Joan Barkowski, CMP, is a 30-year-old sales coordinator for the Fort Myers—Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods Visitor and Convention Bureau. She's based in Fort Myers, Fla.
What I do:
I inspire meetings and group event bookings by showcasing the many venues, outdoor natural spaces and unique activities in and around Fort Myers to planners. Writing a quarterly meeting planner newsletter and creating virtual experiences are some of the creative ways in which I engage clients. I also serve as conference services manager for contracted groups; working closely with planners and providing them with relevant resources and suggestions for their meeting is a passion of mine.
Why I love my job:
I moved to Fort Myers in 2012 after having vacationed here with family while growing up. I fell in love with the area’s welcoming residents, spectacular sunsets and natural landscapes. Being able to promote Fort Myers’ islands, beaches and neighborhoods with a team of people who share my passion for the destination is very fulfilling.
My career journey:
I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a B.S. in Resort & Hospitality Management. Having worked in the hotel industry for several years in both sales and operations, I moved on to work for a tech company—although my departure from the hospitality industry was short-lived. I realized that my true passion was with the travel and tourism industry, so I joined the Fort Myers—Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods VCB and I have been working there for almost four years.
My greatest career accomplishment:
Since I joined the VCB, I have spearheaded the creation and production of our meeting planner e-Newsletter. We now reach thousands of clients each quarter and are able to keep them updated with the newest information on our meeting and convention facilities, accommodations, team building and CSR options. The e-Newsletter open rate consistently exceeds industry benchmarks and has become an integral part of our organization’s sales strategy.
How I helped my destination during COVID:
Alongside my colleagues, I conducted virtual destination familiarization tours to keep planners engaged and continue to foster relationships. I also created several videos geared toward meeting planners highlighting our destination’s unique open-air venues and outdoor team-building activities, something we did not have in our sales virtual toolbox prior.
The time I averted a complete event disaster:
During a live virtual webinar last year, my laptop suddenly froze, which also caused the audio and video to stop working. Fortunately, I had asked a colleague to join the webinar as a co-host “just in case.” As soon as she realized what had happened, she resumed the presentation from her computer with minimal interruption for our participants. One of the key elements of being prepared is definitely having a solid backup strategy.
My most memorable event experience in the past year:
I created a post-event survey for the sales team to send to planners after an event has actualized. The survey not only allows us to gain actionable insight on improvement opportunities, but also enables us to collect authentic meeting testimonials. These are being displayed on our meetings microsite for our prospective clients.
Best advice I’ve ever received:
Be true to your principles. Integrity drives every other decision you will make, personally and professionally.
Impressive stats I’m responsible for:
On average, companies see an email open rate of about 20%. The meeting planner e-Newsletter that I create and produce consistently exceeds this benchmark by up to 8%.
What’s next?
I am always looking to expand my skillset and learn new things. This year, I’d like to become more competent within our CMS platform so I can continuously enhance and add purposeful content on our meetings microsite.
What I do outside of work:
I enjoy playing with my two cats, exploring the outdoors with my dog, or spending time at the stable riding my horse. I am an avid reader and I love to travel to new places with my husband.
Dream vacation:
Going on a horseback safari to ride among the Big-5 combined with a few days of gorilla trekking is definitely on my bucket list!
Favorite icebreaker line:
I like to figure out common interests, experiences or other characteristics. A way to do this is asking about “favorites." Where is your favorite vacation spot? What is your favorite book/movie/TV show? Conversation flows easily from here.
Connect with Barkowski on LinkedIn.
“Connect x BizBash 40 Under 40” is sponsored by VDA, an experiential marketing and event design agency based in Massachusetts that specializes in custom live, virtual and hybrid experiences.
