Presenting Team Ottawa Tourism: Business Events and Major Events and Sport

Lesley Pincombe (she/her) 

Vice President, Meetings & Major Events

Lesley is responsible for the successful positioning of Ottawa as a Business Events and Major Events destination of choice both nationally and internationally.

Stephanie Seguin (she/her)

Director of Sales, Business & Major Events

Stephanie oversees strategic direction for the Business and Major Events teams, ensuring a strong presence in all priority markets.

Theresa Gatto (BBA, CMP, DES) (she/her)

Senior Manager, Business Events

As a senior member of the sales team, Theresa leads Ottawa Tourism's efforts for the international market. During her 18 years with the team, she has collaborated with stakeholders to secure multi-million-dollar business events amongst the corporate, association and international markets throughout her tenure, thereby bolstering the economy of our nation's capital and supporting 43,000 jobs within the tourism sector. She’s an award-winning sales professional with 20+ years of industry expertise that consistently surpasses sales targets while maintaining a client-centric approach and a passion for community service. As someone inherently drawn to connecting with others and dedicated to volunteerism, active engagement in our industry over the past two decades includes volunteer leadership roles within Meeting Professionals International, Canadian Society of Association Executives, Professional Convention Management Association, and Meetings Mean Business Canada.

Lizzy Low (she/her) 

Manager, Business Events

Lizzy has been with the organization for 8 years and leads the corporate meetings market, helping to secure corporate conferences and meetings in the nation’s capital. Giving back to both the industry and our community is a priority, and Lizzy is an active member of both MPI Ottawa and Toronto chapters. Lizzy is passionate about specifically spreading awareness and education on the role tourism can play in disrupting Human Trafficking; she has the privilege to serve on the Board of Meeting Professionals Against Human Trafficking as well as the MPI Global Anti-Human Trafficking Committee.

Julie Clement (she/her) 

Manager, Business Events

A leader in the Canadian Association 300+, Indigenous, SMERF, and government sectors, Julie attributes her success to her dedication to fostering strong relationships with clients and industry partners. She actively collaborates with meeting planners to create compelling bid proposals, ensuring a seamless experience for conferences and events in Ottawa. Julie's comprehensive approach includes venue and guest room procurement, bid proposal crafting, site inspections and a commitment to giving back to the industry and community.

Laura Matley (she/her) 

Manager, Business Events

Laura advocates for Ottawa as the leading choice for conferences and events catering to 300 delegates or fewer within the Canadian Association, Government and SMERF sectors. This encompasses collaborating with meeting planners to facilitate venue and guest room procurement, crafting bid proposals, conducting site inspections and offering a comprehensive solution that fosters a streamlined approach to event planning in Ottawa.

Nicholas Litt (he/his)

Manager, Business Events

Nick is responsible for attracting business travelers and events such as conferences and conventions from the United States.  Aiding with recommendations and connecting our clients with local vendors, hotels, and transportation service partners to coordinate logistics and ensure a smooth experience for their delegates.  Nick’s primary role as it relates to business development involves attending important industry events to promote, spread awareness and build the relationships that will grow our destination in the U.S. market.

Désirée Prill (she/her) 

Client Services Specialist, Business Events

Désirée manages the Business and Major Events portfolio, overseeing the execution of host city commitments. She provides event coordination and administrative support to sales activities, client conferences and events and facilitates effective connections between members and clients to support clients event planning support. 

Emily Mackey (she/her)

Business Events and Major Events Researcher

Emily oversees the transition of qualified leads from the research phase to the bid phase, working closely with external stakeholders to identify worldwide congresses suitable for hosting in Canada's capital city, in turn enhancing Ottawa's global standing. Emily also spearheads the ThinkOttawa ambassador program, fostering connections and recognition for subject matter leaders in their respective fields of business and sport. She thoroughly examines RFPs for events, assessing their feasibility, potential legacy, and alignment with Ottawa's values and expertise.

Xiaolin Gong (she/her)

Sales Coordinator, Business Events

Xiaolin plays a supportive role in the Business Events and Major Events and Sport team, lending a hand wherever it's needed. From coordinating site inspections in Ottawa to managing event funding and assisting with sales activities, she strives to contribute positively to the team with a focus on teamwork and reliability.

Ivana Davidovic (she/her)

Sales Coordinator, Business Events

Ivana diligently enters and manages leads, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information. She also creates and maintains client accounts, streamlining communication and record-keeping. Her role involves proofreading agreements, coordinating requests for letters of support and handling other assigned projects.

Devin Jenkins (he/his)

Manager, Major Events and Sport

Devin focuses on fostering strategic partnerships with local, provincial, national and international sports organizations to bring impactful events to our Ottawa. Through these collaborations, he showcases the city as a premier destination for major events, driving tourism and elevating Ottawa's reputation on a global scale.

Joey Swarbrick (he/his)

Manager, Major Events and Sports

Joey focuses on fostering strategic partnerships with local, provincial, national and international sports organizations to bring impactful events to Ottawa. Through these collaborations, he showcases the city as a premier destination for major events, driving tourism, and elevates Ottawa's reputation on a global scale.

Glenn Duncan (he/his)

Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer

Glenn’s responsibilities include overseeing sales and marketing efforts and guiding the strategic direction to position Ottawa as a vibrant, welcoming and diverse tourism destination.

Véronique Juneau (she/her)

Manager, B2B Marketing

Véronique brings a dynamic blend of creativity and strategy to the team. While part of the Marketing Team, she collaborates closely with Business Events and Major Events and Sport to leverage her expertise and enhance their collective B2B efforts. Her primary focus lies in crafting compelling owned and paid content marketing strategies to our target audience and drive engagement while aligning seamlessly with our brand's overarching campaign objectives.

Emily Coppella (she/her)

Marketing Coordinator, B2B Marketing

Emily is a part of the Marketing department and assists in coordinating owned and paid marketing efforts for Business Events and Major Events and Sport. Her primary focus is to create engaging social media content for both teams, as well as newsletters, blog posts and beyond.

Contact the Business Events team. 

Contact the Major Events and Sport team.