Meet Our TeamStephanie Catanese Arone, DMCP, President and General Manager   After achieving her BBA in Marketing at Pace University in New York, Stephanie headed west and has made Las Vegas her home. Before joining Activity Planners, Stephanie spent several years in Hotel and Restaurant Operations, as well as Employee Incentive Planning. The skills that she acquired in these fields allow her to prepare well-rounded programs that meet both her clients' organizational objectives, and their attendees' vision of Las Vegas. Stephanie pays great attention to detail when planning a program, ensuring that each and every event is creatively built around the individual client's needs, and within their budget. Her straightforward approach to sales and consideration for her client's time makes planning a program a true partnership. Stephanie maintains a philosophy that "If planners don't have fun developing a program, the attendees won't have fun participating". Steph works closely with the Operations team during each phase of program implementation to assure that each client's expectations are exceeded, laying the groundwork for building a true partner relationship with each program.
Stephanie began leading the API sales team in 1998, and took over the legacy of the company from Karen Gordon in July of 2010. An active member of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association, Meeting Planners, International, The Professional Conference Management Association, and the Association of Destination Management Executives, Stephanie is continuing Karen Gordon's legacy of being an active member of the Meetings Industry as well as the local community, sitting on the board of the Patrick Kelley Youth Foundation. Stephanie is proud to have been honored by Connect Magazine in October 2011 to be included in their inaugural list of “40 Under 40” in the Meetings Industry. Favorite Thing To Do In Las Vegas: Enjoy the Renaissance of Las Vegas, exploring and sharing the constantly evolving culinary, musical, theatrical, and cultural development of the city with her family. Irene Renteria, Director of Operations  A Las Vegas native, Irene obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Psychology from UCLA, where she also played on the Women's Volleyball Team. Irene applied her athletic skills as a coach for the Women's Volleyball Teams at the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia, before finally moving back home to Las Vegas and joining the API Operations Team in the Spring of 2005, quickly taking the helm of our on site client relations team. Irene's impressive background in teamwork and leadership enable her to effectively partner with her clients and colleagues on successful programs, and her competitive spirit is essential to our ability to exceed client expectations on site.
Irene serves on the board of the Valley High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, as well as the Patrick Kelley Youth Foundation, reinforcing her drive to pave a successful future for the youth of our city. Favorite Thing To Do In Las Vegas: Irene likes to stay active with sports, coaching, and good times with friends. Emily Stebbing, Account Executive  Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Emily came to Las Vegas through a virtual world tour traveling with her family in the Circus industry; making Las Vegas her home in 1995. She brings to the team her dynamic knowledge of the performing side of entertainment, which she is now applying to the production side of the industry.
Emily brought her talents to the Activity Planners team in 2006, and her discerning eye has been a valuable asset to our clients on both the development and operational sides of our business. Emily is a true chameleon, lending her talents to all aspects of a client program with enthusiasm and grace. A lead in our International program management, Emily is fluent in Spanish and her vast experience living and visiting different cultures allows her to comfortably engage groups of all cultures. Favorite Thing To Do In Las Vegas: In her off time, Emily enjoys being active and exploring the surrounds areas of the Las Vegas valley from hiking in Mt. Charleston to biking Red Rock and kayaking at Lake Mead, as well as some quiet time watching movies with family and friends. Karen Gordon, Founder  Karen's work in the Destination Management Industry has been fundamental to the growth of Las Vegas as a Corporate Travel Destination. Over her career in the industry, Karen has been an active member of key professional organizations, as well as numerous Civic Organizations. A founding member of the Association of Destination Management Executives, an active leader in The Society of Incentive Travel Executives, Founder of the DMC Alliance, and an active in many local tourism related organizations, Karen has contributed her experience and skills as an educator to the growth of Las Vegas as a Corporate and Incentive Travel Market. Karen was honored in 2010 by the Las Vegas Hospitality Association with the Spirit Award, acknowledging her work as an Ambassador to our city since founding the company in 1977.
As resident of our city from her teens, it is a passion of Karen's to offer guests an opportunity to experience life beyond the neon; to show that Las Vegas is not only the "Entertainment Capital of the World", but also a flourishing community. Karen is a former elementary teacher and college counselor, who received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Arizona and her Master of Education at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. While Karen is not currently active in the daily operations of Activity Planners, Inc. her leadership and representation of our company within the industry are a key component to our continued success. Not one to slow down, Karen is currently leading the development of the DMC Alliance, and remains highly active in the meeting and events industry. Favorite Thing To Do In Las Vegas: Find little, off the Strip, "Mom and Pop", and Ethnic Restaurants to share with local friends and visitors! |
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