Mark Calitri

  Welcome to the New MarkCalitri.com I'm excited to announce the launch of MarkCalitri.com , my new home for leadership insights, tourism, destination marketing, economic development, and community growth. This site brings together my latest blogs, videos, and ideas in one place. Whether I'm sharing lessons from leadership, highlighting the power of tourism, or discussing the future of Owensboro and communities across the country, you'll find it here. My goal is simple: share practical ideas that help leaders think differently, solve problems, and build stronger organizations and communities. If you've followed my work on Blogger, thank you. Going forward, you'll find all new content at MarkCalitri.com . Thanks for visiting, and I hope you'll check back often as new articles and videos are added. Mark Calitri President & CEO, Visit Owensboro Leadership • Tourism • Destination Marketing • Economic Development

Owensboro is changing. New attractions. National sporting events. More visitors. More investment. More momentum. That's why I recently wrote a Letter to the Editor for the Messenger-Inquirer . I believe Owensboro's best days are still ahead—not because of one project, but because of everything happening across our community. We're attracting World Championships and national sporting events that fill our hotels, restaurants, and local businesses. The Bluegrass Fieldhouse and the Ben Hawes Pickleball Complex will create even more opportunities to welcome visitors from across Kentucky and the nation. Every event brings new economic impact and introduces more people to everything Owensboro has to offer. Tourism is much more than vacations. It's economic development. For many visitors, their first trip to Owensboro becomes the beginning of something bigger—a return visit, a new business investment, or even a place to call home. None of this happens by accident. It happe...

 When a national organization wants to bring more events back, that's a sign you're doing something right. The American Cornhole Organization announced it hopes to make Owensboro an every-other-year home for its World Championships while adding another major event in January. That's more visitors, more hotel rooms filled, and more dollars spent in our local businesses. "The Bluegrass Fieldhouse will be a game changer for our community," said Visit Owensboro President Mark Calitri. "While construction delays impacted some bookings this year, demand remains strong, and the facility is already about 65% booked for 2027." With the Ben Hawes Pickleball Complex opening this fall and more tournaments on the way, Owensboro continues to strengthen its position as one of Kentucky's leading sports tourism destinations. Read the full Messenger-Inquirer story: https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/cornhole-tournament-wants-more-events-in-city/article_ea25...

  Mark Calitri: Workforce Development Starts with Opportunity Everyone wants employees with experience. The challenge is someone has to give them that first opportunity. That's why programs like GRADD matter. At Visit Owensboro, our interns don't sit in the corner and watch. They go to work on day one. They attend meetings, solve problems and help deliver projects that make a difference in our community. This year, Nicole helped support a record-breaking Owensboro Burger Week that included 57 restaurants and more than 78,000 burgers sold. Lucas has played an important role in helping prepare Kentucky's newest indoor sports facility, the Bluegrass Fieldhouse, while also helping launch the Bluegrass Clash, an event that brought thousands of athletes, families and visitors to Owensboro. That's real experience. You can't learn that sitting in a classroom. Programs like GRADD help open the door. Young professionals gain practical experience, employers develop future tale...

  Owensboro Tourism Update 2026: Mark Calitri on Why Owensboro's Best Days Are Still Ahead If you asked me where Owensboro is headed, my answer is simple. Our best days are still ahead. I recently had the opportunity to share that message during a Rooster Booster presentation. As President & CEO of Visit Owensboro , I've watched our community continue to raise the bar. The momentum we're seeing today didn't happen overnight. It's the result of people who believe in Owensboro, invest in Owensboro, and refuse to settle for average. This article was originally published as a Letter to the Editor in the Messenger-Inquirer. Read the published version here. : https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/owensboros-best-days-are-still-ahead/article_96b954f0-87ae-5b2d-830b-da4f3d2f2389.html One of the clearest signs of that momentum is Owensboro tourism . Visitors are filling our hotels at record levels. They're eating in our restaurants, sho...

 Owensboro is built for big weekends, and this one shows why. The Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit and Downtown Summer Jam are bringing thousands of athletes, families, and fans into Owensboro, filling hotel rooms, restaurants, and the riverfront with nonstop activity. As President & CEO of Visit Owensboro, I see this weekend as a clear example of how our sports tourism strategy is working. The Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit stacks multiple tournaments and events across the city, while Downtown Summer Jam delivers a free riverfront concert, food trucks, and family‑friendly games on the Ohio River. That combination of competition and entertainment is exactly how we turn first‑time visitors into repeat guests. Downtown Summer Jam, now in its fifth year, returns with a national touring act on the riverfront and a full slate of vendors and activities. For athletes and families in town for the Bluegrass Clash Sports Summit, it means they can walk from the hotel to the riverfront, grab d...

  Faith-Based Travel Leaders Choose Owensboro for National Conference When people think about tourism, they often picture families on vacation or sports tournaments. But there's another market quietly making a tremendous impact across America: faith-based travel . This August, Owensboro will welcome Going On Faith , one of the nation's leading organizations serving faith-based travel planners and program directors. The national conference will bring travel professionals from across the country to experience everything our community has to offer. This is a significant opportunity for Owensboro. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, religious groups travel more frequently than the general population and often travel together on organized group tours. Those planners influence where thousands of travelers will visit in the years ahead. During their stay, attendees will experience Owensboro's riverfront, local restaurants, museums, Bluegrass Music Hall o...