New US based product line within Kuoni Destination Management
New US based product line within Kuoni Destination Management
Kuoni Destination Management announced today a new addition to their U.S. product services and offerings: “Kuoni Events”, to be headquartered in St. Louis, MO.
Pat Schaumann (CMP, CSEP, DMCP) along with Maria Schomaker (CMP) and Michael Schaumann, officially opened the new division Kuoni Events, headquartered in St. Louis/MO on September 19, 2007. Beth Franklin, located in Orlando, Florida will join the U.S. team. Miroslav Bauer, Vice President Sales Europe and USA for Kuoni Destination Management stated: “I am especially pleased that these specialists have joined the Kuoni family. We welcome their expertise and knowledge of the U.S. market”.
Being integrated in Kuoni Travel’s divison ‘Destinations’, the strategic business line, ‘Kuoni Events’ offer the North American meetings` industry nearly 100 years of expertise and experience in the professional meeting/event service and travel fields. Besides offering a full range of products and services to the Meeting & Events Industry in the United States, the goal of the new unit is to further expand Kuoni Destination Management’s client base, to increase the exposure in the U.S. as well as set new standards in offering close to 60 fully owned worldwide DMC’s.
Pat Schaumann, a 30-plus year veteran of the hospitality industry will be heading this new unit. She is immediate past-president of the Association of Destination Management Executives and primary author of the book The Guide to Successful Destination Management.
Maria Schomaker’s duties will be sales management in the US Market as well as project management for Kuoni Events. Schomaker began her career on the hotel side of the industry and worked seven years for an incentive travel company, managing domestic and international programmes.
Michael Schaumann will provide support in the project management areas and assist in the web development and marketing.
Beth Franklin joined Kuoni Destination Management earlier this summer and will be fully integrated in the sales force. Franklin is also a veteran of the industry, working in several U.S. markets before relocating to Orlando.
