With the growing demand for sporting events and sports destination management, Visit Lake Charles named Eric Zartler as the Senior Vice President of Sports and Taylor Beard Stanley as the Vice President of Sales.
“The dedicated focus that Eric will have for sports tourism and diversifying the types of sporting events that we can attract to Southwest Louisiana will greatly enhance the competitive edge for the area. Equally, Taylor will be able to fully concentrate on moving the sales team toward reaching goals for meetings, conventions and the global marketplace,” said Kyle Edmiston, President/CEO of Visit Lake Charles.
Zartler has been an integral leader in sports destination marketing and management over the past 15 years. Team awards under Zartler’s leadership include the 2021 Louisiana USSSA Hall of Honor and the 2020 Louisiana Travel Association Event of the Year for the USA Boxing National Championships & Olympic Trials. He was awarded the 2016 Distinguished Service Award by the Louisiana High School Coaches Association, the 2012 Louisiana High School Athletic Association Super Sport Award, and 2012 Thrive Magazine’s 13 Thriving Thirty Somethings. He is a Certified Destination Management Executive, Travel Marketing Professional, and he graduated from the Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy and Destinations International Sales Academy. Zartler was the founding chair and has served multiple terms as chair for Team Louisiana. He is on the US Sports Congress Advisory Board and the Sports Events Advisory Board.
Stanley has worked to promote Southwest Louisiana for the past 6 years. She earned her Tourism Marketing Certification in 2022 and was named as a U.S. Travel Emerging Leader in 2022. She graduated from Leadership SWLA in 2021, was named as a Destinations International 30 under 30, and recognized as Louisiana Travel Rising Star of the Year in 2020. Stanley also graduated in 2018 from the Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy. She is involved as a board member for the Louisiana Society of Association Executives, Fusion Five, and she is on the leadership councils for Destinations International 30 Under 30 and Leadership Southwest Louisiana Alumni.
The team at Visit Lake Charles is dedicated to enhancing the visitor economy through events, meetings, conventions, sports tournaments, media coverage, and showcasing Southwest Louisiana as a desirable destination for leisure visitation.
For more information on Visit Lake Charles and things to see and do in Louisiana’s Playground, log on to www.visitlakecharles.org.
