New hires signal renewed push into group business Rio Las Vegas has appointed Ashley Lowe as Senior Vice President of Sales and Jennifer Little as Director of Catering and Convention Services, adding experienced hospitality executives to bolster the property's meetings division. Lowe brings more than 20 years of hospitality sales leadership experience, nearly all in the Las Vegas market. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Sales at M Resort Spa Casino, where she drove group revenue and supported convention business expansion. She previously held leadership roles at Caesars Entertainment, The Venetian, and MGM Grand. "Rio is already changing the conversation around group business in this market, and I'm excited to help lead that next chapter," Lowe said. "This team is focused on removing friction for planners and making Rio an easy 'yes.'" Little joins from Viticus Group, where she served as Conference Operations Manager overseeing logistics for two large annual conferences. She previously held the Director of Catering and Conference Management position at The Venetian. In her role at Rio, Little oversees the catering and convention services team, coordinating across sales, banquets, food and beverage, and operations to deliver group experiences.
Competitive positioning The hires complement Andrea Van Willigan, who leads Rio's culinary and banquets operations.
Van Willigan, a Hell's Kitchen alumna who served as Gordon Ramsay's executive chef, brings elevated catering expertise to the property's group offerings. Rio recently waived resort fees for all group business and offers banquet menus priced up to 25% below comparable Strip properties—moves designed to sharpen its competitive edge in the Las Vegas meetings market.
Why it matters Group sales and catering represent high-margin, consistent revenue streams for Las Vegas properties.
Rio's strategic hiring of experienced executives, paired with aggressive pricing on resort fees and F&B, signals a deliberate repositioning to capture group and convention planners seeking alternatives to established Strip competitors.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
