Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking with Cleo Battle, the President and CEO of Louisville Tourism and the new Chair of the International Board of MPI!
Cleo is an amazing person! He joins us today to share his inspiring journey and dive into what matters most for tourism and why every seat counts.
We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Cleo Battle!
Cleo Battle Biography:
Cleo Battle, a hospitality industry veteran of nearly 35 years, currently serves as President & CEO of Louisville Tourism. Before coming to Louisville, he spent 12 years as Vice President of Sales & Services of the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau in Richmond, VA. He held the positions of Director of Sales and Sales Manager at the Richmond CVB.
Battle began his hospitality career in the hotel industry by working for Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, and Sheraton Hotels. Battle is a native of Denver and a graduate of Metropolitan State University in Denver with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management. He earned his Master’s of Business Administration in 1997 from Averett University in Virginia. He is both a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) and Certified Association Sales Executive (CASE).
Battle’s most recent industry recognition includes the Events Industry Council 2020 Social Impact award winner, Business First Louisville’s
inaugural Power 50 as well as The Courier-Journal’s 12 People to Watch in 2021.
Battle currently serves on the Meeting Planners International Board of Directors, the Kentucky Derby Museum Board of Directors, the Louisville Sports Commission Executive Board, the LRAA Board, the Kentucky State Fair Board, the Louisville Zoo Foundation Board, the Funds for the Arts Board, and the Board of the Northeast YMCA of Louisville. He is the Past Chair of Destination & Travel Foundation, Destination International Sales & Services Committee, and the Virginia State University Hospitality Department Advisory Board.
Cleo’s journey
Cleo was a college track-and-field athlete. In his third year, he tore a leg muscle. He was still undecided about what he would major in at the time. So he spoke to a school counselor, and she suggested hotel restaurant management. He signed up for the course, started taking classes, and began working as an intern in a hotel. Hotel work came naturally to him, and he worked in many different positions. Then he got hired into the management training program for Promise Hotels, and his career took off!
How athletics set Cleo up for success
Learning how to run hurdles gave Cleo adaptability and flexibility. He also learned many other skills from athletics that he needed to grow and become successful in his career.
A strong team
Cleo truly understands the importance of having a strong team! He learned that you cannot do everything by yourself in business and that you are only as good as the people around you. His old boss from Richmond, Virginia, taught him that the key to any successful endeavor lies in hiring well. He used to tell Cleo to hire well, provide good resources, and then get the hell out of the way!
Trust
Trust is an essential ingredient for teamwork. People do much better when they work in a professional space where constructive criticism is valued, they can be honest about their thoughts, and they know that their opinions will be respected, regardless of what the leaders ultimately decide.
Every seat matters
At staff meetings, Cleo always tells his organization’s members that every seat matters. He wants them to understand that regardless of whether they are the Director of Sales, a marketing manager, or an administrative assistant, their seat in the organization still matters!
Enabling people
Whenever there is new subject matter, Cleo enables his team by inviting them to share their thoughts and opinions and offer ideas.
Cleo’s current position
Even though his current position as President and CEO of Louisville Tourism involves a lot of legislative work and more talk about politics than about customers, Cleo still feels it is vital to stay true to the core mission of Louisville Tourism and to bring visitors to the community.
MPI
Since the first of January, Cleo has been the Chair of MPI and serves on the International Board of Directors. He insists that his team has a growth mindset rather than a recovery mindset.
The cost of doing business has changed.
Since the pandemic, the cost of doing business has changed. So a lot of work has to be done on the industry brand to help those outside it see its value, what is being done, why it is important, and how the industry impacts people’s lives.
Getting more people to join the industry
Cleo points out that hotels, convention centers, museums and attractions, restaurants, and airports cannot work from home. So the industry will need to figure out the right balance between automated and personal services, going forward. He believes the industry must invest in its brand to make more people aware of why it is such an exciting industry to join.
Appreciation and acknowledgment
Cleo believes that openly acknowledging his staff members and appreciating their work is the best way to encourage them to provide customers with the best service!
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Books mentioned:
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
