Executive Profile
Name: Gina Scarpetta
Title: Vice President of Sales
Organization: Experience Champaign-Urbana
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Birthplace: Urbana, Illinois
Career History:
• Midwest Living Magazine, Account Manager, 2007-2013
• Simon Property Group, Area Director of Business Development, 2013-2014
• Starwood Retail Partners, National Partnership Marketing Director, 2014-2020
• Carle Health, Marketing Account Executive, 2021-2024
• Experience Champaign-Urbana, VP of Sales, 2024-present
It’s hard to imagine a better career fit for Gina Scarpetta than her current role as vice president of sales for Experience Champaign-Urbana — she was practically born for the job.
“I was born and raised right here and am a proud graduate of the University of Illinois,” Scarpetta said. “Also, I’m a huge Illinois sports fan. My parents both attended the university, too, so I’ve been a Fighting Illini fan since birth. If you’re from Champaign-Urbana, you have to like the color orange; it’s everywhere!”
After earning a bachelor of science degree in journalism and advertising, Scarpetta left her hometown for Chicago, where her career included a seven-year stint at Midwest Living magazine — years that would serve her well when marketing a destination.
“I started out as their sales assistant and worked my way up to an integrated account manager,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience, just very formative years kind of getting my feet wet in that industry. Being from the Midwest, highlighting all the great things there are to do, the great food, all the wonderful communities. I was very passionate about that magazine and loved selling it. And, of course, Champaign-Urbana was featured on several occasions.”
She followed that with several positions in retail real estate, selling sponsorships, advertising and activations for shopping malls, and she jumped at the chance to return home to family and friends in Champaign-Urbana before the pandemic hit.
“Things changed a little bit then,” she said with a laugh. “I switched over to healthcare, working in marketing with Carle Health, which owns and operates several hospitals and clinics across East Central Illinois.”
In 2024, Scarpetta found her niche in tourism at Experience Champagne-Urbana.
“Our office is right in downtown Champaign, but we serve a pretty large community,” she said. “Champaign County is our primary market, but we serve several regional partners around the area, including Paxton, Monticello, Sullivan and St. Joe.”
Her recent promotion finds her overseeing sales meetings, sporting events and other opportunities.
“So, my primary role is bringing non-leisure visitors to Champaign County for meetings, conventions, sporting events — you name it,” Scarpetta said. “I’ve always been in roles that were very customer service-focused, whether that’s selling advertising or helping an event planner, and I feel that’s where I really shine, even from my days working at The Gap in the mall when I was 16 — that customer service mentality was driven into me at a very early age. It’s all about kind of finding out what the pain points are for the client, and then you’re there to provide a solution.”
Scarpetta is an enthusiastic booster of Champaign-Urbana as a meetings destination, especially in the summer months, when spaces are uncrowded, but fun events are plentiful. She also touts the convenient location and the rich restaurant scene, courtesy of the university’s many foreign students. (The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the second-largest international population of any public university in the country.)
When she’s not boosting her hometown, Scarpetta enjoys gardening, live music with friends and the company of her feisty 12-year-old terrier, Jack White.
“Champaign-Urbana is a hidden gem,” she said. “I’m really proud to be from this community.”
Tips from Gina Scarpetta
• Everyone says it for a reason: Take advantage of the help that CVBs and DMOs can offer when planning your meetings!
• Smaller towns offer superior affordability, and college towns have a lot of interesting venues and experiences for your attendees.
• Sometimes local or state grants are available to boost tourism; check out resources.
