In celebration of National Travel & Tourism Week May 3 – 9, 2026, the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Greenville, NC) held their 11th Annual National Travel & Tourism Week Celebration on Wednesday, May 6 at the Hilton Greenville, and recognized five local partners for their impactful and lasting contributions to the Greenville-Pitt County tourism industry with their annual Good Company Tourism Partner Awards.
2026 Visit Greenville, NC Good Company Tourism Partner Award Recipients:
This award is given to partners who go above and beyond in supporting tourism and hospitality in Greenville–Pitt County.
Leisure Tourism Award: Mackenzie & Anna Park, Backstage Coffee-
Mackenzie Park, an ECU graduate is the visionary and creative force driving Backstage Coffee. With five years of coffee expertise under her belt and a penchant for whimsical crafting, she infuses every aspect of Backstage Coffee with her innovative spirit, boundless imagination, and love of music. Her wife Anna Park, is the glue that holds it all together, the go-to for sorting out and fixing any snags that come their way, and is an amazing singer-songwriter. With their shared love of coffee and music, Backstage hosts monthly rotating themed menus and special events to pay homage to music icons like Dolly Parton and Stevie Nicks, and to coincide with new album drops from Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, and most recently Noah Kahan- which grabbed the attention of NC Tripping who shared their menu on her socials and made a special trip to Backstage Coffee for a Noah Kahan-themed coffee and shared them both on her social platforms. Their wildly popular annual Gilmore Girls and FRIENDS themed weekends in the fall go viral on social media and have people lined down the block for hours pulling people from across the state and beyond to Greenville for their special brew of whimsy, nostalgia, and pop-culture. Mack and Anna are also big supporters and incubators of other local small businesses, such as Cook’s Closet vintage store that was located upstairs before opening their own store in Downtown, and Moosie’s Catering Company currently located at the Backstage location. Backstage Coffee isn't just a coffee shop-it's a living, breathing art project where every cup is a canvas for creativity and connection and an opportunity to lift spirits and spark joy seven days a week.
Marketing/PR Award: Bri O’Donnell, @BlessYourHeartyAppetite-
Bri created her social media platform @BlessYourHeartyAppetite in 2022 after relocating to Greenville from Philadelphia as a creative outlet to explore her new home and share local restaurants and experiences with friends and family. It has now grown into a trusted resource for discovering the best of Eastern NC and reaches an audience of over 10,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. Bri has been recognized in 2024 and 2025 as one of the area’s “Best Local Social Media Influencers” due to her engaging, high-performing content, Bri partners with local businesses, brands, tourism boards to drive visibility, attract new audiences, and highlight what makes this region so special through authentic, relatable, community-driven, and family-friendly content. Visit Greenville, NC partnered with Bri in 2025 on the social media promotion of the First Friday ArtWalk and Emerald Express Trolley, as well as on a four-part series to help relaunch their Pitt County Brew & ‘Cue Trail.
Meetings Award: Stephanie Hinnant, Hilton Greenville-
Stephanie is the Director of Business Development for the Hilton Greenville and regularly works with our staff on coordinating and attending meetings and conference trade shows across the state, as well as meeting planner site tours and client events here in Greenville-Pitt County. Stephanie is an ECU graduate, and has served on the Board of Directors and as a past President of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Pitt County, a Board member with Cancer Services of ENC, on the Advisory Boards for Pitt Community College Alumni Advisory Board and the Boys and Girls Club of Pitt County, and as a Board Member for the Downtown Greenville Partnership. She is well-known for her hand-written notes and cards, sending mailed newspaper clippings of colleague accomplishments and promotions, asking about your life and what is important to you. Stephanie has her finger on the pulse of Greenville-Pitt County, and is always looking for ways to help others, grow our destination, and enhance our hospitality experience by making others feel seen and valued.
2026 Play Greenville, NC Sports Good Company Tourism Partner Award Recipient:
This award is given to partners who go above and beyond in supporting sports tourism in Greenville–Pitt County.
East Carolina University & City of Greenville, NC- East Carolina University and the City of Greenville, NC have recently crafted an agreement that will allow the North Recreational Complex to be utilized as a sports tourism asset. In 2024, Sports travel generated $47.1 billion dollars in economic impact across the United States, supported 665,000 jobs, and generated abundant tax revenues for local counties and municipalities. Cities and counties engaged in sports tourism saw significant growth in hospitality-related infrastructure from hotels, restaurants, and retail businesses to support athletes and their families. Visit Greenville, NC and Play Greenville, NC Sports presented this award to East Carolina University and the City of Greenville for their dedication to partnerships to grow and benefit our community. Their vision and collaboration is a springboard for sports tourism, and we look forward to our continued partnership with both groups to make Greenville-Pitt County the preferred sports tourism destination in North Carolina.
2026 Recognition of CVA Board Member Service:
President & CEO Andrew Schmidt also presented service awards to Candace Hollingsworth, General Manager of the Hilton Greenville, and Bri Steel, Director of Sales at the Holiday Inn Express Greenville for their service to the Pitt-Greenville Convention & Visitors Authority Board.
2026 Recognition of President & CEO Service:
The Visit Greenville, NC and Play Greenville, NC Sports staff, as well as the Pitt-Greenville Convention & Visitors Authority Board also recognized the exemplary 32 years of service of current President & CEO Andrew Schmidt, who is set to retire June 30, 2026. There are plans forthcoming for an additional retirement reception in his honor in June.
The annual Visit Greenville, NC NTTW Celebration seeks to educate our local community, industry partners, elected officials, and the media on community and economic impact of tourism in Greenville-Pitt County, and to show our support for continued strategic development projects that will enhance our tourism infrastructure, lead to job growth, and further create a sense of place in our destination.
