Executive Profile

Name: Meaghan Zimmer
Title: Senior National Sales Director
Organization: Visit Buffalo
Location: Buffalo, New York
Birthplace: Rochester, New York
Career History:
• Cumulus Media: Promotions Assistant, On-Air Personality, Account Executive: 2008-2011
• Hamburg Casino: Marketing Coordinator 2011-2013
• Adams Mark Hotel, Millennium Hotel, Embassy Suites: Sales Manager 2014-2018
• Visit Buffalo: Sales Manager, National Sales Director, Senior National Sales Director 2018-present

Meaghan Zimmer was raised in Colorado, but she has found her home where the buffalo do not roam. Instead, she lives where the Buffalo Bills (she’s a huge fan) dominate a very different kind of landscape.

The national sales director for Visit Buffalo first traveled to the city on a recommendation from her sister.

“I’d finished high school and just wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do,” Zimmer said. “My sister was dating a guy from Buffalo and told me to check it out. I moved a couple of weeks later, and now I’ve been here for 20 years,” she added with a laugh. “It’s kind of crazy.”

A degree from SUNY Buffalo State University and a career in marketing and radio followed.

“I did radio for a little while, but then there was no money in radio anymore,” she said. “A friend from the station had begun working at a hotel and thought I’d be good at it. Hotels build a close relationship with DMOs, and I got to know people who worked at Visit Buffalo. They were kind enough to think of me when hiring a sales manager — and here I am!”

Zimmer credits her various roles in radio for giving her the skills needed to succeed in destination sales.

“In radio, I did sort of everything,” she said. “Promotions, some on-air stuff, sales — and obviously sales skills can be used anywhere. But one thing I think is important is when you’re in a broadcasting role, people hear you and get an impression of what you might be like in person, and so you have to be extremely personable and kind and energetic. That’s transformed my sales role, but being outgoing and bubbly and friendly is just kind of my nature anyway. So, those skills transfer easily.”

She finds that friendly spirit in Buffalo.

“This is a phenomenal place,” Zimmer said. “What has kept me here for 20 years now is the community. Buffalo is referred to as the city of good neighbors, and the hospitality you will feel in Buffalo is like nowhere else. We are a deep-rooted city and obviously a big sports town, which obviously builds a strong sense of community. Go Bills!

“We’re also a ‘20-minute city,’ where you can literally get everywhere — airport to downtown, downtown to the Bills stadium, Niagara Falls — in 20 minutes. And we have amazing architecture, including a boutique hotel that used to be an insane asylum.”

In addition to rooting for the Bills, Zimmer also enjoys Buffalo’s rich culinary scene and lively nightlife, and she pointed out that the city’s bars stay open until 4 a.m.

“We have about 60 bars and restaurants near the convention center, and they’re all local,” she said.

As for Buffalo’s legendary winters, Zimmer said prospective visitors shouldn’t let the media snow them.

“We have the best snow removal in the country,” she said with a laugh. “Just throw on a jacket and have a good time!”

Tips from Meaghan Zimmer

• In meetings and everything else, lead with empathy and authenticity. People recognize both.

• Take advantage of DMO services, but especially if there’s a snafu.

• Always remember that you aren’t planning meetings, you’re making unique experiences that people will remember.