Industry Powerhouse Colleen Phalen Named New Vice President of Meetings Industry Strategy & Innovation, Joining Brand Advocacy Practice Leader Melissa Cherry
SARASOTA, Fla. (April 3, 2025)—The meetings and events sector plays a pivotal role in today’s complex travel landscape. Miles Partnership’s new Brand Advocacy Practice prioritizes meetings and events as a key driver of destination growth, while strengthening industry engagement and authentic connections with community leaders, local innovators and other key stakeholders. Under the leadership of Senior Vice President Melissa Cherry, the Practice will connect destination brands to the meetings and events sector to engage, inspire and create lasting brand champions while driving destination success. Central to this approach is recognizing how the alignment of business and leisure travel drives sustainable growth.
“Meaningful stakeholder engagement is what transforms destinations,” said Melissa Cherry, Senior Vice President at Miles Partnership. “The evolution to our new Brand Advocacy Practice focused on meetings and events reflects where the industry is heading—towards deeper, more authentic relationships that drive sustainable growth. By placing meetings and events at the center of this strategy, we’re helping destinations create lasting brand impact across all sectors. Bringing Colleen Phalen’s extensive industry expertise to our team strengthens our ability to deliver on this expanded vision.”
“The meetings industry thrives on authentic partnerships,” said Colleen Phalen, Vice President of Meetings Industry Strategy & Innovation at Miles Partnership. “When you bring a destination’s unique story to life through events, you create experiences that resonate far beyond the ballroom. Our approach focuses on bridging the gap between destination resources and planner requirements—helping destinations showcase their distinctive value while ensuring meeting professionals have the strategic support they need to create lasting impact and deliver successful events.”
Bringing more than 25 years of experience driving innovation in meetings and events strategy, Phalen joins Miles from her role as Vice President of Communications and Meetings at Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). She previously served as Chief Creative Officer at the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and Executive Vice President of Program Development & Meetings at Destinations International. Throughout her career, she has led strategic marketing initiatives and reimagined event experiences, including work with the Consumer Electronics Show and International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“Launching our Brand Advocacy Practice represents Miles Partnership’s commitment to elevating how destinations build meaningful connections,” said David Burgess, President & CEO of Miles Partnership. “As the travel industry evolves, destinations must find fresh ways to engage and inspire their most influential voices. Melissa and Colleen’s deep expertise in the meetings sector strengthens our vision of being the global leader in strategic solutions that inspire and improve travel.”
Leading this evolution, the Brand Advocacy Practice provides strategic services that help destinations unlock new avenues for growth and impact for this key audience. Drawing on decades of industry expertise at Miles, the practice delivers innovative approaches to guide the development of brand and marketing strategies that align organizational goals with community values, foster meaningful audience connections, and drive measurable results. From precision-crafted B2B campaigns to modernized engagement models and dynamic media activations, the approach empowers brands to build trust, inspire advocacy and lead with creativity in an evolving travel marketplace.
About Miles Partnership
Miles Partnership is a strategic marketing consultancy focused exclusively on travel and tourism. The company works with more than 150 destinations, hospitality businesses and other travel industry clients worldwide to develop marketing and management strategies that amplify local experiences, boost visitation, improve community relations and increase overall economic impact.
