Written by Abraham Galvan on April 1, 2026
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As chair of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau board, Julissa Kepner has been guiding the organization responsible for promoting Miami-Dade County as one of the world’s premier travel destinations.
Ms. Kepner has championed a strategy that positions Greater Miami at the forefront of global convention and leisure travel – leveraging cultural programming, neighborhood storytelling, digital marketing innovation, and a growing calendar of international events.
Ms. Kepner said the coming years promise to be transformational, with Miami-Dade County hosting global spectacles ranging from the FIFA World Cup 2026 and numerous other events, including the G20 Summit, PGA Tour, The Professional Convention Management Association, and Formula 1, further cementing the destination’s global profile.
Other special initiatives she plans to work on are to continue to build on supporting local artists with more hotel partnerships, expand the growth of business transient travelers, bring even bigger global events to Miami, and support the unique local culture that only Miami can offer.
She currently serves as general manager of the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay, the largest Marriott-managed hotel in Miami and a key anchor property in the city’s convention and meetings ecosystem.
Over the past 20 years, she has built a career spanning multiple departments and global brands, including Marriott International, Hilton, and Radisson Hotel Group. Her journey with Marriott began in 2002 as a front desk manager at the Renaissance Agoura Hills in California, and through steady advancement, she has become one of the company’s most respected leaders in South Florida.
From July 2024 through June 2025, the convention bureau reported that, under her leadership, Miami welcomed 28.2 million visitors, generating $21.3 billion in spending, a 3% increase from the previous year, which supported more than 209,000 jobs countywide and generated revenues that fund infrastructure, schools, and essential services while easing the tax burden on Miami households.
“At the Greater Miami Conventional & Visitors Bureau, we continue to challenge ourselves every year to try to be that premier destination globally, for the locals, the ones in Florida, but also for the world,” she said.
Ms. Kepner spoke with Miami Today Reporter Abraham Galvan.
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