The Western Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus has recognized Brad Burlingame, president and CEO of Visit West Hollywood, with its Spirit of Leadership Award.
The award recognizes extraordinary contributions to the association by individuals. Burlingame is a past president of WACVB and a past president of the WACVB Education and Research Foundation.
Burlingame served six years on the WACVB board of directors, including serving as board present. He is also a past president of the board of trustees of the WACVB Education and Research Foundation, and currently serves as a foundation trustee.
Burlingame also is a former chair of the California Travel Association and is the current chair of the CalTravel PAC. He has also served on the Marketing Advisory Committee of Visit California. In addition, Burlingame was recently elected a director of the Destination Marketing Association International’s Destination & Travel Foundation.
Burlingame was appointed president and CEO of Visit West Hollywood in 1997. Spending by visitors in West Hollywood has grown to more than $750 million and is projected to grow in the next five years to $1.4 billion.
Burlingame has promoted the city in overseas markets such as the United Kingdom and Australia, helped promote the city’s annual Halloween celebration into a festival now attended by more the 500,000 guests, led the establishment of a film-marketing program for the city and spearheaded development of the Sunset Strip Music Festival.
Burlingame also is administrator of the West Hollywood Design District – a business improvement district of luxury fashion, design, art galleries and showrooms. Prior to joining Visit West Hollywood, he was vice president of marketing and sales for the Japanese Assistance Network (JAN), a Los Angeles and Tokyo-based marketing and service firm specializing in the Japan market for travelers and U.S. travel companies.
Burlingame serves on the boards of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the West Hollywood Design District BID and the Sunset Strip Business Association. He also is a former chair and continues to serve on the board of governors of LA Stage, an organization promoting and representing more than 300 theatrical-producing companies throughout greater Los Angeles.
