Business Beat: Jonathan Walker, Director of Sports Sales, RI Sports Commission, PWCVB

The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) announced today that Jonathan Walker has been promoted to Director of Sports Sales within the Rhode Island Sports Commission (RISC), a division of the PWCVB. Walker, who joined the team in 2019, most recently served as Sports Sales Manager. 

“Jonathan Walker is an asset not just to the PWCVB team, but to the entire state of Rhode Island,” said Kristen Adamo, president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. “As part of the RISC, he spotlights our communities through the platform of sports, which helps drive visitation and revenue for Rhode Island. His track record speaks for itself, having supported nearly 50 sports-related meetings and events in fiscal year 2022, and he is most deserving of this opportunity to further showcase his talents. I am proud of his continued efforts and look forward to seeing what he can achieve in this new position.”

Walker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Entertainment and Event Management from Johnson and Wales University. He later received his Master of Business Administration with a Hospitality Concentration, and is a certified Sports Tourism Strategist by the Sports Events and Tourism Association. Jonathan began his career in sports and entertainment in 2014 with PSE Agency, a Rhode Island-based sports marketing firm that owns and operates the Providence Bruins. He later worked with the Pawtucket Red Sox and the TPG Hotels and Resorts-managed Hilton Garden Inn Providence before joining the PWCVB.

In his new role, Walker will oversee the sales, marketing and servicing efforts related to sports groups utilizing Rhode Island as a base for competitions and sports-related meetings. He will continue to work closely with clients across the country to bring sporting events to Rhode Island and bolster the state’s reputation as a premier sports destination.

The RISC brought in nearly 78,000 hotel room nights in fiscal year 2023 – with an estimated direct spend close to $55 million – under the leadership of the late John Gibbons, who passed away in June.

“Jonathan stepped up to the plate in a big way after the devastating loss of our friend and RISC Executive Director John Gibbons, with whom he worked very closely. I’m confident that, in his new role, Jonathan is well-positioned to continue advocating for Rhode Island and its evolving sports landscape,” Adamo added. 

“I’m extremely fortunate to have absorbed a great deal of knowledge during John’s tenure, and I’m honored to prolong the profound legacy of the Rhode Island Sports Commission,” said Walker.

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The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization whose mission is to create vibrant growth for the local hospitality economy by promoting, developing, and expanding a united visitor industry. For more information, contact (401) 456-0200 or visit www.GoProvidence.com.