Nov 27, 2018

IMC announces marketing and digital team structure

Following its recently announced executive leadership team appointments and long-range market plans, International Market Centers (IMC) has shared a new integrated structure and staffing for its marketing and digital teams.

“IMC is committed both to maintaining the unique personality of each of our markets and to the enrichment of the differentiating features of each,” said Dorothy Belshaw, EVP, chief marketing and digital officer. “This new integrated team structure optimizes the skills of our people and the strength of our processes and allows us to have maximum impact on the business while driving maximum value to our customers.”

Belshaw will oversee four key areas of marketing and digital strategy: brand strategy and business development, led by Karen Olson; digital services, led by Brandon Ward; marketing services, led by Brett Austin; and public relations and corporate communications, led directly by Belshaw and supported with in-house staff and outside consultation.

The brand strategy and business development team will be responsible for brand and market strategy, buyer acquisition and retail relations, market research and data analytics, registration, and end-to-end customer experience. In order to maintain the unique position of each market, brand leaders for each market will report to Karen Olson: Kim Adams for Atlanta Apparel; Sarah Mount for Atlanta Gift & Home; and Renee Loper-Boyd for Las Vegas and High Point Markets. Also reporting to Olson will be Renae Brown, who will oversee call center, data analytics, and registration. The retail relations group responsible for key account management and support for buying groups across all categories will also report directly to Olson.

The digital services team will be responsible for website and mobile app development; digital marketing deployment and performance analytics; data services; and digital products development. Team members, all of whom report to Brandon Ward, include Tripp Regan, digital and email experience; Nathaniel Johnson, front end development; and Danielle Willis, digital optimization and measurement.

The marketing services team will be responsible for project management, procurement and production; publications and sponsorships; and programming and events management. Team members, all of whom report to Brett Austin, include: Nova Belote, project management; Kris Lamb, creative; and Ansley Spencer; production for publications, sponsorships and signage.   Austin will directly manage teams responsible for publication and sponsorship sales and programming and event management.

The public relations and corporate communications team will be responsible for media relations; media partnerships; and corporate communications. In-house team members Dallas Britt (High Point and Las Vegas) and Chelsea Peabody Bohannon (Atlanta) will report directly to Belshaw, with outside strategic support from Cathy Steel of Steel Associates.

“Marketing will be a centralized function enhancing the end to end customer experience, driving increased buyer acquisition across all Markets, and developing digital tools and services to improve the at Market experience for buyers and tenants,” said Belshaw.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL MARKET CENTERS
IMC, which Blackstone and Fireside Investments acquired in 2017, is the world’s largest owner and operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor, gift, and apparel industries, with 20 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, NC, Las Vegas, NV, and Atlanta, GA, catering to over 8,500 exhibitors and lines. The Company’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor, gift and apparel industries. For more information please visit www.imcenters.com.