The Forsyth County Tourism Development Authority has hired former Buffalo, N.Y. tourism chief Richard Geiger to be the new head of the agency that works to bring visitors to Winston-Salem, the authority announced today.
Geiger was president of the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau for 14 years, from 1995 to May of this year, when he and his board agreed that he would leave on May 31. The Buffalo tourism bureau said that Geiger's stay with them was highlighted by a significant increases in convention bookings, the successful soliciting and hosting of amateur athletic events, and an emphasis on cultural and heritage tourism.
Geiger, in a news release, said that in his jobs in Buffalo and director of convention sales and marketing in Orlando, Fla., he has led the "transformation of their markets," and was looking forward to coming to Winston-Salem.
"It truly is a City of Arts and Innovation that can attract thousands of visitors each year," Geiger said.
The tourism development authority, which operates Visit Winston-Salem, has not had a full-time president since the departure of Bob McCoy in 2008, amid a controversy over the finances and direction of the authority.
Geiger will start his new job on Feb. 1.
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