Scott Craighead
ALBUQUERQUE — Visit Albuquerque has hired Scott
Craighead as the organization’s new vice president of sales, services & sports.
Craighead comes to Albuquerque most recently from the International Association of Exhibitions and
Events (IAEE) where he served as vice president of exhibitions and events as well as the vice
president for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).
“Scott’s extensive association leadership experience and focus on strategic partnerships make
him an ideal fit for our team,” said Visit Albuquerque President & CEO Tania Armenta.
“With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Scott will bring new ideas and a fresh perspective on
the destination, along with unmatched knowledge of and love for the industry. I could not be
more excited to partner with him as we at Visit Albuquerque continue honing our approach to
market Albuquerque as one of the Southwest’s premier meeting, event and sports
destinations.”
Craighead’s first day will be Monday, Aug. 22. He will oversee the Sales, Services and Sports Division, which is responsible for generating qualified meeting,
convention, sports and group tour leads that are distributed to Albuquerque’s hotels, the
Albuquerque Convention Center and area event and sports facilities. In his role, he will guide
the collective destination team to turn those leads into definite business for Albuquerque and
ensure the groups have successful and unforgettable meetings and events in the city.
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve Visit Albuquerque and its member community,” said
Craighead. “I am equally thrilled to be returning to the greater region where I was raised.
Throughout my formative years growing up along the state border, I would often visit New
Mexico for its natural beauty, culture and rich history.”
As part of his 14-year career with IAEE, Craighead was responsible for budgeting, show
development and design, technology solutions, personnel, contracts and overall logistics for
IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition Expo! Expo! and other IAEE-produced events.
Craighead previously handled logistics and exhibit sales for Global Semiconductor Alliance events and
exhibitions held in the United States, Europe and Asia. He began his career managing a
wide array of student, university and external events for Associated Students at UCLA.
He has extensive experience working with destination marketing organizations such as Visit
Albuquerque and has implemented many event- and marketplace-related initiatives.
Craighead received a Bachelor of Arts in marketing from Texas Tech University’s Rawls College
of Business and is Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM). Additionally, he received the
Planner of the Year award from Smart Meetings in 2020 and the Show Manager of the Year
award in 2015 from the Expo Group and Trade Show News Network.
More than 6.2 million people visit the Albuquerque metro area annually, contributing more
than $2 billion to the local economy. As one of the largest employers in the city, tourism
supports approximately 44,000 jobs in Bernalillo County alone.
