COLUMBUS, Ohio — June 2, 2021 — Mills James announces John Watts as Vice President of Hospitality to lead the company's growing hospitality audiovisual services portfolio.
Watts brings more than 20 years of experience building and leading teams in the hospitality AV space. He has a proven track record for managing large-scale operations for some of the largest event companies in the world. Among other accomplishments, Watts helped grow a small regional portfolio of 11 properties into a 100-venue enterprise spanning the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
With meetings returning, Mills James is in a strong position for growth, having weathered the pandemic well thanks to the company's breadth of event and video production services. In the convention and hospitality AV space, the employee-owned production company is making a big splash in an industry previously hampered by a commodity mindset.
"Our mission is to redefine hospitality audiovisual services," said Joe James, Mills James Chief Hospitality Officer. "We see hospitality AV as primed for innovation and reinvention, and John is the perfect person to build long-term partnerships with clients who want to differentiate themselves."
Unlike high-priced multinational AV corporations that have long held a monopoly on the market, Mills James manages every venue with a local ownership mentality. Employee ownership fosters a service mindset like no other, one marked by superior listening and communication skills, passion, professionalism, and the comfort of a familiar team.
"Mills James is known for providing a higher level of service in this industry. That's what attracted me to the company; not to mention unique production expertise that sets them apart in a big way," Watts said. "We can now bring a refreshing service mindset and powerful production capabilities to our clients."
