Hard Decisions, Leadership Lessons and the Road Ahead
Season 3, Episode 1
Featured Guest: Michael Massari, Chief Sales Officer, Caesars Entertainment
What are some of the greatest challenges leaders in the meetings industry have faced and what does our community's future look like? Michael Massari, Chief Sales Officer at Caesars Entertainment and co-chair of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, shares his own leadership lessons as well as his predictions for events in 2022.
Want to hear more from Courtney and her incredible guests? Find all Dare to Interrupt episodes here.
Meet Our Guest: Michael Massari
Michael Massari is a leader and innovator in the travel and tourism industry as the leader for meetings, conventions and events business for Caesars Entertainment’s portfolio with more than 50 U.S. properties.
Michael Massari was appointed co-chair for Meetings Means Business in 2021 and has served on the board for Meeting Professionals International. Since 2011, he has successfully led a nationwide reorganization of Caesars Entertainment’s property meetings businesses into one team including sales, catering, convention services and banquet operations. This provides unique benefits for customers. The structure placed team members in metro areas throughout the country to be closer to customers.
The unique organizational structure gave the company a competitive advantage, changing the paradigm for the company’s meetings business and redefining managing multiple properties within a market. The groundbreaking strategies paid significant dividends for Caesars Entertainment, increasing revenue and market share, and establishing Caesars Entertainment as a leader in the meetings and events industry under Massari’s guidance.
In March 2020, Caesars Entertainment opened CAESARS FORUM, a 550,000-square-foot conference facility that redefined offerings for meetings and events in Las Vegas.
Massari also made a significant impact on Atlantic City. He staked his career on the building and opening of the Waterfront Conference Center, which is an innovative meeting experience and the largest hotel-conference center complex from Baltimore to Boston. This ushered in a new era for Atlantic City, resulting in a substantial boost in travel.
Massari has spent more than 20 years in various executive roles within Caesars Entertainment. Prior to his appointment as the head of the meetings and events division, Massari was the vice president for Las Vegas Meetings.
A Philadelphia native, Massari earned his bachelor’s degree from Cabrini University before achieving an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. He currently resides in Las Vegas with his wife and two daughters.
Connect with Michael:
- Website
- Instagram: @caesarsmeansbusiness @caesarsentertainment
- Twitter: @CaesarsEnt
More About Our Host:
Courtney believes that transforming past experiences into impactful conversations through raw, authentic storytelling challenges the status quo, connects people from all walks of life and results in great change for the world.
- Courtney is the youngest member to have ever been elected to Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) International Board of Directors
- She is the recipient of Smart Meetings’ Entrepreneur Award, MeetingsNet’s Changemaker Award, the Association for Women in Events (AWE) Disruptor Award, the MPI Chairman’s Award and MPI RISE Award.
- Named Collaborate and Connect Magazine’s 40 under 40 and a Meetings Today Trendsetter.
- Recognized as one of the event industry’s most impactful change-makers.
- Serves on the Events Industry Sexual Harassment Task Force, AWE’s Board of Directors, MPI’s Women’s Advisory Board, is a Meetings Mean Business Ambassador and is the co-founder of the award-winning movement, #MeetingsToo.
- Named as a 2020 Meetings Trendsetter by Meetings Today
Connect with Courtney:
