From the brand platform to opening night.
I help turn business strategy into the stories, headlines and moments that move customers, media and the C-suite. Along the way: Hilton, Bellagio, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and 18 years leading North American communications for a global family of travel brands.
Yes, that's a chandelier. I like a little drama, and always have a plan for it.
COVERAGE I'VE LANDED
From the front page to daytime TV.
The New York Times · The Washington Post · People · USA Today · Vanity Fair
Los Angeles Times · Chicago Tribune · Good Housekeeping · Travel + Leisure
Condé Nast Traveler · Architectural Digest · National Geographic · Newsweek · Yahoo Finance
“Ellen”
Recurring vacation giveaways for people making a difference
WHAT I DO
One communicator. Three ways in.
The strategy, the story and the moment usually live in three different departments. I've been lucky to lead all three, and my favorite work happens where they meet.
01 · BRAND & COMMUNICATIONS
The words brands run on.
Brand positioning and messaging playbooks, executive and internal communications, crisis and reputation leadership. A trusted partner to the C-suite.
02 · PR & MEDIA
Headlines, earned.
Top-tier consumer, lifestyle and trade media. Creators, influencers and celebrity talent. Press trips that turn into coverage, measured at a minimum 18:1 return.
03 · EVENTS & EXPERIENCES
Moments people want to be part of.
Venue openings. Ship christenings with celebrity godmothers. Launches, VIP hosting and the teams who bring it all to life.
SELECTED WORK
The challenge. The move. The line people remember.
CATEGORY REINVENTION · GLOBUS
Travel that sets you free.
The challenge: make a nearly 100-year-old brand feel fresh to travelers who plan everything on their phones. The move: a platform built on freedom and ease that became the playbook for every campaign and channel.
“All the wow, none of the what-now.”
PREMIUM DIFFERENTIATION · AVALON WATERWAYS
Cruising Elevated.
The challenge: stand out in a premium market where every promise sounds the same. The move: turn smaller ships, view-first suites and built-in choice into brand truths no one else could claim.
“Less ship. More of what you came for.”
BRAND PURPOSE · HILTON WORLDWIDE
Explore the Highway with Hampton.
The challenge: give a hotel brand a purpose travelers could feel. The move: a national program to find, preserve and promote America’s lesser-known roadside landmarks.
A Preserve America Presidential Award, a first for a lodging brand.
WHAT PARTNERS SAY
“I work with a lot of PR professionals, and without hesitation I would put Melanie at the top of any list.”
Ken Shapiro · Editor-in-Chief & Editorial Director, TravelAge West and TravelPulse
“The stabilizer of a ship built to navigate any kind of sea — rough, calm or unpredictable.”
Nicole Edenado · Former Tour & Cruise Editor, Travel Weekly
“A seasoned, visionary communications executive who delivers meaningful results and builds lasting relationships.”
Helene Sula · Founder, Helene in Between
ABOUT MELANIE
You can't sell anything if you can't tell anything.
I've hosted a gaggle of journalists on a brand-new ship on the Mekong, walked bloggers down the storied streets of Rome and escorted celebrities up red carpets. I've also spent plenty of days in impromptu brainstorms with the C-suite, or behind a closed door writing the day away.
I love that range. For 18 years I led North American communications for the Globus family of brands (Globus, Cosmos and Avalon Waterways), from the brand foundation to crisis response through COVID-19. Before that, I was a VP at Cohn & Wolfe for Hilton Worldwide, publicity manager for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl in the run-up to Walt Disney Concert Hall, and part of Hill & Knowlton's Bellagio launch team. Along the way I've partnered with mission-driven organizations including the GRAMMY Foundation, Center Theatre Group, Make-A-Wish and the National Park Foundation.
B.A., Public Relations & Communications · University of Northern Iowa
LET'S TALK
Let's make something worth talking about.
Open to full-time leadership roles, fractional engagements and consulting projects. Based in Nashville, happy to work remote and always ready to pack a bag.
Nashville, Tennessee · Remote-friendly
847.420.8808
