HFTP® Acquires Leading Hospitality Industry Brands: Hospitality Upgrade, Hotel-Online, The CIO Summit and The Executive Vendor Summit
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals | June 25th, 2024
BDNY Returns to NYC in November With a Curated, Authentic, and Immersive Hospitality Experience
BDNY | September 8, 2023
NEW YORK, NY (September 8, 2023) — Boutique Design New York (BDNY), the leading trade fair and conference for hospitality’s boutique and lifestyle design community, returns to the Javits Center on November 12-13, 2023. This annual, high-energy event connects interior designers, architects, purchasing agents, hoteliers, owners, brands, and developers with innovative manufacturers of hospitality interior products for two days of networking, inspiration, and exclusive insight into today’s boutique and lifestyle hotel trends. BDNY’s bespoke, curated fair experience features more than 650 exhibitors that focus on a selection of exceptional...
HSMAI Expands Presence in Latin America With New Conferences in Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile
HSMAI | September 8, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: McLean, VA (Sept. 8, 2023) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is excited to announce an expansion in Latin America with a new conference series launching this month in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile. HSMAI chartered its Brazil chapter in 2014 and this expansion is being led by a new Latin American Advisory Board formed in 2022. HSMAI Latam, led by Gabriela Otto, managing director of HSMAI Brazil and now also Latam, aims to support the performance of sales, marketing and revenue management professionals in the hospitality industry. "This significant framework brings the associ...
U.S. Travel Association Welcomes Progress on FAA Chief Nomination
U.S. Travel Association | September 8, 2023
WASHINGTON - U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the nomination of Michael Whitaker as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): “The FAA is long overdue for a permanent leader in this critical role, and we welcome progress toward that end. While this position has remained vacant, aviation policymaking has largely remained at a standstill. The U.S. Senate must work quickly to confirm an administrator and extend vital FAA programs—and Congress must come together to avoid a disastrous government shutdown, which would ...
Host Hotels & Resorts Provides Update on Maui Wildfires and Other Recent Weather Events
HOST HOTELS & RESORTS | September 7, 2023
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 07, 2023 — Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: HST) (the “Company”), the nation’s largest lodging real estate investment trust, today provided an update regarding the impact of the Maui wildfires and other recent weather events on its hotels and the communities where they operate. As the largest hotel real estate owner on Maui with a presence for over 20 years, Host Hotels & Resorts shares a deep connection to the island’s people and culture. Lahaina has long been revered as a sacred place and home to some of the island’s most precious historical and cultural assets. The August wildfires touched ev...
Doug Kennedy Announces Next Topic in His Webcast Training Series: Train Your Team to Use the Language of Hospitality
Doug Kennedy | September 6, 2023
Complimentary Registration Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Kennedy Training Network Inc. (KTN) announced today the topic for Doug Kennedy’s next training webcast, which this month features a hospitality theme: Train Your Team To Use The Language of Hospitality, scheduled for Monday, September 11 from Noon – 12:40pm. REGISTER HERE According to Doug, “Interpersonal communication is always a challenge, especially in the lodging industry where we are dealing with different dialects and cultural differences. Plus, since the product is an emotionally based experience, language can sometimes tr...
Paramount Lodging Advisors’ New Building Mural Brings Playful Energy to Old Town
Paramount Lodging Advisors | September 5, 2023
Chicago, IL—Paramount Lodging Advisors (PLA) has partnered with Chicago local artist, Eric Lee to create an expansive mural for the firm’s headquarters located in Old Town. The piece titled Caution: Bridge Out is described as a trompe l'oeil encounter between Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Lee utilized the three-story building to create a three-dimensional story of the infamous foes, Wile E. Coyote, and Roadrunner – transporting the onlookers into the story; in the desert itself with the vibrant use of color, shading, light and space. “After being in the hospitality business for almost two decades with our companies, Atira ...
Hotel Groups Celebrate Second Annual National Hotel Employee Day
AHLA | September 1, 2023
WASHINGTON (Sept. 1, 2023) – Leaders of top hotel industry groups, including the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers, and the Latino Hotel Association today released the below statements on the second annual National Hotel Employee Day. “Employees are the lifeblood of every hotel, and we created National Hotel Employee Day to help thank America’s nearly two million hotel professionals for their incredible service and dedication,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “Today and throughout the year, ...
Today Is National Hotel Employee Day
AHLA | September 1, 2023
WASHINGTON (Sept. 1, 2023) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today recognized National Hotel Employee Day. AHLA and the National Day Calendar established National Hotel Employee Day in 2022 to honor the nearly two million employees who work in the hotel industry. It is observed annually on September 1. This year, National Hotel Employee Day comes as hotels across the nation are working to quickly fill nearly 100,000 open hotel jobs, according to Indeed. To attract more talent, hotels are offering current and prospective employees near-historic wages, better benefits, and more flexibility than ever before. America...
Proposed DOL Overtime Changes Would Harm Hotels, Hurt Workers
AHLA | August 31, 2023
WASHINGTON (Aug. 31, 2023) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Chip Rogers is speaking out today after the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposal to increase the minimum salary threshold for employees to qualify as salaried executive, administrative, and professional employees (and therefore exempt from overtime pay requirements) under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposal also would automatically update the threshold every three years. This would be the second increase imposed by DOL in less than 5 years. Employees who fail to qualify for the FLSA’s “white collar” exemption mu...
Choice Hotels International Announces Executive Appointments and Organizational Structure Evolution
Choice Hotels® | August 30, 2023
Moves Position Company for Future Growth Following Radisson Americas Integration ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 30, 2023 — Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) today announced key executive appointments that position the company for continued future growth following its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas and the successful integration of its nine brands onto Choice's world-class central reservation system. "Choice has always been a growth company, and that growth is now accelerating," said Choice Hotels International President and CEO Patrick Pacious. "We are a stronger company than we were just a year ago. Choice's increased sco...
Visiting Loved Ones May Drive Tourism Recovery
PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management | August 29, 2023
Whilst many tourists travel to experience new places, cultures and activities, others are visiting friends and relatives (VFR). VFR travel showed remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many expats and immigrants returning to their countries of origin to weather the storm with loved ones. However, little is known about how pandemic-associated travel constraints were experienced by VFR tourists. Dr Pearl Lin of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, working with co-researchers from Macao, have constructed an impressive new framework to pinpoint the travel constraints experien...
World Travel Awards Winners Unveiled at Ceremony in Saint Lucia
World Travel Awards | August 28, 2023
The finest travel brands from across the Caribbean and the Americas have been unveiled at a glittering Gala Ceremony in Saint Lucia. The industry elite travelled from across the region to the paradise island for the World Travel Awards (WTA) Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony 2023 to find out who amongst them had been crowned best of the best. The red carpet evening, hosted at Sandals Grand St. Lucian, marked the opening leg of the WTA’s landmark 30th anniversary Grand Tour 2023 – a global search for the finest travel and tourism organisations. Winners on the night included Jamaica, which saw off a tough field to emer...
U.S. Travel Honors Destination Marketers With Mercury, Destiny Awards at ESTO 2023
U.S. Travel Association | August 28, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. Travel Association announced recipients of the 2023 Destiny and Mercury Awards at the 39th annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) conference, held August 19-22 in Savannah, GA. “These awards—the only of their kind to recognize excellence in travel and tourism marketing campaigns at the city and state level—are a best-in-class showcase of creativity reflecting the unique travel destinations of our country,” said Nan Marchand Beauvois, Senior Vice President of Membership and Industry Relations at the U.S. Travel Association. “Congratulations to this year’s Destiny and Mercury award w...
INTELITY, McLaren Technologies to Attend NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Expo in Sydney
INTELITY | August 24, 2023
During the two-day event, the companies will highlight the latest updates to the INTELITY platform Sydney, Australia (August 24, 2023) - INTELITY®, provider of hospitality’s leading guest experience and staff management platform, and McLaren Technologies announced today that it will attend NoVacancy Hotel + Accommodation Expo at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia, from August 31 to September 1. As the largest annual exhibition for connecting suppliers with decision-makers from hotels, motels, and other hospitality establishments, NoVacancy delivers the latest trends and ideas, and brings together key buyers and in...
IDeaS Wins Three Human Capital Management Excellence Awards From the Brandon Hall Group
IDeaS | August 24, 2023
Leading provider of revenue management software recognized for best practices in the dedicated enablement of client training programs and internal curricula designed to enhance learning and development MINNEAPOLIS—Aug. 24, 2023—IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the world’s leading provider of automated revenue management software and services, won three coveted Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management (HCM) Excellence Awards, including gold for Best Advancement in Learning in the Flow of Work and bronze for Best Learning Team and Best New Hire Onboarding Program. The 2023 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards™ recognizes best pract...
IHG Hotels & Resorts Launches IHG LIFT Program to Drive Growth Opportunities for Diverse Owners
IHG | August 23, 2023
More than $30 million committed to help unlock paths to hotel ownership ATLANTA (August 23, 2023) – IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today introduced IHG LIFT, an owner growth program focused on creating more hotel development support for historically under-represented groups within the hospitality industry, and further diversifying IHG’s hotel owner community. The company’s new program will help unlock common barriers to hotel ownership among these groups and empower diverse owner-entrepreneurs for success. IHG will commit more than $30 million over the next five years to support...
Hospitality Technology: Is It the Answer to Everything?
EHL Insights | August 22, 2023
By Matei Gheorghiu-Testa, Timo Kaiser, Sophia Schütte In May 2023, three BOSC 6 students enrolled in EHL Hospitality Business School, namely Matei Testa, Timo Kaiser, and Sophia Schütte, were given the opportunity to attend the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) in Dubai as part of EHL's Educational Travel Program. In the following blog post, they reflect on their journey and share valuable insights about the event. EHL's Educational Travel Program brought us on a trip to the lively city of Dubai to attend the highly anticipated HITEC Conference. We took advantage of this excellent opportunity to immer...
Michigan’s Dave Lorenz Named State Tourism Director of the Year
U.S. Travel Association | August 22, 2023
SAVANNAH, GA -Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, has been named national State Tourism Director of the Year for 2023. “Dave is a tremendous steward of Michigan’s diverse and thriving travel industry,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “His dynamic approach to marketing the Great Lakes State has been highly successful, creating meaningful benefits for the economy and people of Michigan in an increasingly competitive domestic travel market.” Lorenz was announced as the honoree before more than 1,000 destination marketing professionals at the U.S. Travel Association’s annual Educationa...
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Announces the Untimely Passing of CEO Tony Santo
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited | August 21, 2023
TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2023 - Gateway Casinos & Entertainment (Gateway) today announced that Tony Santo, Chief Executive Officer and Director, passed away unexpectedly on August 17, 2023. Tolek Strukoff, Gateway's President, said, "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tony Santo. Tony joined Gateway as our President and Chief Executive Officer in October 2013 and became a Director in July 2017. His mission was to establish Gateway as Canada's premier entertainment and gaming company. You could often find Tony visiting sites and staff from dawn to dusk connecting about their work, families, and lives. Tony was an...
AHLA Statement on GSA FY2024 Per Diem Rates
AHLA | August 17, 2023
WASHINGTON (Aug. 17, 2023) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Chip Rogers released the below statement after the General Services Administration (GSA) announced its Fiscal Year 2024 per diem rates. The per diem guidelines announced today govern reimbursement for federal employees’ lodging and meals expenses for official government travel and include a $9 increase to the continental United States (CONUS) lodging rate as well as large increases in rates in many non-standard areas (NSAs). “The per diem rates GSA announced today come after months of hard work AHLA put in to lobby the administration on b...
Hospitality Upgrade Announces Recipient of John Cahill Honorary Seat
Hospitality Upgrade Magazine | August 17, 2023
University of Houston Student Selected for 2023 CIO Summit Designation ATLANTA — Aug. 17, 2023 — Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced that the recipient of the 2023 John Cahill Honorary Seat is Dylan Emerson, an undergraduate student at the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. The award will be presented at the upcoming CIO Summit, an invitation-only annual event produced by Hospitality Upgrade magazine. This year’s event will be held Sept. 6-8 at Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, Texas. The John Cahill Honorary Seat is awarded each year to one distinguis...
GBTA Convention 2023 Showcases Positive Forecast, Trends and Learning for the Future of the Global Business Travel Industry
GBTA | August 16, 2023
World’s largest gathering of the global business travel industry delivers latest growth forecast, learning and education sessions, and insights on key topics including sustainability, technology, workforce development, and DE&I initiatives The global business travel industry and in-person events continue to build momentum as evidenced by the robust attendance, critical insights and attendee engagement that took place this week at GBTA Convention 2023 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. The industry came together to connect, learn, grow, and discover, with more than 5,200 registered attendees from 58 countri...
Hospitality Leaders Provide a Grant to Help Expand Unique Employment Program for Human Trafficking Survivors
Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) | August 16, 2023
SEATTLE, Wash. – The nonprofit Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) has received one of the inaugural No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund grants, awarded by the AHLA Foundation. The grant will support the development of a strategy to expand BEST’s Safe Jobs Collaborative—a unique program that creates pathways to employment for human trafficking survivors. The Safe Jobs Collaborative is the first program of its kind in western Washington, helping provide jobs for human trafficking survivors and youth who are at-risk for trafficking. The program provides custom and individualized support to help participants transition ...
CARVER Ranks No. 3334 on the 2023 Inc. 5000
CARVER | August 15, 2023
For the 2nd Time, CARVER Makes the Inc. 5000, With Three-Year Revenue Growth of over 150 Percent NEW YORK, August 15, 2023 – Inc. revealed today that Atlanta-based CARVER ranks No. 3334 on the 2023 Inc. 5000, its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. First named to the Inc. 5000 in 2018 at 5 years, CARVER is now celebrating ten years of success. The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other household name brands ga...
