Mark Calitri

  What Can the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Teach Us About Marketing? In 2021, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile came to Owensboro, Kentucky, for a trade show at the Owensboro Convention Center. Of course, I got a picture with it. But think about this. Why did I take the picture? Why do people stop when they see the Wienermobile? Why are we still talking about a giant hot dog on wheels more than 80 years after Oscar Mayer first put one on the road? Because people notice it. That's the first job of marketing. Get noticed. You can have a great product, a great event or a great community. But if nobody notices, how are you going to drive business? In destination marketing, we're competing every day for visitors, conventions, sporting events and attention. So here's the question I keep coming back to: Are we giving people something worth talking about? Not another ad that looks like everybody else's. Something they'll remember. Something they'll share. Something that makes t...

  By Mark Calitri, President & CEO, Visit Owensboro When people see another national championship or major tournament announced in Owensboro, they see the result. They don't always see the strategy behind it. As President & CEO of Visit Owensboro, I've believed from day one that Owensboro could become one of America's premier sports destinations. That belief became our strategy. We didn't set out to land one big event. We set out to build a destination that event organizers trust and want to return to year after year. At Visit Owensboro, my team and I understand that every successful tournament becomes our best sales pitch for the next championship. That's why we focus on execution, relationships and delivering an experience that exceeds expectations. No destination is built alone. The City of Owensboro, Daviess County, Owensboro Parks & Recreation, the OVG360 team at the Owensboro Convention Center, our hotel partners, local sports organizations and cou...

 Owensboro, Kentucky, is growing as a tourism, sports, convention, and entertainment destination. In 2025, visitors spent a record $262.9 million in Owensboro and Daviess County . Tourism supported 2,034 jobs and generated $20 million in state and local tax revenue . Those results came from a clear strategy. Visit Owensboro has focused on increasing conventions, building sports tourism, supporting major events, and giving people more reasons to visit. Owensboro now hosts more conventions, national tournaments, festivals, concerts, and special events. Hotel performance has reached record levels, and new developments are creating even more opportunities. The Bluegrass Fieldhouse will expand indoor sports tourism. The Ben Hawes pickleball complex will bring new tournaments. Owensboro Racing & Gaming, Maui’s Indoor Theme Park, the riverfront, local attractions, and major community events continue to strengthen the visitor experience. Tourism is economic development. Visitors stay ...

Some of the best business lessons come from the strangest places. One of the best I've ever heard is this: Eat your own dog food. It sounds ridiculous until you understand what it means. Don't expect others to do something you're not willing to do yourself. If you expect your team to be prepared, be the most prepared person in the room. If you expect your team to work hard, they ought to see you working even harder. If you expect everyone to be on time, don't let them beat you to the office. If you expect people to own their mistakes, own yours first. People pay far more attention to what you do than what you say. That's how respect is earned. That's how winning cultures are built. Performance starts with the example you set every day. That's what "eat your own dog food" means. I'm curious. What's one standard you refuse to compromise? Watch Mark Calitri explain how preparation, effort and setting the right example can improve team performa...

 Sports tourism is changing, and Owensboro is changing with it. For years, communities competed for baseball, softball, basketball and soccer tournaments. Those sports will always matter. But today's fastest-growing opportunities look different, and Owensboro is ready. We're investing in traditional sports while welcoming what's next—pickleball, cornhole, wrestling, cheer and dance, esports, fishing tournaments and other emerging competitions. If people compete, we want Owensboro on the list. Why? Because every tournament brings visitors. They fill hotel rooms, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and discover everything else our community has to offer. That's why sports tourism is economic development. And the momentum keeps growing. New state and national events continue choosing Owensboro. The Bluegrass Fieldhouse and Ben Hawes Pickleball Complex will help us compete for even more regional and national championships. Others are noticing. The Owensboro Times re...

 Every community has a choice. You can spend your time talking about what's wrong, or you can roll up your sleeves and help build something better. When I look at Owensboro and Daviess County today, I see a community that's moving forward. New attractions. National events. Record tourism. New investment. More opportunities for families and businesses than ever before. None of that happened by accident. It happened because people cared enough to get involved. Business leaders, volunteers, elected officials, nonprofits, and countless others have worked together to make Owensboro stronger. They don't always agree on every decision, but they share something much more important—a belief that our community's future is worth investing in. That's why I believe our best days are still ahead. There will always be challenges, but I like our direction. I like our people. Most of all, I like what happens when a community comes together with a shared purpose. Thank you for believ...

 If you want to know whether a community is moving in the right direction, don't listen to opinions. Look at the results. This past year, Owensboro celebrated record hotel occupancy, welcomed more visitors than ever, and saw events like Burger Week, Barbecue & Barrels, and Illuminate continue to grow. Every one of those successes brought new people to our community and supported local hotels, restaurants, retailers, and small businesses. Tourism isn't just about attracting visitors. It's about creating jobs, generating new revenue, and improving the quality of life for the people who call Owensboro home. None of this happened by accident. It happened because community leaders, volunteers, local businesses, elected officials, and organizations across Owensboro worked together with one goal in mind—to make our community stronger. I'm proud of what we've accomplished, but records aren't the finish line. They're a reminder of what's possible when a commu...