What makes your city a top meeting/convention destination?
Alabama is moving quickly into the top tier of convention venues and resorts. The agency behind the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has developed eight world-class convention hotels. The newest opens in February in downtown Montgomery, adjacent to a new convention center. The Retirement Systems of Alabama has either built or redeveloped eight properties with Marriott or Renaissance flags, and they are receiving exceptional ratings. Just a couple of months after the Shoals Marriott in Florence opened, it received the highest rating in customer service of all Marriott properties in the nation. The Ross Bridge Renaissance near Birmingham was rated the best of all hotels flying that flag. When people walk into the lobby of the restored 1852 Battle House Hotel in downtown Mobile, many remark that it reminds them of the Plaza in New York City.
What is your state's roadmap for the future?
Alabama is positioned to be a serious contender for regional meetings due to the volume of investment being made in hotel development, as I mentioned, and the fact that several new projects on the Gulf Coast are being designed to include large meeting spaces adjacent to condominium developments and entertainment districts.

We're going to be able to attract back meetings of groups from the Southeast and Midwest that have gravitated away from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle. This year is the first time that Alabama Tourism has aggressively supported our CVBs and headquarters hotels in raising Alabama's visibility in the meetings market. We are late coming to the party, but we know we will make a difference.
What is your biggest challenge as a destination marketing organization (DMO)?
Customers are becoming more demanding. They want to find detailed information about destinations on the Internet, when they want it. DMOs must instantly update Web sites when new product becomes available. DMOs must also continue to invest more in Web site development, so as to remain in stride with clients' needs. How did you get into this career? How long have you been there, and where have you been in the past? I was the first tourism director for the Decatur (Alabama) Chamber of Commerce in 1981 and joined the U.S. Space & Rocket Center just before we started Space Camp the next year. I worked for Judy Ryals at the Huntsville Convention & Visitors Bureau for 12 years before Gov. Bob Riley appointed me to his cabinet.
What is it about working in this industry that grabs you?
I'm a lifelong fan of my state. It's hugely rewarding when we develop new programs and projects that generate public recognition, and with which people can identify. We recently adopted the marketing theme, "Sweet Home Alabama." The average layperson inside and outside the state has embraced it with enthusiasm.