Executive Profile
Name: Joshua Bricker
Title: Sales Manager
Organization: Visit Dublin Ohio
Location: Dublin, Ohio
Birthplace: Van Wert, Ohio
Education: Ohio State University
Career History:
• Woodfin Suites Hotel, sales manager (2000–2002)
• Visit Dublin, sales manager (2002–present)
Joshua Bricker was destined for hospitality, but it took a detour through the tech industry for him to realize it.
“I moved to Central Ohio in 1997 and thought working with computers was what I wanted to do, so I went to a technical school, but ultimately that didn’t work out,” he said. “I learned the hard way, I guess you could say.”
Bricker’s first job was at a Columbus-based computer manufacturer repairing laptops.
“I was at a bench with 30 other folks in a basement with no windows with six to 10 laptops to fix, listening to headphones and not really having any interactions with people,” he said. “I’m a people person. A tornado could have gone by, and we never would have known. That type of atmosphere wasn’t for me. I did it for six months.”
He liked variety and problem-solving, so he decided to pursue a degree at Ohio State University in Human Ecology. Bricker describes the field as a type of reverse marketing — investigating things that affect people then designing ads and products to get them interested. As an example, he said, McDonald’s chose to use red with gold arches in its marketing strategy purposefully because it attracts consumers.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t have a rhyme or reason as to the direction I went,” he said. “I don’t remember why I chose that path. It’s been so long! But so many people have a job that’s not in the field they graduated in.”
While at OSU, Bricker worked what he calls “typical college jobs” — waiting tables, bartending at TGI Friday’s and working his way up the chain Dave and Buster’s. He was eventually signed to the latter’s traveling team of hiring managers, visiting new stores and helping new launches get off the ground. While he loved the fast-paced fun he was having there, he wanted to find something he could plan a future around.
That’s when he found hospitality sales.
Bricker took a job as a sales manager at a local boutique hotel, Woodfin Suites, where he worked closely with what was then the Dublin Convention and Visitors Bureau. Bricker got to know the person in charge of sports sales there. When that position became available, Bricker was encouraged to apply for the role, even though he didn’t yet have his bachelor’s degree or tourism experience. Bricker completed several rounds of interviews before being hired in 2002 and has been there ever since. He’s responsible for Visit Dublin’s group, SMERF and sports sales.
“It’s a fantastic experience because you never have the same day twice,” he said. “One day you could be helping a meeting planner find a space for a conference for 300, and then the next you could be helping someone find a unique speaker for their conference. You’re constantly changing roles as you go along. You meet tons of people. I’ve got contacts in every different industry, from facilities to speakers, to restaurants, catering and entertainment, bands, performers. You never know what your client is going to need.”
Bricker also notes that Visit Dublin has shifted to offering a lot of support for locals, too. As a father of two daughters, married for 20 years to his wife, Emily, and a high school football official, he’s invested in the community.
“We want to be a resource for local residents as well, encouraging them to support their local restaurants and businesses,” he said. “We’re still all about travel and tourism and bringing people to our city, but we have a lot more residential focus than we did before.”
Tips from Joshua Bricker
• Always contact the host city bureau. Not only can I send your lead to all our meeting facilities, but I can also help with dining and entertainment options.
• Be creative and open to outside-the-box ideas. When planners contact me, I like to get creative with their meetings and throw in a little “Irish flair.”
• Be the big fish in a small pond. When looking for locations to host your meeting, remember that by choosing a smaller destination, these cities will often go out of their way to help make your event the best it can be.
