d-mars.com Top 30 Influential Women of Houston
Sallie Sargent
President & CEO, Houston Super Bowl Host Committee for Super Bowl 2012 to the NFL owners in May 2008. The City of Phoenix acknowledged her expertise and hired her again to create the presentation for the bid for NCAA’s Final Four Basketball Tournament. In 2010, Ms. Sargent was retained to conceive and implement a global communications program for Viad Corp, parent company of GES, to support a year-long culture shift that occurred as a result of significant mergers and acquisitions. This effort included creating and producing quarterly Town Hall meetings simulcast to over 3,000 employees, developing and organizing round table discussions between front-line employees and senior executives and creating interactive web-based communication.
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allie Sargent has enjoyed a diverse and exciting career over the past 28 years. Her special event management background with sporting events includes five Super Bowls; 14 years managing sponsor relations and special events for the Fiesta Bowl and the first Bowl Championship Series (BCS); producing the Charles Barkley Roast for the NBA All Star Game; and overseeing corporate hospitality for the PGA’s Phoenix Open. The 2004 Democratic National Convention, the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company, and the 2012 Centennial Celebration of the State of Arizona round out her experience with event management on a grand scale.
vision, oversaw the company’s re-branding effort, and was a key contributor to the company’s long-range strategic planning. Additionally, her responsibilities included staging numerous special events associated with some of the largest and most recognizable conventions in the world including Consumer Electronics Show, MineExpo, Electronic Entertainment Expo, and National Restaurant Association.
Ms. Sargent’s knowledge and experience with the NFL’s premiere event resulted in her appointment in 2013 as the Executive Director for Houston’s efforts to secure Super Bowl in 2017. Since that time, she has been retained in the same position to Ms. Sargent was hired by the Arizona Host develop the strategic plan for the Houston Committee to stage myriad events associ- Host Committee to stage Super Bowl LI. ated with the 2008 Super Bowl. The signa- Prior to the tradeshow and convention inture event “The Big Ticket Gala” that raised dustry, Ms. Sargent served as Director of over $500K for the local organizing com- Marketing and Promotions for America mittee, featured Jay Leno and 25 members West Airlines (now US Airways) after her of the Pro Football Hall of Fame attracting successful negotiation on behalf of Amersome 1,200 guests and community lead- ica West with the NFL for the official airline ers. Additionally, Ms. Sargent created and sponsorship of Super Bowl XXX. Her talent produced the highly successful Super Bowl also extends to video production and has Business Development Program at the re- won several Telly Awards for direction and quest of Governor Janet Napolitano and production in the corporate video category. the Arizona Department of Commerce as an economic development strategy for the Sallie Sargent state.
Beyond her special event expertise, Ms. Sargent began to develop her destination marketing experience in 2006 when the City of Minneapolis hired her to write the bids for both the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. As Senior Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications for GES Exposition Services (the largest subsidiary of Viad Corp) from Ms. Sargent continued her work with the 1999-2005, Ms. Sargent spearheaded the Arizona Host Committee post Super Bowl company’s marketing communications di- XLII, by compiling and presenting the bid 40
Top 30 Influential Women of Houston 2016
Her communication skills have also been utilized by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to produce Town Hall meetings and video magazines to improve communications and negotiations between Convention Center management and union employees.
President & CEO Houston Super Bowl Host Committee info@housuperbowl.com www.housuperbowl.com
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