Mark Vaughan

Executive Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau

Mark Vaughan, executive vice president, chief sales and marketing officer of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), has spent more than 24 years in the hospitality industry. Vaughan has been with the ACVB since September 2005 when he joined the organization in his current role.

As executive vice president, sales and marketing, Vaughan is responsible for increasing visitation to the metropolitan Atlanta area through the development and implementation of all sales and marketing programs for the ACVB.

A seasoned hospitality professional, Vaughan has 24 years of experience in a variety of sales and marketing positions within the industry.

Vaughan began his career with the Benchmark Management Company in 1984 before joining the Marriott International team in 1986. He continued his career with Marriott, serving in sales and marketing management positions for the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, Ky., the Raleigh Marriott Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, N.C., the Dayton Marriott Hotel in Dayton, Ohio, the Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta. He served as the market director of sales and marketing for the Marriott Southeast region prior to his most recent post at the Marco Island Resort, Golf Club and Spa. Prior to joining the ACVB, he spent 23 years with Marriott International, most recently as the director of marketing for the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa, where he was responsible for the total sales and marketing effort for the 730-room ocean front property.

The recipient of numerous Marriott sales and marketing awards for his efforts, Vaughan is also an active member of the hospitality community. He has served on the executive committee of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the Atlanta Sports Council Board of Directors, and The NCAA Men's Final Four local organizing committee, Atlanta's Table, the ACVB Hotel Convention Committee, the Fort Lauderdale CVB Advisory Committee, the Dayton CVB Advisory Committee and the President Galveston Restaurant Association.

A native of Lexington, Ky., Vaughan attended Eastern Kentucky University where he majored in business administration.  He and his wife Cheryl have been married for 24 years and have three children.

Mark talks about trends that impact business in this Convene magazine Q&A.