Industry sectors

PRA Expands Into Rapidly-Growing Louisville Market

This move expands PRA’s reach into this growing marketplace and reinforces the continuous and dramatic growth PRA has experienced over the last three years, most recently with the acquisition of Koncept Events, now operating as PRA South Florida. Since 2016 PRA has increased its number of offices from 20 to 28 with more than 350 full-time employees and thousands of contract employees and partners across the U.S. PRA has also widened its solution set with strategic, creative and production services with the acquisition of One Smooth Stone, a PRA event and communication agency in late 2018.

“PRA has been growing over the last few years especially through acquisitions as a significant lever, along with other organic growth initiatives,” says Lorenz. “As a new business, PRA Louisville is backed by PRA which provides significant capability out of the gate. Louisville, a city rich in culture, authenticity and favorable trajectory, is a market we readily embrace as part of our broader growth story underway.”

Louisville Market

Each year, more than 16.4 million visitors experience Louisville’s authenticity and genuine brand of Southern hospitality. Guests from around the globe attend meetings, conventions and special events, generating an estimated annual economic impact of $3.5 billion, which supports more than  27,000 local tourism-related jobs. The Kentucky International Convention Center recently underwent a $207M expansion and renovation resulting in more than 200,000 contiguous sq.ft. of meeting space. A state-of-the-art downtown arena matched with elegant and modern accommodations range from intimate to expansion options. The city recently debuted the new 612-room Omni hotel, of which PRA Louisville is a preferred partner.

Heading up the PRA Louisville team is Managing Director Kayla Hadley, DMCP, who brings more than a decade of experience that encompasses operations, sales, client services and account management for many leading global brands. In her role, she will leverage her years of previous experience in the Louisville hospitality community to oversee PRA Louisville.

Danielle Bramblett will serve as regional sales manager, working directly with clients on Louisville program development to ensure events exceed overall client objectives. Bramblett brings extensive Louisville hospitality industry experience gained from sales and development in some of Louisville’s leading destinations.

Supporting the Louisville office in a regional role is Jacqueline Marko, CMP, DMCP, regional general manager of PRA Nashville and Louisville offices. Marko, a 15-year veteran in the hospitality industry, brings her years of business event management experience to the Louisville market.

Marko says, “The Louisville market is quickly making a mark for companies and organizations seeking a distinct destination for meetings and events. Recently named ‘America’s Favorite Cities Overall,’ by Travel & Leisure, Louisville is home to iconic attractions visitors cannot experience anywhere else. Downtown Louisville offers a varied blend of contemporary and classic experiences and venues which expand year after year. Our team is ready to help clients create outstanding business event programs in this sought-after destination.”

Headquartered in Chicago with 28 offices throughout North America, PRA is a leading business event management firm, creating experiences which move hearts, minds and businesses forward. Through its ownership of events and communication agency One Smooth Stone, PRA offers end-to-end integrated solutions for event experiences. PRA blends passion, reach and authenticity to consistently deliver incomparable experiences that engage participants and exceed business goals. For more info, visit pra.com