ESPA Welcomes Dominique Bonds as New Board President
PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J. — The Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) welcomes Dominique Bonds as its new president, in addition to several new board members, during its 2024 Annual Conference in Indianapolis.
Bonds, a respected and award-winning thought leader at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) in Philadelphia, will focus on building leadership within the organization while ensuring ESPA is an inclusive advocate for all stakeholders in the hospitality industry.
“My primary goal as the incoming president is to ensure our membership, in its totality, can envision themselves in an ESPA leadership role should they choose to pursue that path,” said Bonds. “There was a time when I could not envision myself in that role. However, I felt a burgeoning wave of belonging and inclusion from the moment I joined the board. The relationships and friendships that resulted from my ESPA membership are priceless. They are only surpassed by what I’ve learned through countless webinars and a decade of annual conferences.”
Bonds continues, “As such, I’m focused on ensuring that ESPA is an organization that is reflective of the hospitality industry and fosters the spirit and reality of diversity. I’m also committed to continuing to support our targeted marketing efforts and exploring the expansion of our outreach beyond traditional organizations. As authors of the DEI Guide and Accessibility Toolkit, I want to ensure that ESPA also reflects these principles when it hosts its own events and programs.”
During her 25-year tenure at the PCC, Bonds has provided oversight and direction for several departments. She is currently the Director of Engagement, managing the PCC’s DEI initiatives, talent engagement and customer experience. Bonds is passionate about amplifying the customer journey and supporting her colleagues by ensuring customer expectations are met and exceeded. Ensuring the PCC is an inclusive and accessible environment for guests and team members is paramount to Bonds.
A member of the PCC through multiple historical events, including Sept. 11, 2001, COVID-19, and everything in between, Bonds has solidified the importance of being flexible and adaptable by appreciating and taking each day at a time. Bonds is an active volunteer in her community and engaged with various fraternal organizations
ESPA is grateful for the service of outgoing president Denise Reid, an award-winning event planning manager at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter (HCFQ) in New Orleans for her unparalleled leadership. Additionally, the outgoing directors Matthew Robinette, CDME, CMP, vice president of visitor experience at Richmond Region Tourism; Lisa Bethea, CTA, director of destination services at Visit Frisco; and Lindsay Clapp, CMP, CGSP, events & studio production manager at MDI for their devoted service.
Also, ESPA elected the following new board members and officers:
- Zack Davis, ESPC, CMP, CTA, Louisville Tourism, ascends to the office of Treasurer
- Patrick Coit, CMP, STS, Meet Boston
- Joyel Oliphant, The Biltmore Company
- Molly Self, CMP, Arlington CVB
- Adrienne Terry, Chattanooga Tourism Co.
With more than 500 members, ESPA is dedicated to elevating the event services profession and to preparing members through education and networking for their pivotal role in innovative and successful event execution.
For more information on ESPA, visit espaonline.org.
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About ESPA
With more than 500 members, the Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) is dedicated to elevating the event and convention services profession and to preparing members, through education and networking, for their pivotal role in innovative and successful event execution. For more information, visit www.espaonline.org.