A new era began at the
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau when Tim Roby joined the
organization to serve as president in April.
Greg Saunders, chairman of the CCTB board, said Roby’s
appointment was one of several key reasons he’s enthusiastic about
the state of the bureau and the city itself. He also pointed to
convention center McCormick Place’s West Building being ahead of
schedule in construction, and between 2,000 and 3,000 new hotel
rooms opening in the city in the next three years.
The CCTB itself, however, is in flux. Since March 2005, eight
directors or vice presidents have left the bureau.
Saunders said one of Roby’s first tasks will be to determine
how to fill or reallocate two vice president positions in marketing
and sales (vacated by Bill Utter in February and Mark Tester last
summer, respectively).
Saunders denied that the bureau has been destabilized, but the
rash of departures has left him reminding people the bureau still
exists. “The bureau is still open for business,” he joked. “I
haven’t had anyone call where nobody answered the phone.”