Meet the VWS Sales and Services Team: Christian Schroeder
With over 19 years of experience in tourism and hospitality, Christian is dedicated to promoting Winston-Salem as a premier destination for meetings and conventions, group tours, and sporting events. Christian serves as a board member for the Körner's Folly Foundation.
What’s your hometown and college alma mater?
I have lived in Winston-Salem most of my life. I was raised in Winston-Salem, left to attend Appalachian State University, and after graduation, lived in South Carolina. After 8.5 years, I returned home to Winston-Salem and was amazed at the investment and transformation of downtown. There are so many things to explore and delicious meals to enjoy!
What’s a bright spot on Winston-Salem’s horizon for meetings and conventions?
The continued investment in downtown will provide more options for meeting and convention participants during their next visit. The lower level of the Benton Convention Center will expand into the Embassy Suites hotel tower and be renovated, offering a total of 148,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. ROAR, our newest entertainment and event complex downtown, will open later this year. This sophisticated 42,000-square-foot venue includes 8,000 square feet of event space, a food hall, duck-pin bowling, and full swing golf simulators.
What are your top recommendations for team-building activities in Winston-Salem?
Winston-Salem has a strong creative community, and we are fortunate to offer a variety of team-building activities. Some popular ones that have been enjoyed by teams of all sizes at Graylyn or in our downtown are scavenger hunts, geocaching, craft draft crawls, sip & paints, and Segway tours.
What’s a “can’t miss out” authentic Winston-Salem experience?
There are too many to just pick one!
- Visit Winkler Bakery in Old Salem for some Moravian cookies and sugarcake.
- Explore, shop, and stroll at Reynolda House and Reynolda Village.
- Enjoy an outdoor movie or live performance at Bailey Park while admiring our downtown skyline, including the iconic Reynolds Building—now Kimpton Cardinal Hotel.
- First Friday Gallery Hop in the Downtown Arts District
- Beer school at Foothills Brewing