Visit Chicago Southland, an organization focused on promoting tourism in Chicago’s South Side and southwest suburbs, has named Mary Patchin as its new CEO and president, effective next month.
Mary Patchin, who was promoted from vice president of sales and has been with the company for 25 years, will succeed retiring CEO and president Jim Garrett when her term officially ends June 30.
“We are thrilled to have Mary Patchin as our new president and CEO,” Garrett said in a news release announcing Patchin’s promotion. “Her experience in the tourism industry, her commitment to the Chicago South Convention Center and her knowledge and passion for the Chicago South area will serve her and the region well.”
The Chicago Southland Tourism Bureau, until recently known as the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau, is a nonprofit organization established in 1986 that receives state grant funding matched by funding from community contracts, membership and programs. The funds are used to promote the south suburbs as a leisure, events and meetings destination and to promote the development of attractions that will draw visitors.
Patchin said his main focus will be to execute the three-year plan laid out for 2023 and build strong relationships with the organisation, the local community and its customers, particularly the hospitality and group business sectors that he has focused on in his previous roles.
This includes receiving accreditation from an international group of similar tourism marketing organisations by achieving set targets, she said.
Mr Patchin said they were also preparing for a national trade fair starting in August that was key to promoting Southland as a prime destination for everything from work meetings to sporting tournaments.
“Weddings, family reunions, class reunions, events are plentiful here with plenty of banquet facilities and hotels,” Patchin said, “and there are so many great events throughout the year that there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
According to a news release, Patchin joined the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau after graduating from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in restaurant, hotel, public facilities and tourism management in 1999. While she has always worked in sales, she has also worked in the organization’s finance, public relations and marketing departments.
She said she has wanted to work in the convention and tourism bureau since she was 16 years old.
“I was one of those nosy kids who would call the toll-free numbers for every state’s tourism bureau,” she says, “so I’ve always loved the industry from a young age, even before I really understood what tourism was.”
As a result of Garrett’s 28 years leading the organization, Visit Chicago Southland has received the Illinois Tourism Office’s 2024 Illinois Excellence in Tourism Award for Best Website and Diversity Inc.’s 2011 Community Spirit Award.
Patchin said he plans to narrow his organization’s focus and gain an edge over competing convention bureaus by knowing where people are and relying more on people who live in the areas he’s marketing to.
“A lot of the work we do tends to be outside the region and what we’re trying to do is be a better educational tool for local residents because they are the best tourism ambassadors,” Patchin said.
She said that includes creating a greater sense of community with hospitality partners.
“We’re focused on growing our online presence, but some of what we do here will also play out in print and local media,” she said. “We’re just trying to grow our exposure the best way we can and working with our partners to do that.”
Patchin was approved to serve as CEO and president of Visit Chicago Southland at the organization’s quarterly board meeting on April 25.
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