Q & A

 

David Kahn
Executive Vice President

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Yes, We Kahn!

On August 1, industry veteran David Kahn returned to TBA Global after two years of entrepreneurial adventure. As Executive VP of Destination Management, Kahn is responsible for creating the big-picture vision for TBA Global’s 15 offices throughout North America, and for facilitating the sharing of knowledge so that clients benefit from the totality of the firm’s expertise.

Why did Kahn come back? “I love the energy in this industry,” he says. “Much of my background was in hotels, managing multiple properties, and I thrive in that kind of role. Each of our destination offices has its own priorities and challenges and solutions, and for me to be able to go from one office to another, armed with what I’ve learned from past projects in order to help our employees and clients—well, it’s just really exciting.”

And with the slowing economy having an effect on program budgets, Kahn feels it’s exactly the right time to be a part of TBA Global. “For years, we’ve approached the industry with the benefit that we are a one-stop shop,” he says. “Some prospects and clients bought into that concept, while others didn’t. But in this climate, many companies are being pushed by their purchasing departments to streamline how they work with vendors; there’s now a strong focus on single sourcing. So our offer has really come into fashion in the industry, and we have a tremendous solution to satisfy clients’ emerging needs compared to other DMCs.”

Interestingly, Kahn finds that his two years away from TBA Global gave him a new appreciation of the professionalism of the destination management team. “What really hit me is how our national sales team handles even the largest accounts in a way that makes clients’ lives much easier,” he says. “Our clients have to hire outside vendors to ease their strain—and often do so with trepidation. But our staff really gets into their client’s company to understand the nuances, people, processes and preferences, so they can move work as effectively and efficiently as would an employee of the client’s firm. That’s how well our people know their clients and this business.”

“Our structure lets repeat clients go into a destination and simply hit the ground running since we already know who they are, what they stand for, what their culture is, and what their objectives are.”

Here’s why: “Anyone who interacts with the client—client services, operations managers, general managers, whoever—records their knowledge into our system,” he adds. “So in the next city, our account executives already have a strong baseline of information even before the client gets involved, and that communication is maintained throughout the program setup. This saves site inspection time and planning time, and also promotes the use of best practices. It’s an advantage that very few firms can provide.”

Contact David Kahn