Convention Sales & Services

Mariles Krok, CMP, CMM, CTA is a 25+ year veteran of the Hospitality/Meetings & Convention Industries. She started her career in hospitality with Marriott International, where she held several operations and sales positions in the greater Los Angeles area. After 14 years with Marriott International, Mariles transitioned into the Convention & Visitors Bureau/Destination Marketing Organization realm as a Regional Director and was eventually promoted to National Director for Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.

Mariles joins the Visit Sacramento team following her tenure as the Vice President, Meeting & Partnership Sales for Visit Anaheim. In this dual role, she oversaw a team of destination experts charged with providing meeting professionals with the perfect options for meeting spaces, event venues, hotels, and more for any size event in Anaheim and Orange County, as well as oversees all hotel and DMO partnerships, advertising, and sponsorship opportunities.

Krok is a past president of Meeting Professionals International Southern California Chapter (MPISCC), and has served on Meeting Professionals International’s Board Development Committee and Chapter Member Advisory Council (CMAC).

In her free time, Krok has enjoyed volunteering as a Travel and Tourism expert speaker/guest facilitator for California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), as well as served as a mentor for San Diego State University’s L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.

Krok is a California native and loves to travel, cook, read, hike, take her XL American Bullies Cash & Gaia on walks, and especially loves spending time with her children, John & Kayley.

As Director of National Accounts, Susan Babich handles all accounts from the eastern seaboard or time zone. She's a 28-year Visit Sacramento veteran, and was most recently Director of Convention Sales. Babich previously served as an Account Executive at the Baltimore Convention Center and holds a degree in the criminal justice field. She's a member of ASAE, PCMA, ad MPI.

Sacramento is Betsy’s hometown. Her hospitality career started in San Francisco where she worked for many years in operations for several hotel brands. Her time spent in San Francisco was educational with experiences such as the Loma Preta Earthquake and the technology revolution. These experiences, her time spent in sales positions for Sacramento hotels, and her longevity at Visit Sacramento have shaped her all in approach to sales and her commitment to her customers and partners.  

Betsy handles accounts in the Pacific, Mountain, Hawaiian and Alaskan Time Zones, with the exception of CA State Associations (Jeff Dougherty), Religious (Narimel Tarver), and Sports (Jill Culbertson) for Visit Sacramento. She is a member of the Northern CA Chapter of Meeting Planners International (MPI), the Northern CA Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and CReW, CVB Representatives of the West

Betsy enjoys sharing with visitors and meeting planners the unique experiences Sacramento has to offer as a mid-size destination with large city amenities and small-town charm. She is here to help connect travelers to rich experiences, from the Midtown Farmers Market to 2^nd Saturday, to all the incredible Farm to Fork food and beverage offerings, the state-of-the-art SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, and Sacramento hotels.

When discovering Sacramento, visitors will find an experience around every corner.

“Association meetings guru Jeff Dougherty, aka “Mr. Sacramento,” is known for his offbeat sense of humor. Whatever the theme of the occasion, he dresses the part—as a superhero, a horse jockey, a leprechaun or even a fork. On the serious side, in his role as director of California State Association Sales for Visit Sacramento, Dougherty is charged with soliciting association meetings and knowing what works for each group.” (California Meetings + Events)

Jeff joined Visit Sacramento in 2011 with five years of Sacramento hotel sales experience; most recently with the Holiday Inn Downtown Arena. Jeff served three terms as a Board Member for the SGMP Sacramento Chapter. He was awarded the SGMP Sacramento Chapter Supplier of the Year in 2008 and Co-Presidents Award in 2009. Jeff currently sits on the Board of Directors for the local chapter of Meeting Professionals International and is a Capital Region Council member for the California Society of Association Executives.

Jeff moved to Sacramento for college where he graduated from Sacramento State with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration. He lives in Folsom with his wife Natalie, two children, and dogs Dakota and Gunner. In his free time, you will find Jeff out exploring Sacramento's endless recreational opportunities (paddle boarding, rafting and mountain biking) and entertainment options, from 2nd Saturday to cool new restaurants and nightlife.

Beth supports Visit Sacramento’s Convention Sales team by promoting Sacramento as a meeting destination to meeting professionals in all markets throughout the US, through tradeshow and prospecting support.

With a B.S. in Business/Hospitality management from Sac State and more than 25 years’ experience managing sales teams and development for the Downtown region’s largest hotels, Beth brings homegrown expertise in Sacramento’s best travel experiences for group visitors.

Beth’s favorite Sacramento recommendation is a walking tour of the local Wide Open Wall murals – a movement to shine a light on local artists and bring beautiful spaces to Sacramento’s alleyways and Downtown/Midtown buildings.  While enjoying a walking mural tour, be sure to stop off at any of the local restaurants or bars to enjoy the amazing food scene!

Jenn comes to Visit Sacramento with several years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Jenn first began her hospitality career at the Wynn & Encore Properties in Las Vegas where she worked in the Convention Services/Sales Department. She worked there for 4 years before making the move to Sacramento to be closer to family.  She started her position as a Sales Manager at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, and it was there where had her first opportunity to work closely with the Visit Sacramento Convention Sales team.  Needless to say, when Jenn accepted this position as the Convention Engagement & Services Manager, she was more than more thrilled to be a part of the Visit Sacramento team!   

Jenn has lived in Sacramento for nearly 13 years.  She loves spending quality time with her husband, her almost 3-year-old daughter Sloane and puppy Duke.  She also enjoys spending her weekends visiting family close by and shopping and dining at many of the amazing shops and restaurants around Sacramento!   

As Sales Coordinator, Erika provides administrative support to the Director and Staff of the Convention Sales Department with sales leads and all aspects of customer relationship management (CRM) including data entry, analytics, and reporting.

Prior to Visit Sacramento, Erika worked for the Target Corporation for 17 years, including roles which oversaw business management operations enabling grossing opportunities of $1 million annually, and execution of logistic operations to ensure achievement of cost, productivity, and accuracy. She holds an Associate’s degree of Applied Science in Business Applications.

Erika’s proudest aspect of the Sales Coordinator role at Visit Sacramento is sharing in the fostering of community relationships. Her favorite Sacramento experience recommendation is checking out the annual free Farm-to-Fork Festival, where festivalgoers get a taste of great food from local businesses, live music, and family activities.

Amari supports the Visit Sacramento senior Convention Sales team through preparation and processing of sales leads, reporting, and event coordination.

A lifelong Sacramentan, Amari completed a B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration with a Hospitality and Tourism Certificate at Sac State. Her career in hospitality has taken Amari to employers as unique as the Walt Disney Company, though she was always drawn back to her hometown with time spent at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, the California State Capitol, the Golden 1 Center, and on the opening team for the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC).

Amari’s favorite recommendation for visitors is to take some time exploring the walkable historic Old Sacramento Waterfront, a gold-rush era district complete with engaging museums, eclectic shops, and dining for all palates.