As a former hotel executive for my entire career-to-date, I am now thrilled and honored to associate with all of you in this great industry from the destination perspective. It’s such an exciting time for both the meeting and conventions landscape and the Los Angeles landscape. Both have rapidly evolved over the last few years and continue to evolve with new infrastructure, new approaches, new services and ambitious goals.
Ambition is no stranger to LA – it’s the foundation of our “City of Dreams.” Few cities have been as ambitious as the city of Los Angeles over the last decade in adding major and diverse new projects. Downtown LA is now home to the world-renowned Walt Disney Concert Hall and one of our nation’s treasures with the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center. The L.A. LIVE entertainment complex with the J.W. Marriott Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Hotel has electrified the area around the Los Angeles Convention Center. Universal Studios Hollywood continually solidifies its position as the entertainment capital with new multi-million dollar attractions. And, the list goes on with several new hotel projects in the works, along with the new Broad Museum of Contemporary Art, to name a few.
Ambition in Los Angeles is also about inspiring its residents and visitors to think, create and execute in new and innovative ways. In just one week on the job with the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, I’ve been impressed by how enthusiastically my colleagues live and breathe this spirit of innovation with every customer, every day. There are as many exciting developments happening within Los Angeles’ ballrooms, meetings rooms and special event facilities, as there are outside these walls.
Personally, I’m ambitious about meeting and interacting with many of you over the coming weeks and months at various shows or in Los Angeles. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what we can create together. In the meantime, my door is always open if I can ever be a resource for you.
With best wishes for your success this year,
Ernest Wooden, Jr.
President and CEO
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board