Group items tagged

THE HOSPITALITY SHOW 2024 will feature sustainability programming, including the co-location of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance's Autumn Summit. The Show, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, will take place in San Antonio, Texas, from Oct. 28-30. It will discuss net positive hospitality, share best practices, explore innovation opportunities and forge new collaborations. "We're honoured to be holding our Autumn Summit at The Hospitality Show in collaboration with the AHLA and Questex," said Glenn Mandziuk, WSHA's CEO. "It is significant to be holding our summit in the United States - a first for the alliance since its recent rebrand with a global reach - as we look to continue growing our US-based membership. We look forward to mapping out our ambitions and actions for 2025 with our members, partners and senior leaders, charting the future of the industry."

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association recently renamed its On the Road series of regional events to The Hospitality Show, providing networking opportunities and industry updates to hospitality professionals nationwide. The events enable hoteliers, suppliers, and service providers to connect and stay informed on market data and policies at federal, state, and local levels, AHLA said in a statement. The events, accessible to all individuals in the hospitality industry, will expand The Hospitality Show brand, the primary industry event launched last year, slated for Oct. 28 to 30 in San Antonio, the statement said. "After the phenomenal success of The Hospitality Show last year, we're bringing the best-in-class networking and learning opportunities from this industry-leading event to hospitality professionals in cities all across the country," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's interim president and CEO. "We can't wait to connect with stakeholders from Boston to California."

THE HOSPITALITY SHOW, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, recently concluded its second annual event. The three-day event at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, drew 4,800 attendees and 460 exhibitors, marking a 26 percent increase in attendance and a 43 percent rise in vendor participation. "The Hospitality Show exists to convene our industry's top operations and technology leaders and provide the best networking, learning, and deal-making opportunities," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's previous interim president and CEO. "After a successful 2023 event, this year's Show raised the bar, and next year's event in Denver will be larger." The Hospitality Show 2025 will take place Oct. 26 to 28 at the Denver Convention Center in downtown Denver.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and Questex recently updated the lineup of speakers and events for The Hospitality Show, scheduled for Oct. 28 to 30 in San Antonio, Texas. The Show will offer networking opportunities and showcase new products from more than 400 technology and operations vendors, AHLA and Questex said in a joint statement. Confirmed speakers include Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Liam Brown, group president for the U.S. and Canada at Marriott International; Kevin Jacobs, CFO and president of Global Development at Hilton Hotels & Resorts; Brian Kirkland, chief information officer of Choice Hotels International; Kristie Goshow, chief commercial officer of KSL Resorts; Kevin Korab, president of Guest Worldwide; Scott Strickland, chief commercial officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; and Greg Land, global segment leader for travel and hospitality at Amazon Web Services.

THE HOSPITALITY SHOW 2024, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, announced highlights recently, including keynote sessions by chef José Andrés on October 28 and franchise expert Scott Greenberg. The show will take place Oct. 28 to 30 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Andrés will present "Changing the World Through the Power of Food," while Greenberg will discuss strategies to elevate franchise operations. Greenberg's keynote will be followed by a fireside chat with Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. On Oct. 30, NFL reporter Erin Andrews will moderate the session "Creative Collaboration: The Ultimate Immersive Guest Experience," joined by Jonathan Tisch, executive chairman of Loews Hotels & Co., and Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences. They will discuss how storytelling transforms concepts from books and films into immersive guest experiences. Following the keynote, Andrews will join AHLA Foundation president Anna Blue for a ForWard Segment to discuss her career in sports broadcasting and her entrepreneurial venture, WEAR.

CHEF AND HUMANITARIAN José Andrés will deliver the opening keynote at The Hospitality Show on Oct. 28. The three-day event, organized by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, will take place from Oct. 28 to 30 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Additional speakers and program updates will be announced in the coming months, AHLA said in a statement. In the discussion titled "Changing the World Through the Power of Food," Andrés, a food and hunger advocate, will express his belief that "food is a basic human right," AHLA said. The World Central Kitchen, the non-profit he founded in 2010 to provide food relief after disasters, has delivered over 350 million meals worldwide. Andrés also founded José Andrés Group, which owns restaurants such as the two-Michelin-starred minibar in Washington D.C., Mercado Little Spain in New York City and multiple locations of the Bazaar by José Andrés, the statement said. Andrés popularized Spanish tapas in the U.S. and introduced avant-garde cuisine.

CORPORATE TRAVEL SPEND by U.S. companies is expected to grow 8 to 12 percent, reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, according to a recent Deloitte study. Around 73 percent of travel managers expect their companies' travel spend to increase in 2024, while 58 percent expect further increases in 2025, with projected gains averaging 14-15 percent each year. Deloitte's 2024 corporate travel report, "Upward Climb with Uphill Struggles," found that live events are a top growth driver, with 6 in 10 business travelers expecting to attend a conference, trade show or exhibition this year. "Business travel has been slower to come back following pandemic slowdowns, but this could be the year that it accelerates to new heights," said Eileen Crowley, Deloitte's vice chair and U.S. transportation, hospitality and services attest leader. "More employees are traveling for business-and enjoying it-underscoring that in-person connection often remains a critical component. As companies see a renewed benefit in the opportunities business travel provides, business leaders can capitalize on the enthusiasm and prioritize travel experiences that are valuable to both the organization and employee."

AAHOA recently appointed Viral Patel, Central Midwest regional director, and Nilesh Patel, director at large Eastern Division, to its board of directors for 2024-2025 term. "We are thrilled to welcome Viral Patel and Nilesh Patel to the AAHOA board of directors," said Miraj Patel, AAHOA's chairman. "Their proven leadership and deep-rooted commitment to the hospitality industry make them invaluable additions. Undoubtedly, their expertise will greatly benefit AAHOA and the entire hospitality community as we, the board of directors, continue to advocate for our members as we build tomorrow today." AAHOA recently rebranded its Regional Conferences and Trade Shows as "Hotel Owners Conferences & Trade Shows". The event will focus on initiatives like HerOwnership and HYPE roundtables, fostering connections among industry leaders to promote positive change and empower women and the next generation of leaders.

ADAM HARRIS, CEO of Cloudbeds, and Jacob Messina, CEO of Stayntouch, discussed the future of property management systems at the Hospitality Show, focusing on their role in connecting human experiences and improving efficiency amid rising costs. The event, produced by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, recently wrapped up its second annual edition at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Panelists Charles Oswald, CEO of Aperture Hotels, and Chris O'Donnell, COO of Atrium Hospitality, with moderator Michael Frenkel, president of Travel Conversations, focused on labor shortages and the need for reliable, intuitive technologies to ensure consistent service. While technology leaders were optimistic about PMS technology's potential to transform hospitality, Oswald and O'Donnell shifted the focus to the industry's pressing challenge: labor shortages on both sides of the front desk. They stressed that the most valuable technologies today are reliable and intuitive, placing the responsibility on tech leaders to ensure consistent service.

AT THE 2024 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show held last week in Orlando, Florida, history was being made at the same time it was being recalled. Miraj Patel assumed his role as the youngest chairman the association has had, while his predecessor Bharat Patel and AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake spoke on the legacy that led to the association's current success. AAHOACON24, the 35th national conference for the association, saw more than 7,000 registered attendees and 524 exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center, blocks away from Disneyworld and Universal Studios. It included more than 44 education sessions and had two times the number of sponsors than in 2023 with 26. Event revenue was 6 percent higher than 2023 and 31 percent higher than in 2022. The tradeshow sprawled over more than 84,500 square feet of exhibit space. In a speech during the first general session, Bharat presented his theory on what led to AAHOA's current status: compound success.

U.S. HOTEL CONSTRUCTION reached record levels in the fourth quarter of 2024, with 6,378 projects and 746,986 rooms in the pipeline, according to Lodging Econometrics' latest Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend report. This reflects 7 percent year-over-year growth in projects and an 8 percent increase in rooms. The U.S. hotel pipeline showed strong activity across all stages, LE said. Projects under construction totaled 1,149, with 142,238 rooms, a significant year-over-year increase, the report said. Furthermore, 2,259 projects with 259,108 rooms are scheduled to break ground in the next 12 months. Early planning reached a record high with 2,970 projects and 345,640 rooms, marking 15 percent growth in projects and a 19 percent rise in rooms compared to the previous year.

THE RECOVERY MAY be under way, but most of the top U.S. markets, 21 out of 25, remain at a recession or depression level, according to a report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Urban markets are in worst shape, with most still in a "depression cycle." The overall U.S. hotel industry remains in a "recession," according to AHLA's report citing STR data. The difficulty for urban markets is that they depend substantially on business from events and group meetings. Room revenue was down 52 percent in May compared to May 2019. New York City, for example, is still in a depression with nearly 200 hotels in the city closed due to the pandemic, taking with them 42,030 rooms, one-third of the city's supplies. Leisure travel is currently driving the recovery, but business and group travel, the industry's largest source of revenue, will take longer to recover. Current forecasts show that segment returning to 2019 levels in 2023 or 2024. Several major events, conventions and business meetings have already been canceled or postponed until at least 2022.

Steven Okuley is now the senior vice president for conferences and events at the American Hotel & Lodging Association. He will lead a team focused on creating and executing events for the association and the AHLA Foundation, AHLA said in a statement. "As the leading organization representing every segment of the hotel industry, AHLA plays an important role in bringing together hoteliers, vendors, and other stakeholders to network, learn, and make deals that create jobs and prosperity," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's interim president and CEO. "Steven's experience in planning and executing industry events will help us grow our lineup of conferences, which are key to our membership value proposition and support our advocacy and charitable work." Before joining AHLA, Okuley was director of B2B customer engagement and communication at American Airlines, overseeing global sales and distribution tradeshows, internal meetings, customer events, sales incentives and advisory boards. He also served as director of global meetings and events for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

ORAVEL STAYS LTD., OYO's parent firm, and SoftBank Group recently launched their premium hospitality brand, SUNDAY, in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, OYO's serviced hotels business saw 250 percent growth in its first year, adding 700 hotels since September 2023, surpassing its target of 200. The international expansion is part of OYO's ongoing efforts to strengthen its premium property portfolio globally, the company said in a statement. "Our data shows growing demand for premium, experience-driven accommodations," said Puneet Yadav, Oravel's UK business head. "This strategic move allows us to tap into the luxury segment while maintaining our commitment to delivering value across all price points."