Chairman's Club Luncheon

                                                                                                   Guest Speaker:  JORGE PESQUERA, President and CEO
DISCOVER PALM BEACH COUNTY

Tourism in The Palm Beaches with the following three main areas: 
-          Destination Marketing – what we do
-          Impact of Tourism – key stats
-          Tourism Brand Strategy 
 A 35-year travel and tourism industry veteran, Jorge Pesquera joined Discover Palm Beach County (formerly known as the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau) in November 2007 to lead the region’s destination marketing organization with a staff of 45 and a budget of $10 million.
 
Prior to joining Discover Palm Beach County, Pesquera was president and CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association where he was recognized as the Hotel Association Executive of the Year at the annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC). 
 
Earlier in his career he spent ten years as president of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, where he spearheaded the construction of the $450 million Puerto Rico Convention Center and surrounding district. With the center in place, the destination was successfully repositioned in the North American market leading to a significant increase in group bookings.  
 
Guest Speaker:  Jorge Pesquera, President & CEO of Discover the Palm Beaches.
Pesquera was a founding member of the Accreditation Board of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). He is a current board member of the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations and is active with other industry organizations as well as Visit Florida. 
 
In 2011, Pesquera earned the distinction as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing”, awarded by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). This recognition was based on his leadership and innovative marketing strategies which helped steer Discover Palm Beach County through a major reorganization and allowed Palm Beach County tourism to thrive in a weakened economy. Discover Palm Beach County became one of the first 100 DMO’s to be accredited by the Destination Marketing Association International and was recognized by the Board of County Commissioners through a proclamation in July 2009.
 
Pesquera holds a degree in hotel administration from Cornell University and has held senior executive positions with Hilton International and Conrad Hotels in New York, London and Beverly Hills.