OUR STORY - WHERE WE’VE BEEN
Our story? Picture this: It’s the late 70s in sunny San Diego, in the golden days of the tourism and hospitality boom. It’s there that you’ll find husband-wife team Fabienne and Terry Hanks, who shaped the destination management industry in Southern California by founding their firm, The Meeting Manager (TMM), in 1978. It’s also where you’ll find a young boy, Trevor Hanks, who very literally grew up in the DMC industry.
Trevor came to work for the family business full time in 1996, and shortly thereafter launched TMM’s Orange County office out of his garage. No good entrepreneurial story would be complete without a garage, right?
In 2008, Trevor officially took over the reins of the company, buying out his parents’ stake.
In 2003, Shelly Archer, with the help of a lot of caffeine, developed Destination PROS in a 650-square-foot office space in Huntington Beach, eventually expanding to a second office in San Diego.
On the heels of the Great Recession in 2011, Trevor and Shelly saw a golden opportunity. Why not combine forces? Both believing in the idea of “the whole being greater than the sum of its parts”, they shared connections, ideas, expertise and operational costs—a vision for where they could take a company together.
So, over a few dinners and (a few) drinks, the idea for 360 Destination Group quickly took shape.
Trevor and TMM brought the solid 35 years of operational and sales strength; and Shelly brought her creativity, pulling off ideas that would really catch clients’ eyes. Trevor and Shelly moved fast – from the first conversations to the time the final legal document was inked, it took just five months. What can we say? We love a good challenge.
The result? 360 Destination Group officially launched in January 2012 with a footprint across Southern California, serving the markets of San Diego, Palm Springs, Orange County, and Los Angeles.
In quick succession, 360 Destination Group expanded across the United States – meeting the needs of planners who loudly voiced the desire for the strength and stability of a single DMC in all of the United States markets that mattered.
First came Florida, then Chicago and Northern California in 2012 and 2013. Arizona, Santa Barbara & Ojai, and Texas were added in 2016 and 2017. Our New York City and Las Vegas destinations launched in 2018, with Nashville joining the roster in 2023.
Throughout our growth, our model has always been to expand from the ground up to deliver consistent service and experiences across all destinations. It’s a much more difficult and longer process, but it also reflects our personality.
We’re not a cookie-cutter kind of company, and we never will be.
And it’s not just us – we’re in good company. Check out our valued partners who support us in our mission to bring you the best in destination planning.
Want your next corporate event experience to be seamless and stress-free? Let us handle the logistics – we’re here to help.
