200 N. Phillips Ave, Suite 102 • Sioux Falls, SD 57104 • 605.336.1620 • 800.333.2072 VisitSiouxFalls.com • Facebook.com/VisitSiouxFalls • @VisitSiouxFalls
For Immediate Release February 27, 2012
Contact Teri Schmidt, Executive Director 605.373.2030 (office) 605.366.5590 (cell)
2012 VISITOR INDUSTRY LUNCHEON TO FEATURE FORMER WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Sioux Falls, SD – The Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will host their annual Visitor Industry Luncheon on May 10, 2012, at 11:30am at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. The luncheon will feature Laura Schwartz. Laura is the former White House Director of Events and has produced more than 1000 White House events. Today, Laura is a renowned speaker, television commentator and the founder of White House Strategies, www.WhiteHouseStrategies.com, through which she shares her inside tips and techniques with Fortune’s Laura Schwartz Top 50 and 500 companies, independent businesses, industry associations, universities and nonprofit organizations, teaching people of all ages how they, too can: Eat, Drink & Succeed! Made possible by the Sioux Falls CVB, the Visitor Industry Luncheon is a celebration of the visitor industry. Each year the CVB recognizes people and businesses that show consistent support to the industry by presenting four awards in the following categories: Heart of the City Award, First Impressions Award, Business Award, and Media Award. For nomination information, call Kathie at 605-373-2032 or email kputhoff@siouxfalls.com. Laura Schwartz is sponsored by the Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau, First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard, and Sanford Health. Tickets go on sale March 30, 2012 and cost to attend is $35. For more information contact the Sioux Falls CVB at 605-336-1620.
Laura Schwartz Biography Laura Schwartz, the former White House Director of Events was 19 when she arrived at the White House in January 1993. With no political connections, she volunteered answering the phones in the press office. But that was just the beginning. She climbed
her way up the ranks of the Clinton Administration as the Midwest Press Secretary, Director of Television and ultimately the Director of Events, where she produced the President’s events on the world stage. In her first book, Eat, Drink & Succeed! Climb Your Way to the Top Using the Networking Power of Social Events, Laura shares the secrets that skyrocketed her onto the world stage adding color with personal anecdotes from her life and White House years. As a professional speaker she takes those same details to stages, boardrooms, classrooms and ballrooms around the world in her acclaimed speaking series to empower, motivate and inspire each audience. Besides stages, Laura is on your screens as an international television commentator. She covered the 2008 Presidential Campaign for the CBS Early Show, prior to joining CBS, Laura was the on air Political Analyst for Fox News Channel 2004-2007 and was the Special Correspondent to Larry King Live and CNN for the presidential primaries. Laura is also seen internationally on Good Morning London, the BBC World News and Sir David Frost’s “Frost Over the World.” Laura is the founder of White House Strategies and works with Fortune’s Top 50 and 500 companies, independent businesses, industry associations, universities and nonprofit organizations, teaching people of all ages how they, too can: EAT, DRINK & SUCCEED!
### Mission: To market the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as a one-of-a-kind visitor destination, and to provide premier visitor services, by attracting conventions, meetings, sports, events, leisure and business travelers to Sioux Falls in the most economic and efficient manner possible in order to positively impact the local economy.