Mark Everton works in Oakland, California, as CEO of Visit Oakland. As a 2019 15 Over 50 honoree, Everton discusses his passion for the events industry.
What I do: My role with Visit Oakland is to focus our creative assets to market and promote Oakland. Visit Oakland’s social media managers and our graphic, visual and digital designers, and artists paint a picture of Oakland to planners and visitors that expresses an aspect of Oakland that is unexpected. We find that once we share Oakland with someone in person, their reality is very different than their perceptions. When we can’t physically have them visit Oakland we bring a bit of Oakland to them through one of the mediums available to us.
How I got here: I was a hotel manager for more than 30 years before joining the DMO world. I had been on the board of Visit Oakland on and off for almost 20 years before throwing my hat in the ring for consideration for CEO
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Greatest career accomplishment:Raising five children with my wife of 38 years is an amazing accomplishment. Hosting USRowing’s National Masters Championships on Lake Merritt in Oakland is another pretty amazing accomplishment.
What are you working on now: We are looking forward to making a splash at IPW and also at Connect this summer.
What I do outside of work: I am involved with our local Chamber of Commerce in addition to being on the board of the California Travel Association. My diversion from work is working on and restoring cars.
