Accomplished sales leader Maria Grasso takes on new customer-focused role at PHLCVB

Meetings & Events
December 12, 2019

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has promoted Maria Grasso to Vice President of Citywide Sales and Convention Services.

Maria Grasso, Vice President of Citywide Sales and Convention Services at the PHLCVB.

For the past two decades, veteran sales manager Maria Grasso has built a national reputation for her expert ability to respond to the needs of various customers and stakeholders. Having worked with national accounts and major corporate groups to ensure successful, award-winning meetings, conventions and events at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and throughout the city of Philadelphia, Grasso and the PHLCVB sales team stops at nothing to deliver indelible experiences for customers. “As the city and industry both continue to evolve, we need to make sure we are creating dynamic, tailored experiences for all customers who put their trust in Philadelphia,” said Grasso.

This unstoppable ingenuity reflects the collaborative spirit that exists among key local, regional and national partners, resulting in large-scale events such as the 2017 NFL Draft and major meetings like the American Heart Association’s recent Scientific Sessions.

The 2017 NFL Draft on the iconic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by A. Sinagoga for PHLCVB.

Representatives from the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Philadelphia's hotel community gathered together at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to give a warm (and very red) welcome to the 2019 American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions and Resuscitation Science Symposium. Photo by K. Huff for PHLCVB.

This week, it was also announced that Grasso will join the Corporate Event Marketing Association’s (CEMA) board of directors, an influential role that promotes professional opportunities, facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing and drives industry standards. The CEMA board appointment enables Grasso to continue elevating Philadelphia as a city that can transform for any type of event.

Grasso says Philadelphia “has everything event planners need.” The Pennsylvania Convention Center is situated in the heart of the city. Amazing off-site venue options allow for unique activation sites and incredible attendee experiences. Philadelphia is walkable, which cuts down on transportation costs too. Philadelphia’s location on the East Coast makes it an easy destination to get to with more than 30,000 hotel rooms in the region at every price point.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center sits on Broad Street in Center City Philadelphia. Photo by C. Cooper for PHLCVB.

“As a seat of innovation, there is a fast-growing, diverse population with a burgeoning tech, medical and startup community and over one hundred colleges and universities,” said Grasso.

Philadelphia also just made National Geographic’s Best Trips List for 2020 – and is the ONLY American city to be included.

“We can help bring event visions to life,” says Maria Grasso, “with the PHLCVB difference – we’re with you every step of the way, so you don’t have to plan and execute your meeting experience alone.”