Doug Baarman
Senior Vice President / Team Director
Doug Baarman joined ConferenceDirect in July of 2007 as a Senior Vice President / Team Director to utilize his 25+ years of sales, marketing and meeting planning experience within the hospitality industry. He has worked on both sides of the industry giving him an insider’s perspective with experience from some of the largest hotel companies – Marriott International and Gaylord Hotels and from the buyer’s side – National Trade Productions.
During his career with Marriott International, Doug led a Field Sales team focused on new business development with an independent structure and an alternative compensation model. This was an industry first within a chain’s national sales system. Prior to Field Sales, he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Marriott ExecuStay which was an acquisition that needed to be integrated with their other brands. At Gaylord Hotels, Doug helped establish the pre-opening team for the largest hotel ever built in the Washington, DC area. At National Trade Productions, he did exhibit sales for shows targeting the government and government contractor markets.
As an independent meeting planner with ConferenceDirect, Doug has built a team of over 35 active individuals that have placed over $850 million of revenue for our customers in hotels around the world. Doug is a graduate of Ferris State University in Michigan where he received a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.
During his career with Marriott International, Doug led a Field Sales team focused on new business development with an independent structure and an alternative compensation model. This was an industry first within a chain’s national sales system. Prior to Field Sales, he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Marriott ExecuStay which was an acquisition that needed to be integrated with their other brands. At Gaylord Hotels, Doug helped establish the pre-opening team for the largest hotel ever built in the Washington, DC area. At National Trade Productions, he did exhibit sales for shows targeting the government and government contractor markets.
As an independent meeting planner with ConferenceDirect, Doug has built a team of over 35 active individuals that have placed over $850 million of revenue for our customers in hotels around the world. Doug is a graduate of Ferris State University in Michigan where he received a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.
