Shawn Thomson-Palermo is the type of person that thrives on “starting, doing and growing things.” After living in Houston and owning a firm that moved oil crews around the globe, she relocated to Aspen in 1989 and acquired a 1-year-old event planning company. It was the launch pad for what is now the largest privately owned destination management and special events company in the United States.
Her company, RMC (until recently, known as Rocky Mountain Connections), now has $15 million in annual revenues, more than 35 employees (200 with seasonal and contract workers) and offices in Aspen, Beaver Creek/Vail, Colorado Springs, Denver, Jackson Hole, Park City and Lake Tahoe. RMC is preparing to open one to two more offices in 2013 and is the preferred DMC provider for The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Montage and Four Seasons in its service areas.
Thomson-Palermo loves working in mountain communities because people attending meetings want to be there. “Are you going to be more excited about going to Sacramento or Vail or Aspen?” she inquires. “The climate and variety of venues offer so much when you are doing a mountain meeting. All of our destinations are so different, so incredibly unique.”
While the mountain aura and action are the common thread, she rattles off distinct characteristics for each: Tahoe, it’s the lake and surrounding communities; Jackson, the national parks and Western flair; Park City, the Olympic park, historic downtown and Sundance; Aspen – Snowmass, Colorado meets Chanel spirit; Vail, the sheer size and number of on-mountain venues; Colorado Springs, the Garden of the Gods, the Air Force Academy and Pikes Peak; and Denver, a fabulous city locale with incredible mountain views.
Her dream is to open a 20- to 30-room hotel in a tropical destination. For now, the Louisiana native and her husband enjoy entertaining guests at their home in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. When in the mountains, Thomson-Palermo enjoys all things mountain-mostly hiking.
“I absolutely love what I do, whether it’s the fun part or the hard part,” she says. “I have to make decisions quickly and consistently be creative. Just when I think I’ve figured it all out, it has changed once again.”
