Four New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Employees Receive CMP Certification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Jenn Lotz or Sarah Forman
New Orleans CVB                                       
504-566-5019                                      
jlotz@neworleanscvb.com/sforman@neworleanscvb.com 

Four New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau Employees Receive CMP Certification

Certified Meeting Professional certification represents foremost expertise in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry

NEW ORLEANS-February 20, 2013- The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau's Lyn Hallaron, Rebecca Landry, Tara Letort and Stephanie Turner received their Certified Meeting Professional Certification (CMP) designation from the Convention Industry Council (CIC) in 2012. The CMP certification evaluates the competency of meeting professionals using an international standard to increase the proficiency of meeting professionals through industry involvement and continuing education.

• Lyn Hallaron, CMP, Convention Sales Manager, primarily focuses on accounts based in the Midwest Region. She has been with the New Orleans CVB for six years, and has been in the industry for 18 years.
• Rebecca Landry, CMP, Convention Sales Manager, focuses on intermediaries, working with companies such as ConferenceDirect, HelmsBriscoe and HPN Global. She has been with the New Orleans CVB for two years and in the industry for 11 years.
• Tara Letort, CMP, Director of Group Public Relations, has been with the New Orleans CVB for five years as a member of the Communications and Public Relations department, and her unique role focuses on attendance building and customized marketing plans.
• Stephanie Turner, CMP, Director of Business Development, oversees the Washington D.C., Chicago and New York regional offices, along with creating convention sales marketing resources for the Convention Sales department. She has been with the New Orleans CVB for four years and in the industry for 17 years.

The Certified Meeting Professional program was established in 1985 by the Convention Industry Council and recognizes the highest achievement of professionalism in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industries. More than 14,000 professionals in 36 countries have earned their CMP through a rigorous testing process.

"Earning the Certified Meetings Professional certification is no easy task, and we are proud to have so many CVB employees achieve this level of professional development," said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The expertise inherent in the certification is essential to the growth of New Orleans as a meeting and convention destination and understanding the needs of our customers in a complex and rapidly changing market."

About the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB)
The New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau is a nationally accredited, 1,100-member destination marketing organization and the largest and most successful private economic development corporation in Louisiana. We help create $5.47 billion in new capital each year- more than any other business sector- by attracting millions of visitors, special events and conventions. The CVB and its members influence thousands of decision-makers and millions of visitors to choose New Orleans through direct sales, marketing, public relations, branding and visitor services at our New Orleans headquarters and offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Mexico City and Toronto. Consistently recognized as one of the top five CVBs in the country, the New Orleans CVB will celebrate its 53nd anniversary in 2013. For more information, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com.

* Headshots available upon request.

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