Eastern States Exposition (ESE) welcomes Tessa Morrissey of Shelburne Falls, Mass., to the Sales department as food concession service manager. In this role, she will oversee recruitment, selection, evaluation and retention of food concession vendors for The Big E and Hooplandia. She will ensure that each vendor meets ESE’s standards of quality, reliability and guest satisfaction as well as coordinate vendor logistics, utilities, compliance and communication while collaborating across departments to deliver seamless and memorable culinary experiences for guests.
Morrissey is a results-driven food and beverage sales professional with nine years of experience managing high-volume territories and events. She specializes in building lasting client relationships, trend awareness and executing successful, eye-catching promotional events. Previously, she was a sales representative at Quality Beverage in Chicopee, Mass., and Down the Road Beer Company in Everett, Mass.
At Quality Beverage, Morrissey managed a large multi-account territory, executed tastings and special events, represented the company at critical trade shows and industry events and more. At Down the Road Beer Company, she collaborated with distributors, coordinated tastings and in-store promotions and managed 50-60 accounts weekly across Western Mass., Conn. and R.I.
“I am incredibly food-driven,” says Morrissey. “I love to attend foodie festivals like the Garlic Festival in Vermont, Poutine Festival in New Hampshire, Seafood Fest in Rhode Island—I love trying new cuisines and learning how different cultures approach food. I love cooking, baking and being in on the action in a kitchen!”
Her experience spans behind the bar, too; she spent time as a bartender at the Brewmasters Tavern in Williamsburg, Mass. Outside of the food and beverage industry, she is a fashion model with Maggie Inc. of Boston, Mass., where she has represented brands both nationally and internationally, including reputable household names such as Nike, Apple, Vogue Italia and Converse.
“I’m a Western Mass. native and lifelong Fair attendee,” says Morrissey. “From walking through the state buildings with my family to deciding which crazy fried food my friends and I want to split, I have formed many core memories growing up here at the fairgrounds every September. Western Mass.—and all of New England, really—has such a strong food community and to be able to work behind the scenes and help elevate that experience for people is meaningful for me. Working at ESE feels full circle.”
ESE welcomes Morrissey aboard and looks forward to enhancing its food and beverage offerings with her guidance and expertise.