Luminita Hilchey
Background
A graduate of University of Bucharest, Romania, Lumi left a teaching career behind to move to the United States.
Here her interest in foreign languages and writing landed her a few translating positions before joining the Mondotels division of DCI in 2008. At Mondotels/DCI she was able to sustain her passion for writing by creating advertising pitches, editorial and other marketing collateral.
Since her “big move” to the U.S., she has been improving her skills in Public Relations and Marketing: she studied PR at UCLA, earned a New York University Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications and is currently enrolled in Boston University’s MS in International Marketing Management.
Passion for Places
One of the first memories that defines Lumi’s passion for places is the excitement of waking up at 3:00 am to go on fishing trips with her family and their friends. Parents would have coffee in the car, while children would sleep all the way to the destination. It all continued with trips to the Black Sea, the Danube Delta and remote villages in the Carpathians. A roadtrip to Northern Italy with her dad convinced her of her love for travel at 16. She loves everything about travelling, from waiting in the train station to reading during airport layovers. She says that the best thing of all is the first look at a new destination through the airplane window.
Notable Results
- For more than two years Lumi has been handling successful advertising projects for Dubai Tourism and Monte Carlo Hotels. She has been involved in evaluating print and online outlets, pitching, writing editorial, delivering creative and turning results reports into marketing tools. In December 2009 alone, as a result of one joint advertising project with a Tour Operator, approximately 1,964 passengers visited Dubai.
- Lumi has also been coordinating events- big and small- for all the Mondotels clients. One of the latest successes was the 2010 North American Dubai Tourism Roadshow. The event was hosted in Toronto, Los Angeles and San Francisco for an audience composed of more than 250 first-class travel agents from the leisure and meetings industry.
- Lumi’s love for results and problem-solving can also be noticed on a daily basis.” Do it now” and “do it well” are her two leading mottos. Setting up appointments for impromptu situations, negotiating costs, creating yearly Advertising plans as well as Sales and Marketing presentations in a few hours, are just a few of the fires she puts off every day.
Up Close
Lumi lives in New York City with her husband whom she met while he was visiting her home country, Romania. Ten months after they met she moved to California to be with him, but realized that despite the great beaches and weather, she needed to do and see more. One month after deciding to move out, the newlyweds rented a Penske truck with all their earthly belongings in the back and drove across country. Destination: New York City. And they love it.
Where You’ll Find Lumi on the Weekend
Lumi is a New York City fan. In fact, even though she has been here for a few years, whenever she has a little time, she can be found in the streets of New York, enjoying its architecture and taking pictures. When visitors and friends’ visitors come to town, she will be the first to join them in their New York sightseeing.
Places that Lumi Has Called Home
Bucharest, Romania
Los Angeles, California
New York, New York
Surprising Facts
Airport Fun
When she couldn’t travel, Lumi and her best friend would call each other up after school and go to the airport. (That’s right!) There they would watch people come and go and imagine their trip. The most interesting thing about it were the emotional reunions and farewells, which she always experiences now whenever she visits her family and friends in Romania.
Communism Experienced
Lumi was six years old when the Romanian communist leader- Nicolae Ceausescu- was eliminated. The experience of this regime gave her a lot of perspective at a very young age and helped her grow into someone who knows what she wants.
You Mean You Got Married When…and for How Much?!
Lumi married her husband after 1 month of physically being together. They had the most hassle-free wedding too: Catalina Island beach, two guests, wedding ceremony, Rolls Royce taxi, restaurant…all for $1,500 (dress included).
