Carissa SmithSmith is no stranger to Omni Hotels & Resorts or Austin. She has spent her illustrious 19-year career at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown where she most recently served as director of sales and marketing. Smith started at the property in 1995 as an intern. After accepting the full-time position of conference planning assistant that same year, she was named the catering sales manager the following year. Smith held several other positions before she became the director of sales in 2004, and served in that role for five years until her promotion to director of sales and marketing in 2009. A 1995 graduate of Texas State University, Smith has been recognized for numerous achievements including the 2011 Omni Hotels & Resorts Director of Sales & Marketing of the Year and 2007 Omni Hotels Director of Sales of the Year. She is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and is on the board of the 2017 PCMA Planning Committee. She is also active with the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA).