By Heather Collins
Carmel resident Laura Kelner is tasked with helping attract visitors and spurring continued growth in Hamilton County through her new role as director of sales for Hamilton County Tourism.
Kelner’s main objective is to fill up local hotel rooms throughout the year and attract visitors to all of the amenities the county has to offer.
Kelner said she plans to draw visitors by seeking quality sporting competitions, focusing on agricultural tourism and delving deeper into the arts community. Kelner said Hamilton County is poised to become a destination for art conferences, sporting events and agriculture groups. Kelner noted that the Grand Park in Westfield and the Palladium in Carmel are big draws for the county.
“It is such an exciting time to be here, as our community is becoming recognizable in the national marketplace,” Kelner said. “I look forward to spreading the word about Hamilton County, selling our many attributes to organizations that would benefit from meeting here and generally helping to improve economic impact through tourism.”
Kelner’s background includes a 14-year career with Visit Indy and a strong background in hotel sales. During her Visit Indy tenure, Kelner secured key accounts with the NCCA, helped grow the religious market segment and held the director of sales position.
“Having raised my family in Carmel, I have great passion for Hamilton County and respect for the leadership in all of our communities,” Kelner said. “Under their direction, we will see continued growth and development.”
For information, visit hamiltoncountytourism.com.
