Mar 17, 2023
Danny Liedka, President and CEO of the Visit Syracuse, will speak on Micron Choosing Syracuse 2023 NYS Tourism Conference, as part of our transformational bloc on Wednesday afternoon. Danny will discuss what took place behind-the-scenes to help attract Micron to Syracuse and how Visit Syracuse played a role in landing them.
Key Takeaways:
- Through a frank conversation, discover how Visit Syracuse navigated the political waters to build interest in this project.
- Learn about the DMO's role in securing Syracuse as the location for building the largest chip factory in the United States!
About Danny:
President and CEO, Danny Liedka, is in his sixth year at the helm of Visit Syracuse, Onondaga County’s official tourism promotion agency. Visit Syracuse plays a critical role in the county’s economic development strategy through its focus to grow the area's business of leisure tourism, meetings & conventions, sporting & special events and film/television production. Through his work, Mr. Liedka has strengthened the organizations’ ties with elected officials and community leaders to ensure resource development, overall strategic direction and quality programming to the region. While under his leadership the organization has successfully restructured to handle the effects of COVID-19 on the hospitality and tourism industry, moved into a new downtown office space and brought in and expanded the Visit Syracuse Film Office. Liedka also has seen convention sales increase nearly 85% during his tenure.
The Visit Syracuse organization has seen several major conventions return to the area during Mr. Liedka’s tenure and has undergone several marketing initiatives to better promote the region and partners including a completely redesigned website, an increase in video production promotion and a newly designed Visitors Guide. Mr. Liedka has several years of experience in a variety of tourism and hospitality roles, including Senior Sales Executive at Marriott International and Sales Manager at the Double Tree Hotel Syracuse. He holds several awards recognizing him for sports, sales and marketing efforts.
Before joining Visit Syracuse Mr. Liedka was a former Onondaga County Legislator – District 7 (2012 – 2017) having served as Chairman of the Health Committee, Budget Task Force and Vehicle Use Review Board. In addition, he was the former mayor of the Village of East Syracuse (2007 - 2013). Liedka has written award winning legislation that addressed quality of life in his Village. Liedka is on the East Syracuse-Minoa School District Wall of Distinction for his contribution and achievements in the community. The Visit Syracuse president was also an on-air television commentator at Time Warner Cable Sports Channel, Big East Network, YES Network, and ESPN U, as well as a game radio host for Syracuse University Basketball on Clear Channel Radio. Liedka is a recipient of the ACE Award which is the cable television equivalent of an Emmy for excellence in sports broadcasting. He and his wife, Kim, and three children, Luke, Jack and Hannah reside in East Syracuse.
Danny Liedka
President/CEO
Visit Syracuse
315-405-0742
About Visit Syracuse
Visit Syracuse plays a critical role in Onondaga County's economic development strategy through its focus to grow the area's business of leisure tourism, meetings & conventions, sporting & special events and film/television production. We are designated as Onondaga County’s official Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA) via our direct collaboration with Empire State Development and the “I Love NY” program.
Meeting and event planners, along with their attendees, appreciate the accessibility of our destination at the crossroads of two major interstates, within a short four-hour drive of 10 major North American markets (home to about 80 million people.) Easy access via AMTRAK, as well as continued expansion of incoming flights to Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport, further solidifies our ability to serve as a host destination for a variety of meetings and events. Planners work closely with the Visit Syracuse sales and services team to review our selection of facilities and venues alongside an array of accommodations to fit any style and budget, setting the stage for the Central New York Region to host a variety of state, regional and national meetings and events.
The Visit Syracuse Film Office works to promote, develop, and increase film & television production in the Central New York region. Utilizing state and local tax and rebate incentives, initiating local crew training programs, assisting with permits, and connecting filmmakers with area businesses are just a few examples of ensuring success. Having worked on dozens of films, with many more in development, the film office is constantly striving to make the Syracuse area a staple in the entertainment and film industry.
An abundance of fabulous restaurants, first-class arts and cultural experiences and top-notch attractions await all visitors to the region, and the dedicated team of professionals at Visit Syracuse continuously promote all four seasons through marketing campaigns, brand development, media relations, and more. We have the data and the resources to identify, capture, target and retarget a wide scope of potential visitors as we invite them to come enjoy and explore Syracuse, Onondaga County and Central New York, a great place to live, work, play and visit.
Visit Syracuse leads the generation of nearly $900 million in direct visitor spending annually to the local economy, and as Central New York’s largest Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), works to deliver short-term and future income for businesses, employment for residents and tax revenue for local government.