Kaitlin Eskelson
CEO & President | Visit Salt Lake
What are you most proud of championing at Visit Salt Lake?
Without question, the economic power of the visitor economy and our role in driving it. We are, at our core, a sales-first organization. Last year alone, our team booked 289 meetings, events and sports groups that equated to $583 million in direct visitor spend. That’s not theoretical — it’s contracted business that fuels hotels, restaurants, venues and so much more across Salt Lake County.
But beyond the numbers, what I’m most proud of is how we’ve elevated the conversation. Tourism isn’t a side story; it’s central to Salt Lake’s economic strategy. Our industry supports over 44,000 jobs right here in Salt Lake County. That’s real impact. That’s families supported by the work we do — by visitors who don’t live here, but spend here. We’ve built a model that’s performance-driven but deeply community-rooted. We’re growing the economy, creating opportunity and strengthening the fabric of our region.
What lessons were learned during the rapid execution of the Salt Lake Winter Roundup that will influence the planning of future events?
The idea of the Winter Roundup stemmed from a desire to visually showcase the juxtaposition at the heart of the Salt Lake brand — where urban meets mountain, and cultural heritage meets sport. I wanted people to see that contrast in real time. That’s why we opened with skijoring through downtown, with Nordstrom at City Creek Center as the backdrop. There’s nothing more powerful than visuals as proof.
While the concept came together quickly, its true success was serving as a proof of concept during a need period in downtown Salt Lake. In the first year, we joked we could see anywhere from 10 to 10,000 attendees — and we hit 10,000. The second year doubled that, with over 20,000 participants and even stronger alignment across city partners and cultural institutions.
This event showcased my leadership in turning vision into action: moving quickly, aligning diverse stakeholders and using bold storytelling to create energy, connection and impact. It also reinforced the value of place-based design and emotional resonance in destination experiences. Winter Roundup laid the foundation for Summit, an innovation festival launching in 2026 in partnership with Silicon Slopes, Days of ’47 Rodeo and other key community partners. Summit will build on this momentum, scaling the concept across tech, art/culture, sport, culinary and entertainment.
