KALAMAZOO ? Ken Fischang, Executive Director of the Kalamazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be leaving that position to become President and Chief Executive Officer of the new Sonoma County Tourism Bureau in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco. His final date with the KCCVB will be July 15.
Fischang, Vice President, Tourism and Marketing, with the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce, led the CVB team through an aggressive period of growth for the local tourism program. The KCCVB is finishing the past year at more than 34 percent over its sales goals; and has put in place a well-defined marketing plan for meeting and convention business and has accomplished a number of other key goals.
?Often in life when you least expect it, an opportunity comes along that merits attention,?? Fischang said. ?A similar thing happened for me three years ago that led me to Kalamazoo. Today another exciting challenge has come my way.
?I am very grateful to our CVB Chairman Ted Petropolous and to all of the outstanding people in Southwest Michigan and Kalamazoo County who have been so supportive of our efforts. A strong foundation has been laid for future hospitality industry success here in Kalamazoo,? he said.
?Ken has been a great cheerleader for this area?s destination marketing efforts,? said Chamber President and CEO, John T. Long. ?Not only that, he has married that enthusiasm with achieving great results for this area by growing its tourism dollar base and building a great foundation for tourism to expand here. We will truly miss Ken, but are also excited for him as he pursues this new opportunity.?
Fischang was hired as director of the KCCVB in July of 2002. He immediately began to implement the newly developed Discover Kalamazoo tourism campaign and worked toward boosting the CVB marketing program through a 1 percent increase of the local room tax. He used this revenue to rebuild the CVB division from the ground up, putting a plan and staff in place to create a wide range of collateral and support materials targeted toward meeting planners and convention service professionals.
Under his watch his entire staff earned the Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) professional designation ? being the only CVB anywhere to do so. Also under his leadership the CVB has been recognized with 18 state, national, and international awards for its marketing and tourism efforts.
The new Sonoma County Tourism Bureau was formed in January 2005 to promote the county?s identity as a premier overnight destination with unique and diverse experiences. The new entity will have a $3.5 million operating budget. Sonoma County is located just 35 minutes north of San Francisco.
Sonoma County is in America?s premier wine country, boasting more than 200 wineries, 6,300 full and limited service hotel rooms, traditional and not-so-traditional spa experiences, unique meeting venues, 19 golf courses (including layouts along the ocean and sites of several professional golf tournaments), and nearly 700 restaurants – many owned by well-known chefs who selected the area for its abundance of fresh, locally-grown meats and produce.
Sonoma County hosts more than seven million visitors each year who bring an economic impact to the region of over $1 billion annually. Tourism in Sonoma County generates more than 15,000 jobs. It is one of the largest counties in California and compares in size to the state of Maryland.
?We were looking for a leader who can build consensus among the community, has strong public relations and sales skills, excellent destination branding knowledge and experience with start up organizations. Ken was our top choice,? said Thomas Becker, Chairman of the Sonoma (CA) County Tourism Bureau Board of Directors and General Manager of the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa.
