He will provide overall leadership of these departments along with securing new conventions and meetings at venues throughout the city, most notably Chicago’s McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America. Arnheim will be charged with driving visitation and promoting Chicago to global business travelers while partnering with over 150 hotel partners to generate hotel tax revenue for the city.
Lynn Osmond, President and CEO, Choose Chicago said that they are thrilled to welcome Dustin to Chicago,” said. Dustin’s proven track record of driving growth in major urban markets coupled with his international industry leadership experience make him a great fit for Choose Chicago.
Arnheim brings two decades of successful convention experience having most recently served as Visit Baltimore’s Senior Vice President of Sales & Customer Experience. During his first year there, he and his team achieved a 37% year-over-year growth in production. Under Arnheim’s leadership, the team rallied together to navigate the pandemic, while still maintaining momentum and achieving goals. Arnheim was instrumental in the vision of Baltimore’s new meetings and events collateral, sales tools, tradeshow booth, and redesign of the customer experience team. A proven sales leader, Arnheim can design and execute a winning sales strategy, while building consensus and trust with key stakeholders. He embraces a team-centric leadership approach, with a commitment to individual development, empowerment, and accountability.
Prior to his time at Visit Baltimore, Arnheim was with Visit Indy and most recently served in the capacity of Senior Director of Sales. He also spent time with Hyatt Hotels Corporation and started his career in Chicago as a Meeting Connections Sales Manager & Association Sales Manager at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.
Dustin serves as co-chair for Destinations International Convention Sales & Services Committee and participates on ASAE’s Industry Partners Alliance Committee. Previously, he has served on the boards of Beyond Monumental and Parkinson’s Awareness Association of Central Indiana (PAACI).
Tags: Dustin Arnheim, Choose Chicago, hotel
