Visit Panama City Beach has announced that industry-veteran Renee Lalanee-Wuerdeman has been promoted to Vice President of Sales and newcomer Thomas “Harrison” Moon has been named Sales Coordinator. The two will spearhead all sales efforts for the Northwest Florida beachside community, working to increase year-round group and leisure business.
“With over three decades of industry experience and a dynamic personality, we are thrilled to have Renee at the helm leading our Visit Panama City Beach sales department as the new Vice President,” shares Visit Panama City Beach President and CEO Dan Rowe. “In addition, Harrison thrived in his intern role with us last summer and we are confident his talent and enthusiasm for the destination will shine through in his new role as Sales Coordinator. Both Renee and Harrison will play crucial roles in shaping the future of our beloved destination.”
Renee first joined the Visit Panama City Beach team in August 2017 as the Director of Sales, leading the charge on partnerships with the hotel and resort group sales community and bringing additional conference and group business to the destination. Prior to Visit Panama City Beach, Renee worked in sales for a variety of different destinations, hotels, resorts and attractions, including most recently serving as the Director of Convention Services for the Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau for over a decade.
“I’m so grateful to be working with our Visit Panama City Beach partners to build a solid foundation of group meetings and conventions for our REAL.FUN.BEACH,” shares Renee. “My family recently moved to the area and we have fallen in love with everything Panama City Beach has to offer, from ideal year-round weather and premier dining to watersports and outdoor recreation.”
A 2018 graduate of Florida State University, Harrison joins the Visit Panama City Beach as Sales Coordinator with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Tourism and Events. Upon graduating, Harrison served as the Marketing and Sports & Events Intern for Visit Panama City Beach, where he assisted the sports and events department in planning and executing special events ranging from Pirates Fest to UNwineD. While interning, Harrison also gained valuable experience assisting with social media marketing, entering leads for Visitor Guides distribution and hosting travel writers/bloggers on familiarization tours.
“As a Panama City Beach native, I am so excited to serve a community that means so much to me as Sales Coordinator,” shares Harrison. “I look forward to continue growing my skills alongside such a talented and driven team, and working to draw more visitors to our picture-perfect destination.”