Brand USA Strengthens Global Event Strategy With Appointment of New Senior Director of Event Operations

Brand USA has recently appointed Daystar Van Wagner as its new senior director of event operations. Van Wagner will also lead Brand USA’s international events team.

Van Wagner officially started her new position on September 21, just ahead of the upcoming Brand USA Travel Week U.K. & Europe event in Amsterdam. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination and delivery of Brand USA’s expanding portfolio of global events designed to connect international travel partners with destinations and businesses across the United States.

The appointment comes as Brand USA continues to increase its international engagement through large-scale trade events, industry programmes and market-focused initiatives aimed at promoting inbound travel to the United States.

As senior director of event operations, Van Wagner will manage the operational framework behind Brand USA’s major events, ensuring seamless execution across multiple markets. Her responsibilities will cover the organisation’s flagship Brand USA Travel Week series, alongside other international trade activities, industry conferences, sales missions, road shows and internal programmes.

Brand USA Travel Week has become a key platform for bringing together U.S. tourism organisations, travel suppliers, international buyers and media representatives. The event series has expanded across four major regions, including the U.K. and Europe, India, Latin America and Canada, reflecting the organisation’s wider global approach to tourism growth.

With international travel demand continuing to evolve, the role will focus on improving event delivery, strengthening partner engagement and creating more effective experiences for industry stakeholders participating in Brand USA programmes worldwide.

Van Wagner joins Brand USA after building extensive experience in event management and operational leadership within the travel industry. She previously served as director of event experience at the U.S. Travel Association, where she played a key role in managing exhibitions and event operations for IPW, one of the United States’ largest international inbound travel trade shows.

During her time at the U.S. Travel Association, she managed complex event programmes involving thousands of participants and worked across multiple areas of event production. Her responsibilities included overseeing the complete event lifecycle, coordinating with internal teams, managing venue relationships, working with production partners and supporting collaboration with external suppliers.

Her background in delivering large-scale trade events is expected to support Brand USA’s continued efforts to enhance its international programmes and provide greater value for destinations, tourism businesses and global travel professionals.

Before joining the U.S. Travel Association, Van Wagner spent five years at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, where she supported fundraising events and managed operational areas including catering services, food and beverage purchasing and menu development.

Her professional background combines event strategy, operational planning and stakeholder management, supported by academic experience in dietetics and food administration from Texas Woman’s University.

The latest leadership move reflects Brand USA’s continued focus on strengthening its global presence and improving the effectiveness of its international marketing and trade initiatives. Through its events portfolio, the organisation aims to create stronger connections between overseas travel buyers and the wide range of destinations, attractions and tourism businesses available across the United States.

As Brand USA prepares for its upcoming international programmes, Van Wagner’s appointment is expected to bring additional operational expertise to support the organisation’s expanding calendar of global events.

The new role will focus not only on delivering successful events but also on developing long-term strategies that help Brand USA’s programmes adapt to changing industry needs and provide meaningful opportunities for travel partners around the world.