Vicki Comegys, Vice President of Conventions, Sports and Services, for the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and Des Moines Area Sports Commission has been named one of the 2017 Top Influential Women by Smart Meetings – a publication dedicated to trends, technology, and profiles on the meetings, conventions and events industry. Comegys was selected from hundreds of nominees for her significant impact on the meetings industry.
“There is no doubt that Vicki has played a key role in putting Greater Des Moines on the tourism map,” says Greg Edwards, President & CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and Des Moines Area Sports Commission. “This designation recognizes the hard work, dedication, and leadership that we see from Vicki every day.”
In her 30+ years at the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Comegys is responsible for bringing hundreds of meetings, conventions, and sporting events to the metro including National Association of Colored Women and Wing Ding 32, a motorcycle rally that draws 10,000, which she worked to secure for nearly 15 years. Comegys led the charge in developing sports marketing in Greater Des Moines and was part of the initial discussion of creating the National Association of Sports Commissions. She has earned her Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) designation and is responsible for securing large, national sports events such as AAU Junior Olympics, which has been held in Greater Des Moines three times and will return in 2018 and 2023.
Comegys has served as President of the Professional Convention Management Association Heartland Chapter and received the Upper Midwest CVB McDaniel Achievement Award. She has also served as a member of the Destination Marketing Association International Sales and Marketing Committee, Des Moines Arts Festival Board, Greater Des Moines Partnership Inclusion Committee, and on several other committees with the Iowa Society of Association Executives.
Comegys will be featured in the March issue of Smart Meetings Magazine and on smartmeetings.com. She will be honored at the Smart Woman Summit in Denver, Colorado on April 28.