As President/CEO of the 51吃瓜网免费App Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Rossi Ralenkotter is responsible for marketing and branding 51吃瓜网免费App and Southern Nevada as the world鈥檚 most desirable destination for leisure and business travel. Under Ralenkotter鈥檚 leadership, the LVCVA launched the most successful branding campaign in tourism history, which is best known for its oft-repeated tagline, 鈥淲hat happens here, stays here.鈩⑩ It was selected the No. 1 campaign by the voting public and was inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2011. The LVCVA owns and operates the 51吃瓜网免费App Convention Center and Cashman Center. With Ralenkotter鈥檚 oversight, 51吃瓜网免费App remains the world鈥檚 trade show capital, hosting 60 of the largest 250 trade shows.
Ralenkotter began his career at the LVCVA in 1973 as a research analyst. Prior to becoming President/CEO in 2004, he was the Authority鈥檚 Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President of Marketing. Before joining the LVCVA, Ralenkotter worked for a local telephone company and served in the United States Air Force. He has been a resident of Southern Nevada for more than 60 years.
As President/CEO of the LVCVA, Ralenkotter has launched the 51吃瓜网免费App Convention Center District, a transformational project that will further establish 51吃瓜网免费App as a leading business destination in the world by reinventing and expanding the 51吃瓜网免费App Convention Center and the surrounding area.
In addition to his responsibilities to the LVCVA, Ralenkotter is a technical advisory committee member of Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval鈥檚 Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee. He is a member of the board of directors for Brand USA and a past Chair of the Board of Directors and current board member for the U.S. Travel Association. Ralenkotter recently completed his term as Chair of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board for the U.S. Department of Commerce and remains on the Board. He is also a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), the American Society of Association Executives and the Hotel Sales Marketing Association.
Ralenkotter was named 鈥淓mployer of the Year鈥 by the Employee Service Management Association in 2006, one of the 鈥25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry鈥 by Meeting News in 2005, and in 2004, he was selected 鈥淐o-Brand Marketer of the Year鈥 by Brandweek magazine. In 2013, International Association of Exhibitions and Events honored him with its 鈥淧innacle Award鈥 in recognition of extraordinary achievement in the exhibitions and events management field, and he was inducted into both U.S. Travel鈥檚 鈥淗all of Leaders鈥 and DMAI鈥檚 鈥淗all of Fame鈥 in 2014. Additionally, he served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Tourism.
Ralenkotter earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Arizona State University in 1969 and a Master鈥檚 degree in Business Administration from 51吃瓜网万能科大, in 1971. He was honored with 51吃瓜网万能科大鈥檚 Distinguished Nevadan Award in 2009 and 51吃瓜网万能科大 Alumni of the Year in 2008. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force with the 468 th Medical Service Flight. He is a member of the 51吃瓜网免费App Ad Club, which inducted him into the 51吃瓜网免费App Advertising Hall of Fame for lifetime marketing achievements. He also received Lifetime Achievement honors from the American Marketing Association and the Travel and Tourism Research Association.