Convention & Visitors Bureau chooses Julie Calvert as CEO

Julie Calvert has been named the new CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Calvert will take the bureau's helm amid public debate over upgrades to several facilities that could help drive tourism: building a new soccer stadium; expansion of the Duke Energy Convention Center; renovation of the Millennium Hotel Cincinnati; and renovating U.S. Bank Arena.

In her new role, Calvert will work to attract industry conventions and meetings to the region that fill hotel rooms, contribute to Downtown's vitality and the local economy. She will work with local civic, corporate and hospitality leaders to promote Cincinnati as a convention and tourism destination.

Cincinnati attracts more than 26 million annual visitors spending more than $5 billion a year across the region.

Currently the executive director of Source Cincinnati, Calvert, 46, replaces Dan Lincoln who retired last year after leading the bureau from 2001 to 2017. Calvert served in multiple senior executive positions at the bureau from 2001 until 2016.

“I love Cincinnati, and I’ve had the privilege of spending my career promoting the people and organizations who make it such a special place,” Calvert said.

Calvert founded Source Cincinnati in 2014 to cultivate national publications that published stories about Cincinnati as a tourism destination. Prior to that, Calvert served as vice president of communications and strategic development at the convention bureau.

Calvert was tapped for the job after a months-long search.

Convention bureau CEO Dan Lincoln set to retire

“With Julie, we get a leader with a proven track record of driving destination reputation and economic impact," said Jim McGraw, chairman of the bureau's board.

Mayor John Cranley praised Calvert's selection.

“Cincinnati has never had a stronger national and global reputation, and much of that is due to Julie’s incredible leadership at Source Cincinnati and the CVB,” Cranley said.