ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico— Visit Albuquerque has hired Scott Craighead as its new Vice President of Sales, Services and Sports, effective Aug. 22. Craighead most recently served as Vice President of Exhibitions and Events for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), as well as Vice President for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).
“Scott’s extensive association leadership experience and focus on strategic partnerships make him an ideal fit for our team,” said Visit Albuquerque President and CEO Tania Armenta. “With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Scott will bring new ideas and a fresh perspective on the destination, along with unmatched knowledge of and love for the industry.”
Craighead will oversee the Sales, Services and Sports Division, which is responsible for generating qualified meeting, convention, sports and group tour leads that are distributed to Albuquerque’s hotels, the Albuquerque Convention Center and area event and sports facilities. In his new role, he will guide the collective destination team to turn those leads into definite business for Albuquerque and ensure the groups have successful meetings and events in the city.
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve Visit Albuquerque and its member community,” said Craighead. “I am equally thrilled to be returning to the greater region where I was raised…There is no better place I can envision to apply my 20 years of service experience and leadership to the events, tourism and hospitality industry”
As part of his 14-year career with IAEE, Craighead was responsible for budgeting, show development and design, technology solutions, personnel, contracts and overall logistics for IAEE’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition Expo! Expo! and other IAEE-produced events. He previously handled logistics and exhibit sales for Global Semiconductor Alliance events and exhibitions held in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Craighead began his career managing a wide array of student, university and external events for Associated Students at UCLA. He has extensive experience working with destination marketing organizations such as Visit Albuquerque and has implemented many event- and marketplace-related initiatives.
Craighead received a Bachelor of Arts in marketing from Texas Tech University’s Rawls College of Business and is Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM). Additionally, he received the Planner of the Year award from Smart Meetings in 2020 and the Show Manager of the Year award in 2015 from the Expo Group and Trade Show News Network.
For more information, visit VisitABQ.org.
