Industry Day 2025

Sarah Townes is the Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, where she oversees all aspects of marketing, digital, public relations, partnerships and information technology. Townes provides strategic direction for the organization in collaboration with sales, destination experience and membership, while acting as a community steward in furthering the role and perception of Greater Columbus. Since joining Experience Columbus in 2019, Townes has led transformative marketing efforts, including the 2023 perception study with SMARInsights, the first of its kind since 2017, which is shaping Columbus’ brand evolution in partnership with agency of record Luquire. A key milestone of this effort was the launch of the Yes, Columbus campaign in May 2024, which generated over 200 million impressions and significantly boosted the city's national profile.  
 
Townes has also driven a 91.5% partnership retention rate and spearheaded social media initiatives that resulted in a 106% year-over-year increase in followers. Her leadership continues to strengthen Columbus’ presence on a national scale, positioning it as a top destination. Under her watch, Columbus earned recognition as a top 10 best big city in the U.S. and one of the best food cities in the country by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, as well as one of AFAR’s top places to go in 2025. 

As Vice President, Americas at Tourism Economics—a leading authority in travel research and analysis—Zeek Coleman applies more than a decade of expertise in data-driven strategy to help destination marketing organizations, associations, and corporations thrive in a competitive tourism landscape. Prior to joining Tourism Economics, he guided product adoption and retention as the Head of Marketing for Tourism & Hospitality at ADARA, and led Visit Savannah’s data intelligence efforts, where he transformed raw numbers into actionable insights that informed economic impact, forecasting, and budget optimization.

Recognized as a trusted thought leader, Zeek frequently takes the stage at industry conferences to share his innovative approaches to leveraging travel analytics. He has a unique talent for bridging the gap between complex data and meaningful narratives that inspire more informed business decisions. Away from the data, you might find him on the basketball court—he once suited up against NBA legends Alonzo Mourning, Robert Horry, and Antoine Walker on the reality show “Pros vs. Joes.”

Brian brings a decade of experience in supporting clients and managing customer service teams in both the tourism and research environments. After being promoted at Brand USA, Brian was recruited into research leadership positions with two market research firms. With industry experience in the arts, travel & tourism, technology and community development, Brian brings a well-rounded approach to tailoring solutions for clients.

Brian received a BA in Art History from Lourdes University, holds an Executive MBA from the University of Toledo, and is currently the president of the board for a local nonprofit in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio.