Visit Seattle Welcomes Chris Connelly as Senior Director of Sales

Dedicated hospitality sales professional of 11 years joins Visit Seattle team in March 2023

SEATTLE – Visit Seattle has hired Chris Connelly as Senior Director of Sales, effective March 13, 2023. In this role, Connelly will the day-to-day activities of the organization’s convention sales team. Additionally, Connelly will work collaboratively with sales leaders at the Seattle Convention Center, area hotels, venues, and attractions to accomplish shared goals while maintaining close connections to customers and the hospitality industry on a national level.

Reflecting on Connelly’s hiring, Kelly Saling, Visit Seattle’s SVP & Chief Sales Officer, says, “We’re fortunate to have the opportunity to fold Chris into our team. He has been in our Seattle market for the last 3 years and he will be an immediate asset for our team, our community, and our customers.”

Connelly arrives at Visit Seattle with a strong reputation as a dedicated hospitality sales professional of 11 years after a number of roles at Hyatt’s properties in Chicago, San Francisco, and San Diego. Most recently, he was the Area Director of Group & Transient Sales at Hyatt’s three downtown Seattle locations: the Hyatt Regency, the Grand Hyatt, and Hyatt Olive 8.

On joining the Visit Seattle team, Connelly says, “After 11 years as a hospitality sales professional, I’m excited to bring my experience and skills to Visit Seattle as a Senior Director of Sales. I’ve had the privilege of working extensively with the Visit Seattle team in my current role and can’t wait to join what is already an organization of intelligent and deeply passionate professionals. I’ve been captivated with the culture, beauty, and attitude of Seattle since moving here in 2020 and will work hard in my new role to ensure travelers and attendees have every opportunity to experience our beautiful city.”

An Illinois native and Purdue University graduate, Connelly enjoys traveling, baseball, and sampling the Pacific Northwest’s renowned beer scene.

A headshot of Connelly is available here.

About Visit Seattle:

Visit Seattle has served as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Seattle and King County for more than 50 years. A 501(c)(6) organization, Visit Seattle enhances the economic prosperity of the region through global destination branding along with competitive programs and campaigns in leisure travel marketing, convention sales and overseas tourism development. Visit visitseattle.org.