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By Ann Donnelly<\/p>\nBy Ann Donnelly<\/p>\n
Colleen Carlson\u2019s career at Saratoga Casino Hotel began long before the property added a luxury hotel, a premier steakhouse or a busy casino floor. At 15, Carlson sold race programs at the harness track where her mother also worked. Today, as director of sales, she oversees a thriving corporate and events business built on the property\u2019s decades of expansion.<\/p>\n
“I have a long history here,” Carlson said. “I started here when I was 15 years old, selling programs. I moved up the line and worked in the press box, doing all sorts of interesting things. It’s like home to me being here.”<\/p>\n
The property\u2019s evolution has reshaped Carlson\u2019s sales portfolio. Years ago, the on-site restaurant Fortune\u2019s regularly hosted 350 guests for lunch and dinner. Today it operates exclusively as a private-event space, reflecting the venue\u2019s broader focus on large-scale hospitality.<\/p>\n
“Through the whole changeover of getting a hotel, casino, it’s been a great ride,” Carlson said. “When we got the hotel, it made it more interesting. It really ramped up everything.”<\/p>\n
Carlson now oversees multiple event spaces across the Saratoga Casino Hotel campus, including conference rooms, a ballroom, Morton\u2019s The Steakhouse and the Vapor nightclub. A standout venue is The Lodge at Nelson and Crescent avenues, featuring a dark green exterior and Adirondack-style woodwork. A large tent installed on a stamped-concrete slab outside The Lodge allows the property to host larger weddings and galas.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/b>“I do love the galas, and we use Vapor for special events too,” Carlson said, noting regular events like the Saratoga Builders Association showcase and the AIM Services Gala. “Vapor is a really driving factor in business.”<\/p>\n The range of spaces attracts corporate conferences, CSEA groups and holiday parties from across New York, including Westchester, Long Island and Buffalo. Even the property\u2019s expansive parking lot occasionally becomes event space, such as when a Porsche club held a gathering at the resort.<\/p>\n Despite the steady demand, Carlson relies on an unconventional sales strategy. Rather than aggressive cold-calling, she builds relationships through deep community involvement and nonprofit work with organizations such as Jake\u2019s Help From Heaven, Saratoga Sponsor a Scholar and the Saratoga Hospital Foundation. In 2025, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce honored Carlson with the Joseph Dalton Community Service Award.<\/p>\n “I find for me, I don’t really go out seeking business, which doesn’t make sense in a way for my role, but I’m involved in a lot of non-profit organizations,” Carlson said. “I have to tell you, I have joined committees, I attend the events, and a lot of times they end up being here because they know me.”<\/p>\n Carlson said the company\u2019s philanthropic culture reinforces that approach. Each Giving Tuesday, Saratoga Casino Hotel donates $120,000 to local organizations, distributing $10,000 to 12 nonprofits.<\/p>\n “It’s really enriched my life, and it’s brought us business. It’s a nice pairing,” she said. “Going to events and joining with non-profit organizations really opens up a world where I don’t go out asking for business. It kind of just organically happens. It is working.”<\/p>\n The strategy, combined with the property\u2019s amenities and banquet team, continues to drive strong demand and repeat bookings. Carlson is currently covering her own responsibilities while filling in for a sales manager on maternity leave.<\/p>\n “My head’s gonna pop off. I am so busy,” Carlson said about her overflowing email inbox. “Right now, I\u2019m in the thick of getting conferences ready for spring. I think it’s just because we have a really full package here. We have a lot of repeat business. We have a great banquet team, and we, honest to God, have incredible food. So they keep coming back for that.”<\/p>\n Whether coordinating a corporate retreat or booking entertainment for a gala, Carlson credits her longevity to genuine enthusiasm for the work.<\/p>\n “I guess you just need to enjoy it to be doing it,” Carlson said. “I love what I do.”<\/p>\n For more information on Saratoga Casino Hotel, visit saratogacasino.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Ann Donnelly Colleen Carlson\u2019s career at Saratoga Casino Hotel began long before the property added a luxury hotel, a premier steakhouse or a busy casino floor. At 15, Carlson sold race programs at the harness track where her mother also worked. Today, as director of sales, she oversees a thriving corporate and events business […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":38913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-women-in-business"],"yoast_head":"\r\n