About Us

Karen Smith is the Managing Director of Highwire Marketing Consultants, LLC, celebrating it's 18th year August 2024 - a consulting firm specializing in hotel/resort marketing, need time sales, international and domestic tourism, and online promotions via direct and third party channels. Karen has a strong track record for creating successful promotions that drive direct business to her hotels thereby filling short falls in room revenue.  The list of fantastic resorts represented by Karen is impressive!  She is the former Director of Wholesale Partnerships for LXR Luxury Resorts where she represented the El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa, Las Casitas Village & Golden Door Spa, El San Juan Resort & Casino, Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino and the Rose Hall Resort & Country Club.  Her responsibilities included developing domestic and international net tour operator rates with the resorts’ revenue teams, negotiation of contract terms and conditions, and the creation of tactical programs for need periods to improve revenue per available room (revpar.) 

Prior to LXR Luxury Resorts, Karen was the Director of Leisure Sales with Wyndham Resorts, Caribbean Division for 6 years.  There she worked to improve domestic and international tour operator relations with the Wyndham Caribbean resorts.  She also specialized in airline crew contracting, golf marketing, leisure groups, online promotions, and agent seminars.  She was the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Wyndham Rose Hall Resort and Country Club and was instrumental in the sales, marketing, and promotions of that resort.  

Karen worked for Interstate Hotels and Resorts for 15 years in various group and director roles in Florida and New Jersey.  She graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Hospitality Administration. The namesake of Highwire Marketing comes from Karen’s experience in the Florida State University’s Flying High Circus where Karen spent 5 years performing as an aerial artist while attending college. Her acts included Swinging Trapeze, Bicycle Built for Five, Spanish Web, Balancing and Revolving Ladder, Cloud Swing and of course The High Wire.  She traveled throughout the Southern United States, USVI and Bahamas performing and worked for Callaway Gardens for 3 summers with the circus.