September Business Luncheon 2024

Description

The Chamber's monthly business luncheon provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to showcase their businesses, promote products, and let others know how you can serve their business needs, all while enjoying a delicious lunch, prepared by a local caterer and a spectacular speaker!

Speaker: David Clark (Visit Mobile)

David Clark joined Visit Mobile as President & CEO in 2017. He has over 37 years of hospitality, lodging, and tourism leadership in Coastal Alabama.

Visit Mobile is the city's official destination marketing organization charged with attracting visitors and conventions to the Mobile area to experience and enjoy our history, culture, and attractions in order to further strengthen Mobile's image as a national destination, increasing economic stability and enhancing the region's quality of life.

He leads the tourism destination's development through innovative collaborations with Carnival Cruise, Mobile Airport Authority, Amtrak, Cultural Heritage tourism, and engagement with domestic and international travel writers. David serves as an ex-officio Board of Directors member of the state's first Tourism Improvement District {TID} since its establishment in 2020. The Mobile TID has provided innovative marketing and capital improvement resources to tell Mobile's story in ways that were never possible before.

Mobile's economic impact from tourism in 2023 includes important increases and record numbers. According to data collected by the Alabama Tourism Department and the State of Alabama, more than 3.4 million visitors traveled to Mobile in 2023. These visitors accounted for $1.8 billion in total travel-related spend in Mobile. In 2023, Visit Mobile Convention Sales Team has doubled their annual booking pace in each of the last 3 years to over 100,000 room nights annually - $50M direct impact. Additionally, more than 22,000 jobs in Mobile during that year were travel-related employment. David believes travel and tourism commerce is crucial to the success of every industry and will continue to be a critical part of the City of Mobile's economy, development, and workforce.

Prior to joining the Visit Mobile team, David worked 4 years for Spectrum Resorts, the management company of The Beach Club and Turquoise Place and worked at The Grand Hotel Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama for 23 years. During that time David and his teams earned several national industry awards.

David serves in leadership roles on numerous industry, civic, and cultural boards. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a lifetime member of the Professional Golfers Association of America. He is married to Melinda Murphy Clark and has a daughter, Savannah.

Sponsor: Keesler Federal Credit Union

With over 75 years of stellar service under our belt, Keesler Federal is not only the largest Mississippi-based credit union, but also one of the largest credit unions in the Southeast.

From a modest beginning in 1947, the founding members of Keesler Federal Credit Union had a shared vision. A vision of unity and the common good. Of building a cooperative financial partnership that would pool funds for the benefit of all members. An enduring vision of People Helping People. Fast forward seven decades and that guiding vision remains as crystal clear as it was then.

Our service footprint has broadened beyond the Mississippi Gulf Coast to include the Hattiesburg and Jackson metro areas, St. Tammany and Orleans parishes in Louisiana and the Mobile, AL area. As we welcome more members to the Keesler Federal family, add more products and services, refine technologies, and embrace innovation, we will never lose the relationship-based, local focus that is an essential part of the credit union experience.