
Nationwide Multicultural, Religious & Fraternal (500 and above)
Mid-Atlantic (1200 and above), select accounts
Laurie specializes in making your site selection process seamless. Laurie loves Baltimore for its overall vibe—fun, cool and quirky—the kind of place where you just want to hang out.
Brian Chung
Director of Mid-Atlantic Sales
[email protected]
410-659-8358
DC, VA, MD (1200 and above)
Brian Chung has been helping meeting professionals create and coordinate successful programs for more than 15 years. He likes that Baltimore has something for everyone: beautiful parks, great breweries, delicious food, awesome people and, of course, friendly neighborhoods.
Sherry Vale
Director of Midwest Sales
[email protected]
216-905-3361
Midwest (800 and above)
If you need a connection in the convention sales industry, reach out to Sherry because networking is what she does best! Her favorite part about Baltimore is spending time near the waterfront and in the neighborhoods.
Alexis O’Connor
Regional Director of Sales
[email protected]
410-659-8342
TX, OK, CO (200 and above)
West Coast (200 and above)
International (10 and above)
Alexis is a dedicated sales professional with a passion for Baltimore and a proven record in meeting and exceeding sales goals and objectives. She’s a team player with a dynamic personality and a passion for building and cultivating connections with customers and colleagues. For Alexis, it’s the neighborhoods that make Baltimore special. Separated by no more than a block, each neighborhood has its own vibe and feel. The fact that many seamlessly connect by pristine waterfront is just the icing on the cake!
Michelle Coombs
Regional Director of Sales
[email protected]
410-659-8345
DC & VA (800–1199)
Northeast (300 and above)
Michelle’s experience spans nearly every facet of the meetings industry, including time on property in major hotel brands as well as meeting planning both association and corporate events. Based in Springfield, VA with her husband and two children, she’s excited to learn more about Baltimore’s rich cultural history and discover all that our diverse neighborhood have to offer.
Christina Ghani Smith
Director of Sports Sales
[email protected]
410-659-8375
Nationwide Sports Meetings & Events (10 and above)
Christina Ghani Smith joined Visit Baltimore in July 2016 and currently serves as the Director of Sports Sales leading sales for sport related meetings and events. Christina has over 14 years of experience in the hospitality industry with a hotel background and is a proud graduate of Towson University where she was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame for gymnastics.
Christina loves raising her sons in Baltimore where they enjoy visiting the National Aquarium, Port Discovery and taking the Water Taxi across the harbor to explore the Science Center.
Crystal Wolfe
Senior National Sales Manager
[email protected]
410-659-7018
Nationwide Multicultural (10–499)
MD (800–1199)
Southeast (300 and above)
Baltimore has activities to fit family day, date night, or relaxing with friends. My favorite place is Nick’s Fish House! Its waterside dining features live music and is the perfect fit for whoever I’m bringing.
Debbie Zunt
Senior National Sales Manager
[email protected]
410-659-8346
Midwest (10–799)
South Central (10 and above)
TX, OK & CO (10–199)
West Coast (10-199)
Debbie has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, working in Cleveland, Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C. An ideal day in Baltimore for her starts with getting in her steps walking along the waterfront, enjoying a lunch at a classic seafood spot and then spending the afternoon inspired at the American Visionary Art Museum.
Jen Wingate
National Sales Manager
[email protected]
410-659-7138
Mid-Atlantic (300–799)
East Coast (10–299), Convention Center related
Jen has more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry around Baltimore and the surrounding area. Her experience ranges from operations to hotel sales making her perfectly suited to find the right fit to bring your business to Baltimore! She loves the hometown feel Baltimore offers. It’s big enough to host events of any size but small enough to get to know the locals while you’re here.
Sherrita Barkley
National Sales Manager
[email protected]
410-659-7140
Mid-Atlantic (10–299)
Northeast (10–299)
Southeast (10–299)
Sherrita comes to us with more than 25 years of experience spanning sales, business management, hotels and more. To her, a perfect day in Baltimore means picking crabs next to the waterfront followed by exploring a different corner of the city until she’s been to all our neighborhoods.
Eric Masterton
Director of Tourism
[email protected]
410-659-7090
Group Tour, Reunions, Weddings Nationwide
International F.I.T.
Eric Masterton is the main contact for international travel trade, group tour, weddings and reunions. He loves Baltimore for its unique attractions, excellent food, amazing waterfront promenades and really cool neighborhood scenes.
