LAS VEGAS (December 2016) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association Las Vegas board of directors, comprising the destination’s top hotel and tourism executives representing resort properties and tourism marketing agencies, announces the Top Five Travel and Tourism Trends for Las Vegas in 2017. HSMAI’s roster of professional development programming offered in the coming year will address each of these trends:
- Alternative payments—such as Apple Pay and other emerging payment technology—are evolving at a quick pace, revealing the need to develop an industry-wide platform for banking and financial transactions.
- Growing hospitality companies will need to calculate the cost of acquisition as well as foresee other additional layers of costs associated with expanding businesses.
- Should the Federal Trade Commission issue new laws governing the disclosure of resort fees, resort companies will need to adapt quickly.
- Any continued uncertainty in the global political and economic outlook can be expected to have an impact on disposable income as well as inbound international travel.
- Delivering a high-quality guest experience for leisure travelers and meetings attendees remains paramount.
“Our industry is dynamic, flexible and innovative,” said Chris Meyer, member, HSMAI Las Vegas board of directors, and vice president of global business, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “As for the emerging trends HSMAI Las Vegas has identified, I’m confident Las Vegas will set the standard for the way the entire travel and tourism industry chooses to address them.” In addition, HSMAI Las Vegas announces its 2017 board of directors:
- Chandra Allison, vice president of sales, The Venetian | Palazzo Resorts Las Vegas
- Vail R. Brown, CMHS, senior vice president of global business development and marketing, STR
- Angie Dobney, CRME, vice president of pricing and revenue management services, The Rainmaker Group
- Jack Easdale, senior vice president, revenue management and enterprise analytics, The Venetian | Palazzo Resorts Las Vegas and the Sands Expo Center
- Chris Flatt, Executive Vice President of Hotel Sales and Marketing, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore
- Ken Gifford, vice president of revenue management, SLS Hotel
- Rian Kirkman, vice president of marketing, The Venetian | Palazzo Resorts Las Vegas
- Gavin Mealiffe, vice president of sales, Tropicana Las Vegas
- Chris Meyer, vice president of global business, Las Vegas of Convention of Visitors Authority
- Charisse Nicholls. area manager, gaming, Expedia® Lodging Partner Services
- Stowe Shoemaker, dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada Las Vegas College of Hotel Administration
- Gus Tejeda, director of marketing, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
- Amanda Voss, Vice President of Sales Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
