BBC Senior Account Executive, Jill Lambert, Makes Special Events’ 25 Young Events Pros to Watch 2017

BBC is thrilled to announce that Senior Account Executive, Jill Lambert, has been selected as one of Special Events Magazine’s 25 Young Events Pros to Watch in 2017! With over 10 years of experience in the hospitality/tourism industry and a contagious adoration for her city, New Orleans, Jill brings not only brings a wealth of expertise to BBC but also a passion that consistently shines through in every program that she creates for her clients.

“My job is more than just selling New Orleans. It is about building trust with my clients and working as part of an extension of their team. When I create a program, my goals are threefold: the first is to showcase the variety of culturally enriching activities that our city offers; the second is to provide clients with a takeaway of why we love New Orleans and the third is to make champions of my clients by helping them reach their milestones.”- Jill H. Lambert.

BBC Nola celebrates Travel & Tourism Week Parade (2017) Jill Lambert and Lyndi Smith

Born and raised in New Orleans, Jill saw first-hand just how important and robust the hospitality industry is and knew that she wanted to be a part of that driving force. During college, she not only sought out a degree in Hospitality Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi but was also an active member of PCMA. Upon graduation, she began her career working for the Omni Royal Orleans as a Catering and Convention Services Assistant.

Jill’s career, however, took an unexpected turn in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina swept through, leaving the future of the hospitality industry and New Orleans very uncertain. Fortunately, she was offered the opportunity to task force for another Omni property, which took her across the country to San Diego, California. What was supposed to be a temporary 3 month task force, turned into four years where she worked as the hotel’s Sales Coordinator. Thriving in this role, she was invited to participate in Omni’s Leadership in Development program with an emphasis in Convention Services. Upon completion, she was promoted and serviced all of the small groups at the hotel.

In 2009, another unexpected obstacle presented itself, the economic recession. With its effects taking their toll on the hospitality industry, Jill was laid off. This did not, however, deter Jill from pursuing her professional goals. The following year, she worked with several very well-respected trainers and facilitators in Personal Effectiveness and Leadership Training. With their guidance and her determination, she created a vision for her life and knew it was time to return to New Orleans.

Once home, she took a job as a contractor for SAP and worked on their event marketing team to assist with some of their large events. In 2011, a former colleague from the Omni Royal Orleans approached Jill in the hopes that she would take on a CSM position. With a love for the service side of the industry, she accepted. After two years of being back in the hotel world, it was time for a new challenge.

MPI Gulf States Chapter event (2016): David Rome, Lyndi Smith, Jill Lambert, Megan Hebert

In 2013, she joined BBC Destination Management looking to dive deeper into the creative development of incentive programs. As Senior Account Executive, Jill has successfully secured numerous national and international client accounts and has provided each client with the same quality of service from the proposal phase to implementation. As a firm believer in continuing education, she serves as active member of Meeting Planners International Gulf States Chapter (MPI) and recently joined Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP).

“My career has given me the opportunity to see the world of hospitality from every angle. My time with Omni Hotels exposed me to the guest experience from start to finish. As a meeting planner with SAP, I was able to see the world of program operations from my clients’ point of view. I also draw on my experience as a life coach, which taught me to be transparent in everything that I do and to stay open to new ideas and challenges. Today’s ceiling is tomorrow’s floor – there is always an opportunity for growth and to be better.” – Jill H. Lambert

“Jill is an invaluable asset to the BBC team and her contributions go well beyond her well-rounded professional experience. She genuinely cares about her clients and is fully committed to sharing her knowledge and expertise with them to ensure the best possible results for their programs. She is also a dedicated employee who sees challenges as opportunities, never giving up. Through her hard work and passionate love of New Orleans, has successfully created win-wins for BBC, the city and her clients.”- President & CEO, Bonnie B. Boyd, CMP, DMCP