As Ronnie Burt, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association?s new interim president, takes the helm, the organization is facing a much better climate than it was the last time it lost its leader.
Instead of being mired by scandal as it was in 2003, the association is on solid footing and its numbers are up, according to Nancy Hinds, a BACVA spokeswoman.
She said that for the first six months of fiscal 2006, bookings for future room nights are up by 91 percent compared with the same quarter of 2005, to 211,314 confirmed bookings. Further, Hinds said that fiscal 2005 closed out with 17 percent more bookings than the previous year.
Burt, who previously held the position of vice president of convention sales and services, is replacing Leslie Doggett, who was appointed as BACVA president in 2003 and announced her resignation Wednesday.
Doggett joined the tourism agency after the ouster of Carroll Armstrong, who resigned after a private report accused him of mismanagement and inflating BACVA?s meeting and convention numbers.
Edwin F. Hale, chairman of BACVA?s board of directors, said that with Burt?s strong performance in convention sales, he is confident in Burt?s ability to lead the organization.
“Baltimore has a lot to sell, and we think he can do that,” Hale said. “I think he can focus on keeping up the sales momentum with hotels, restaurants and the convention center ? and he can continue the forward momentum that Leslie started.”
Hinds said BACVA will soon launch a nationwide search for a new president and added that Burt has not said whether he will apply for the position.
“His answer is ?I?m taking it one day at a time,? ” said Hinds. “He?s focusing on running the operations and keeping things going smoothly.”
Hinds did not say when a new president will be named.
Doggett?s departure comes just weeks before the tourism bureau is expected to unveil its new $500,000 branding campaign. Hinds said those plans will move forward and will not be affected by Doggett?s absence.
