25 Things You Didn’t Know About Rhanee Palma

Rhanee Palma currently serves as the vice president of sales and services for Visit Oakland. Palma is a provider of solutions, an innovator of inspiration and a connector to everything Oakland. Palma is a 10-year industry veteran and brings diverse hospitality and nonprofit experience to the DMO world. In 2018, she was awarded Partner of the Year by MPI Northern California Chapter and Supplier of the Year by PCMA Northern California Chapter. But you knew that already. Here’s what you don’t know.

1. My favorite movie is Mama Mia! Here We Go Again.
2. I never leave the house without wearing something black.
3. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be shrimp.
4. Growing up, I was sure I would be a business executive.
5. I know every word to the song, “Baby Shark.”
6. The best gifts I’ve ever received were the birth of my twin daughters, Ciara and Isabella.
7. My nickname in high school was “Disco Diva.”
8. If you find me in the kitchen, I’m typically whipping up a mess (while my husband cooks).
9. At an industry conference or event, you can typically find me at the photo booth.
10. I felt most proud in my career when I developed our sales manager to become a director of sales.
11. The hardest part about working in the events industry is maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
12. I believe the single most important quality in a leader is emotional intelligence.
13. Michelle Obama is a leader I truly admire.
14. My go-to in-flight beverage choice is club soda.
15. The destination at the top of my travel bucket list is to scuba dive the Sardine Run Expedition in South Africa.
16. My favorite part of my job is that my work uplifts an entire community, Oakland.
17. The last book I read was "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek.
18. I think the biggest challenge to hosting a meeting/conference/event is identifying the best digital technology to add value and enhance the overall event experience.
19. My least favorite part about social media is seeing posts that incorrectly use “your,” “their” or “too.”
20. In 10 years, I’m betting the events industry will be seeing the common use of analytics and immersive technology to curate personalized experiential events. 
21. My first job was a production assistant for a student film at UCLA.
22. The last item of clothing I bought was black running clothes to start my marathon training.
23. The celebrity I’d most like to spend a day with is Awkwafina.
24. If I could move anywhere in the entire world, I’d live in Belize.
25. My dream event to attend is C2 Montréal.