Convene Appoints James E. Higgins as Vice President of Sales and Marketing

NEW YORK, July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Convene (www.convene.com), the nation's fastest growing conference center network, has appointed James E. Higgins, a proven sales and marketing executive with multi-industry experience, to the new post of vice president of sales and marketing.

Mr. Higgins has a successful track record in building sales organizations, motivating sales and marketing teams and delivering record results for a diverse group of companies and organizations. As Convene's new sales and marketing head, he will be responsible for developing and managing all aspects of sales and marketing strategy and implementation across all Convene locations and services including its new managed services offering, while overseeing the company's national growth initiatives.

Prior to joining Convene, Mr. Higgins was vice president of global sales for Bridgestreet Global Hospitality, a leading international provider of serviced apartment experiences, where he served on the executive leadership team and directed all sales initiatives for the company's 500 plus clients including business development, market competitiveness, compensation and channel strategy.

Previously, he had been the national vice president of sales and service for Learning Ally, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students with learning disabilities and their families, and regional sales manager for Oakwood Worldwide, an international hospitality and real estate organization. Early in his career, Mr. Higgins spent eight years with AT&T where he led the telecommunications giant's most profitable region as northeast global sales director.

"Throughout his career,  James has built dynamic sales and marketing staffs in multiple industries and succeeded in attracting high value client accounts and generating strong sales growth. We will be able to leverage his broad experience with global companies and mid-tier hospitality leaders as we transition from a small business to a mid-size company with a growing national footprint," said Ryan Simonetti, CEO and co-founder of Convene.

Christopher Kelly, Convene president and co-founder, added, "James brings a range of experiences and skills which are very difficult to find in one individual.  His track record in helping two niche, hospitality companies grow to exceed hundreds of millions in sales dovetails almost perfectly with where Convene is today on our anticipated growth curve.  We are looking to him to build the sales and marketing capabilities that will accelerate and support our anticipated growth in our core conference business, as well as in managed services, much in the same way that he has done for his previous companies. James  will also spearhead our drive to develop strategic business relationships within an expanded range of professional communities." 

"I am quite fortunate to become part of this dynamic company with its visionary leadership which has made such an impact on a business that had seen so little change over so many decades.  Ryan and Chris are constantly refining the Convene business model to address the expanded market opportunities that the Convene paradigm has created.  It will be my goal to develop and lead the sales and marketing strategies and people resources to maximize these market opportunities.  This is an exciting time for me personally and for Convene as one of the country's premier innovation companies," said Mr. Higgins.

Mr. Higgins is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in communications.   He is a member of the BritishAmerican Business, a leading transatlantic business organization. A resident of Skillman, New Jersey, he is married and has two children, ages 14 and 9.

About Convene
Convene (www.convene.com) is the leading provider of end-to-end conference and collaboration services, including meeting space from leased commercial facilities, catering, IT, audiovisual and organizational support.   Offered through various lease, joint venture and management arrangements, the company partners with landlords and tenants to enhance the quality of commercial office buildings and improve the workplace experience through better service and space design.

Contacts:
Rick Anderson / Emily Simmons
Feintuch Communications
718-986-1596 / 212-808-4904
[email protected]

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SOURCE Convene