Smart Meetings | Page 105 of 602 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

Chris Jennings

man wearing blue dress shirt and blue sport coat

Jennings is general manager at The Lake House on Canandaigua in New York. He most recently worked as director of operations for JW Marriott Nashville, where he played a large part in its opening in 2018. Throughout his hospitality career, he also worked in directorial roles at The Don Cesar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, and The St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kauai, Hawaii.

Amanda Rodriguez

woman smiling, wearing black dress shirt

Miami’s Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel named Rodriguez director of sales and marketing. Rodriguez comes from The Stand Miami, where she most recently worked as director of sales and catering. She also worked at the front desk of The Delano in South Beach, Florida while attending Florida International University

Juliana Liew

woman sitting, wearing blue sport coat and blue dress shirt

Liew is general manager at Fusion Suites Vung Tau in Vietnam. Liew most recently worked as general manager at Fusion Suites Saigon. Before joining Fusion Hotel Group, Liew worked as resort manager for Cassia Cottage Phu Quoc in Vietnam.

Taylor Abbate, CMP, DES, HMCC

woman smiling, wearing black dress shirt

Abbate is director of national sales for CSI DMC. Abbate comes from Bishop-McCann, where she worked as attendee experience manager. She also worked as a meeting planner for American Public Works Association in Kansas City, Missouri. Abbate is an active member of MPI and PCMA, and also served as membership chair, Emerging Leaders co-chair and sat on the board of director of the PCMA Heartland Chapter.

Dawn Spann

woman standing in field, wearing black shirt with white vertical lines

Spann is director of spa for The Charleston Place in South Carolina. Spann previously worked at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, as director of spa and wellness. She has more than two decades of experience in the spa and wellness industry, which includes developing spa and wellness programs and concepts at Mii Amo in Sedona, Arizona, The Spa at Cliff House Resort in Cape Neddick, Maine and Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington, where she spent nearly 10 years.

Christopher Roden

man smiling, wearing blue sport coat and white dress shirt

Roden is senior public events manager for Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. This promotion follows his previous position at the complex as events trust fund program coordinator. He joined Will Rogers Memorial Center in 2014 as an entry-level service attendant.

Karleen Johnson

Johnson is director of sales for TradeWinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach, Florida. She most recently worked as assistant director of sales for the resort complex, during which she was named TradeWinds Sales Manager of the Year four times. Johnson began her career with TradeWinds 22 year ago as catering sales and convention services manager.

Elvira Velez and Rob DeCanter

woman on left wearing red sport coat and white dress shirt and man on right wearing blue dress coat and white dress shirt — Elvira Velez (left) and Rob DeCanter (right)

Velez is director of catering and conference services and DeCanter is senior director of group sales for Fairmont Dallas.

Velez most recently worked as regional director of catering and conference services for Remington Hotels. She has also worked as director of event planning at W Dallas Victory Park, task force senior manager at San Francisco Marriott Union Square, and senior groups and conventions manager and group auditor at Gran Melia Puerto Rico in Ponce.

DeCanter previously worked as the property’s director of group sales. Before joining Fairmont Dallas, DeCanter worked as group sales manager at Fairmont Newport Beach and senior sales manager at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, both in California.

Mike Kass

man folding arms, wearing pink floral shirt

Highgate has named Kass area managing director for the Hawaii region, where he will serve as general manager at ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach and will support operations at Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows. Kass most recently worked at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa as general manager. He also worked as general manager for San Francisco Marriott Marquis, as well as held management positions with The Ritz-Carlton Maui Kapalua in Hawaii and Dover Mountain Resort in Tucson, Arizona.

Shane Nicolopoulos

man wearing white dress shirt and blue sport coat

Nicolopoulos is general manager at Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in Cambridge, Maryland. Nicolopoulos comes from Portland, Oregon, where he worked as general manager for Hyatt Regency Portland. He has also held leading positions at Andaz San Diego, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale in Arizona, Hyatt Regency Albuquerque in New Mexico and Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove, California.

Fifteen years ago, a pair of Broadway performers had a vision for bringing the energy, fun and community of New York City’s bright lights to Northern California’s wine country. Amy Miller and her husband Brad Surosky spent the Great Recession traveling the country in an RV, talking to theater groups about how they built their audiences and emerged with a vision for an outdoor experience that was integrated with Sonoma County’s people and the landscape. “It really was serendipitous how we found this special place,” said Miller, now artistic director of Transcendence Theater Company with Surosky, who serves as executive director of the nonprofit whose mission is to “create extraordinary experiences that inspire all to cherish life and live it to the fullest.”

Amy Miller

A full season of productions is staged each summer and fall in Jack London State Historic Park, the site where the legendary author built a sustainable ranch in his personal Valley of the Moon, Glen Ellen. With rolling vineyards in the background and framed by the outline of a foundation of a winery and the stone archway that once led to the structure, off-season Broadway performers sing and dance their way through reimagined show tunes. This year’s offerings include a decade-themed “The Beat Goes On” medley and a performance of “The Full Monty.” Miller tries to raise the bar every year on the product being delivered. It is a combination of performance, show and community gathering.

Read More: A Band of Female Event Producers

Brad Surosky, Transcendence Theatre Company — Brad Surosky

“It is all about connection with the performers, each other and nature,” said Miller. “We break down the fourth wall; it is very intimate,” she said. Performers mingle with the audience at nightly pre-show picnics, taking tickets, pouring wine and chatting. Because the sun is often still up during the first act, unlike in a dark theater, everyone can see each other and audiences often stand and clap and sing along. Only in the second act do the moon and stars come out and the drama kicks up.

A combination of classic elements that make people feel comfortable and surprises such as fresh arrangements of favorite tunes or unexpected delivery by putting the singer on a horse or in a nontraditional costume elevates the focus. “I know the crowd after all these years. I’m all about having the best night ever by giving people the music they want that is fun and heartfelt,” Miller said.

Transcendence pre-show picnic under oak trees — Pre-show picnic in Jack London State Historic Park

The performance company is intertwined with its adopted community. Transcendence donates tickets to underserved communities, stages a kid’s camp and participates in a mentoring alliance. Volunteers ensure that everyone feels they belong, local hosts offer housing for visiting performers and companies bring incentive and corporate groups to be part of the action. Because the unique venue is a manageable drive from San Francisco, some groups from conferences in the Bay Area bring their VIPs to the experience.“Musical theater unites people,” Miller said. “When you are enjoying music together, your heartbeats synch. That is true team building when everyone leaves inspired.”

What elements should meeting planners look for when sourcing to forge better group connections

With the focus on the return of meetings, many meeting planners are seeking unforgettable locations for their next event that will provide ease and accessibility for their attendees.

woman wearing pearls and black dress shirt with long mesh sleeves — Kate De Master

In this post-pandemic world, many groups are more comfortable being indoors than they have been over the past few years. However, we are continuing to see a trend of many attendees wanting to spend time outdoors. The trend of being outside is continuing to be a driver for events and plays a key role in many aspects of planning a meeting from the selection of a venue’s location and dining experiences to group activities and increased networking times.

While many downtown locations lack the outdoor space and opportunities for a more leisure-inspired getaway experience, an “urban oasis” setting can be the key to providing the best of both worlds for attendees. Here are my top tips on ways to leverage your next downtown function.

Venue Sourcing Win-Wins

When deciding on an event location, it is crucial that planners consider the destination’s proximity to a prominent airport, access to convenient ground transportation and nearby activities and attractions. The closer groups are to these necessary amenities, the easier getting to the function will be, which will translate to less stressed attendees. When attendees are less stressed from the frustrations of extended or delayed travel, they are more likely to enjoy the event. Additionally, most downtown urban core properties are specifically positioned for business and tourism, providing guests with direct access to the culture and attractions of the city.

While the convenience of the city is important, it is also important to consider the leisure-focused activities a destination will offer attendees as well as the access it provides to spending time outdoors. An “urban oasis” like downtown Jacksonville can offer the best of both worlds. Guests have the opportunity to experience local restaurants and stores, prominent historical sites, world-class museums and sporting events, all complemented by the oasis setting of our beautiful and expansive riverfront and close proximity to the area’s premier beaches.

Set the Stage with an Inspiring Outdoor Meeting Setting

The purpose of hosting an event is for people to learn and network, so it’s important to set the stage with an inspiring setting and there’s no better way to do that than by getting outside and showcasing the destination. In addition to providing inspiring settings for groups, taking a meeting outdoors helps to break up the function and keep attendees refreshed and focused.

Read More: Discover Florida’s First Coast

I’ve seen several organizations start the day with a morning yoga session overlooking the river on one of our hotel’s river deck venues, or take a quick running or walking break on the several surrounding trails to help attendees reset after a long session. Another trend I’ve noticed is that many planners are opting for al fresco dining with food stations or a set-up of multiple food trucks where attendees can select their preferred cuisine.

Ask Questions and Leverage the Venue’s Partnerships

When coordinating an event, planners should ask their venue about their relationship with the destination’s convention and visitors bureau, as well as other partner organizations. I’ve found that a large portion of meetings have active missions, goals, wellness and charity initiatives that align with our hotel and partner organizations, so there have been many times when we have all worked together to help facilitate those goals.

For example, through the Together by Hyatt program here at our hotel, we can assist groups in securing guest speakers, creating unique experiences and utilize technology in new and interactive ways for the benefit of a meeting. Our team also works with several partners that can assist groups with corporate social responsibility programs such as Re-Threaded, an organization that supports human trafficking rehabilitation, where groups can give back.

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Kate De Master is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Hyatt Regency Jacksonville. With more than 20 years of experience planning unforgettable meeting experiences, De Master has worked at several Hyatt properties throughout the country, from Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago to Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor.

Engaging audience comprehension and understanding

Everyone learns and absorbs information differently. Especially in a meeting space. Knowing how attendees best absorb information could result in a positive outcome for everyone involved.

Whether someone is a visual, kinesthetic (learn-by-doing), verbal, logical or auditory learner, there are a variety of ways of engaging and providing appropriate recourse.

Interactive Learning

man smiling, wearing grey sport coat and green dress shirt — Ryan Mazon

Smart Meetings spoke with Ryan Mazon, vice president of business development of Array, a content engagement partner for life sciences events. At events, Array uses a network of iPads that allows attendees to interact with the content being presented to them.

“If they see something that they like, they can take a note and they can just type in a note to themselves—they create personal portfolios of information,” Mazon said. “Those other types of learners are ones that can draw on slides and can circle certain things instead of typing them out. They are interacting with more of a hands-on type of scenario.”

Engaging the Confusion

When it comes to polling at events, Array can show real-time results once attendees have punched in their responses.

Though the process of polling isn’t new, Array aims to benchmark the audience during the session. “We ask them the question—we get the result,” Mazon explains, adding that the presenter can also see the results in real time and is then able to adjust the focus and flow based on where the audience is.

“[In] a lot of life science type of meetings, it’s very important that the individuals who are being trained understand that they’re being trained,” he said. “It’s not about the 86% who are telling you: I get it. It’s the 14% who are walking out saying thank you, I’m still confused, or I’m going to do it wrong.”

When an audience member engages the Array iPad with a question or comment it doesn’t disappear into the void. All queries submitted are responded to live by either the presenter or a staff member.

“When a reply is received through our system, we see a 46% increase in the number of questions that are even asked. They’ve received a response. Oh, someone’s listening to me.”

The Transfer of Knowledge

In real-time, Array can see the transfer of knowledge between the presenter, the iPad and the attendee.

Mazon points to the forgetting curve that shows how information is lost when someone doesn’t try to retain it. “We address that forgetting curve because as they’re learning, they’re taking notes and they’re contributing to this portfolio. What we’re doing is collating all those notes into individualized emails. We’re sending them those learnings immediately after the event, which is going to then spark remembrance.”

Re-engaging the Audience

Once the Array team leaves the event and returns to Denver, the data security team begins to pull the information off the servers and creates individualized emails for the attendees. While it is common practice for presenters to send out the entire slide presentation to the attendees, Array operates a little differently.

Read More: Elevating Engagement

Array focuses on the pieces of information that the attendees engaged with during the event—mainly those specific portions that an attendee saved during the presentation.

“Instead of them having to go through all the decks and what was it that presenter said that changed my whole day?” he asked. “‘I have to go search for it.’ They probably won’t remember. If we pull it out and we get it to them immediately after the event, well then it’s top of mind and it’s on there. It’s in their inbox as soon as they get back to the office.”

Keeping the various forms of communication and information in mind when planning for the attendee experience can be extremely beneficial from an educational point of view, “You should be able to touch each one of these individuals in a way it’s going to resonate the best.”

Two refreshed Ritz-Carltons and Vegas’ first “cannabis-inclusive” hotel

Early summer sees the opening of two renovated Ritz-Carlton hotels and the opening of what is self-billed as “Las Vegas’ first cannabis-inclusive hotel.”

Chicago Deep Dish

meeting room with wood grain table and chairs — Skyline Suite, Ritz-Carlton, Chicago

The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago has undergone a $100-million renovation. All 434 guest rooms received an extensive facelift. Meeting rooms are spread across 25,000 sq. ft., offering views of Michigan Avenue or Lake Michigan. The property also includes Chicago’s largest luxury ballroom at 8,370 sq. ft. Other notable locations include the modern 1,450-square-foot St. Clair Foyer and the 456-square-foot Gallery.

Vanderbilt Rules

lounge area with tables and chairs — The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Club Lounge

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples reopens on July 6th with a new Vanderbilt Tower, featuring an expanded Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge and seventy club-level guest rooms along with a new resort lobby and three new dining experiences. The re-invented resort includes new pools, bungalows and cabanas. All of the resort’s 474 guest rooms have been redesigned.

Viva Los Cannabis

The Lexi Hotel opens its doors to guests on Friday, June 2, 2023. The boutique hotel opens with 64 newly designed rooms and suites. The hotel bills itself as “the only cannabis-inclusive property in town” and is the flagship hotel of Elevation Hotels and Resorts.

guest room with white and grey walls

As the newest addition to the Elevations Hotels and Resorts portfolio. Previously Artisan Hotel Boutique, The Lexi has undergone a multimillion dollar renovation and includes a state-of-the-art RestorAir filtration system in each room, which employs Advanced Oxidation Cell (AOC) technology (rooms on fourth floor are billed as “cannabis-friendly” and have higher levels of filtration).

The Lexi also boasts a members-only lounge, Elevations Nation. As a member, guests have access to a private space designed to host exclusive dinners, experiences and unique offerings. Marijuana will not be approved for use on-site (except the fourth floor), however, until laws for public consumption are introduced, expected in the years to come.

10 Apps to Become More Mindful and Stress-Free

Forcing yourself to relax in an industry that’s always busy and fast-moving like event and meeting planning? No way—except you absolutely can with five minutes, meditation apps and your smartphone. Some apps even have specialty modes that deal with airports and travel stress that are perfect for business travelers.

These meditation apps are like a buffet: Find the one that works for you and live happy, and be far more mindful than you were before.

Aura

1. Aura

Available on iOS and Android for free.

In this artificially intelligent app, Aura’s three-minute guided meditation sessions are just the start. You level up as you learn, even setting daily streaks as you move toward becoming more mindful. Mood tracking is also included, as well as a gratitude journal to keep yourself reminded of what you are thankful for. Top this all off with 30-second “mindful breathers,” providing a quick timeout for your life.

Buddhify

2. buddhify

Available on iOS for $4.99 and Android for $2.99.

Get your Buddha on with buddhify, an app that focuses on what you’re doing and how meditation can be applied. Whether you’re feeling stressed, walking in the city or eating, more than 80 specific guided meditation sessions will walk you through to a more mindful state. Buddhify is a solid option for anyone who is too busy to even figure out which meditation sessions work best for that moment, as the wheel of activities does all the selecting for you. Either select what you’re doing—traveling, for instance—or opt for a Solo session without audio and you’ll be on your way to being closer to Buddha.

3. Breethe

Available on iOS and Android for free.

Breethe’s 10-minute guided meditation may seem a little longer than other apps on this list, but the smartphone app also has a web tie-in, where you can check your progress or even meditate right at your desk from your browser. This app can also be used with kids, if some of you want to get your family on the mindfulness boat. Breethe targets specific states of mind to guide you through meditation—some examples include “Dealing with Pressure,” for those of us with deadlines, and “Public Places,” which can guide you through a meditation exercise with your eyes open.

4. Calm

Available on iOS and Android for free.

Calm, a web and smartphone app that work together, targets specific parts of your life—breathing, meditating, relaxing and sleeping—to become more mindful. Meditating daily with Calm offers serenity in different aspects of our thought processes—patience, paying attention, kindness and others—to become more present. You can also use Calm to read you Sleep Stories, a new feature that promotes deep sleep by calling back to childhood with bedtime stories. The different soundtracks for relaxation are perfect for a busy airport.

Headspace

5. Headspace

Available on iOS and Android for free with the Basics pack or, for more, a $12.99 per month subscription.

Headspace is essentially separated into two forms with its subscription service. The free version of the app focuses on the basics of meditation and mindfulness, perfect for beginners. Once you have settled into that, Headspace offers a $12.99 monthly subscription, which allows access to hundreds of meditation packs. One noteworthy aspect of Headspace is the meditations that help focus on relationships, exercise and other parts of your life that the idea of meditation may not initially fit. Headspace also offers a workplace partnership to help companies move their employees in a more mindful direction—currently, Headspace is working with companies such as LinkedIn, Google and General Electric.

Insight Timer

6. Insight Timer

Available on iOS and Android for free.

Insight Timer boasts over 2 million meditators, and you could join the meditation party with this app’s focus on community and sharing. Insight Timer’s social component makes this one a little different from the others; however, the basis is the same. You can either choose guided meditations through the crowdsourced variety of situations, types and focuses in meditation, or take things into your own hands and use the timer with either ambient sounds or calming bells. Insight Timer also uses teachers, who upload their own guided meditations, as well as groups, which are tailored to specific demographics or motivations for mindfulness.

7. Omvana

Available on iOS and Android for free.

Omvana emphasizes not only meditation and mindfulness, but also focus, inspiration, relaxation and sleep. The main form of meditation is delivered through tracks. Initially, you receive 25 tracks for free, but you can purchase additional packs of tracks—including “Accelerate Weight Loss” ($7.99) and “Get Motivated & End Procrastination” ($4.99). Omvana seems to target personal growth through its tracks system rather than just meditation, but it’s an option for people who are looking to improve their life through self-help.

8. Pause and Sway

Pause, available on iOS and Android for $1.99. Sway, available on iOS for $2.99.

Pause is unique on this list because it requires touch for you to hone in and focus on your meditation. Using your finger, you continually trace the screen and follow the audiovisual cues. The idea here is to keep you in the present and focused on the task at hand, thereby reclaiming your mind in a stressful or difficult time. The company behind Pause also released Sway, an app, only available on iOS that tracks your body and hand movements to have you sway as you meditate—perfect for a commute or standing in line. Both apps are beautifully designed and use sound as well as visuals to help you be more mindful.

Simple Habit

9. Simple Habit

Available on iOS and Android for free with limited access or $11.99 per month for premium.

Simple Habit is all about making a recurring, long-standing habit out of meditating. Unlimited access, as well as offline availability, is offered for $11.99 per month. Guided meditations are led by more than 60 “leaders of mindfulness,” with the major point in Simple Habit being the daily streaks. Simple Habit’s On-the-Go feature is perfect for busy planners. Its ease of use online in its web app as well as the smartphone app allow meditation to really happen anywhere, making sure you stick to your new daily task. Activities also sit front and center of Simple Habit, whether you’re having trouble sleeping or frustrated at work.

10. Stop, Breathe & Think

Available on iOS and Android for free with basic meditations or $9.99 per month for premium.

Stop, Breathe & Think allows you to take five minutes to check in with yourself and how you’re feeling, using that as a springboard to guide your meditation and track your moods. This app also brings mindful breathing to the forefront followed by a thinking process to make you feel more at peace. Stop, Breathe & Think also separates its basic meditations in the free version, while the premium version, available for $9.99 per month, offers more than 45 meditation tracks, eight yoga and acupressure videos and additional soundscapes. You can also add Stop, Breathe & Think to your Amazon Echo or Dot with its Alexa skill. Workplaces that use Slack can utilize their bot to make sure co-workers are in the right mindset.

Looking into the desires of incentive travel attendees

The term “incentive travel” is full of positive associations: Taking a trip abroad, creating memories with favored colleagues or exploring a culture you never would have otherwise. Not only does this have a positive effect on attendees individually but it creates stronger relationships and a more enjoyable and productive work environment.

SITE Foundation recently released a study, “Participant inSITEs,” in collaboration with Hilton Hotels and IMEX Group, that takes a deep dive into how attendees feel about incentive trips and what makes them desire them in the first place. This insightful study, which consisted of 825 participants, featured responses from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa/Middle East, from different business sectors, including food services, insurance, travel and hospitality and pharmaceutical.

Communication

It’s tough to keep employees privy to incentive opportunities if they don’t know they exist. It turns out, most employees are kept abreast of incentive trip possibilities, but at varying frequencies. Just over 35% of respondents reported receiving communication about incentive travel programs on a monthly basis. Just under 30% reported communication being weekly and roughly 20% said they receive communication every few months.

Most reported they’re content with the frequency in which they receive communication, with 62% saying they’d be okay if the frequency went unchanged, while 32% said they would like communication to occur more often. A small percentage—6%—reported they would favor less communication.

The study shows that the more frequent the communication, the more likely participants are to be positively impacted by the news, and with that, their desire to qualify for incentive trips increases. More than 80% of participants who receive communications multiple times per week reported feeling “extremely positive” or “somewhat positive,” even weekly communications received an “extremely positive” or “somewhat positive” report from more than 80% of respondents, although it leaned more “somewhat positive.”

It’s also worth noting that the response to “extremely negative” sentiments regarding communication—while low, at around 4%—was highest among those who received communication multiple times per week.

To Motivate or Demotivate

Beyond the larger theme of incentive travel itself, there must be motivations behind why employees want to earn incentive travel as a reward. Among most regions, excluding Asia/Pacific, the No. 1 most motivating factor is “trip destination,” felt most strongly by Africa/Middle East and America. For Asia/Pacific, the top ranking factor is “trip activities”; trip destination came in second. Trip activities ranked second among Africa/Middle East and Europe.

North American respondents ranked “intangible benefits” as No. 2. Latin America ranked “encouragement from spouse” as No. 2.

As for motivation in general, 86% of respondents reported being motivated to qualify for incentive travel programs and more than half said they were “extremely motivated” to qualify. It’s notable that extreme motivation varied markedly among regions, with extremely motivated respondents coming mostly from Africa/Middle East (67%) and North America (62%). Extreme motivation was felt less among respondents in Latin America (39%) and Europe (38%).

Group Travel and Free Time

Travel rewards are the No. 1 preferred choice over other types of rewards among more than 70% of respondents. Just over 60% of respondents said they preferred the option to choose their reward over having a travel reward.

Fifty-five percent of the total surveyed say they prefer group travel over individual travel. Where this preference differed individually is with Europe and Latin America, countries which responded that they prefer individual travel rewards over group rewards, 49% and 46%, respectively.

As for where groups would like to go, international destinations ranked No. 1 among four of the five regions, Europe being the exception, which prioritizes the “culturally unique” above all. Overall, “sunny/beach destinations” ranked No. 2, although individually, this ranked No. 2 with Europe, No. 3 with North America and Latin America, and No. 4 with Africa/Middle East and Asia/Pacific.

When finally at destination attendees value free time and time with their spouse most of all. The activity ranked No. 3, immersive cultural activity, is ranked significantly lower in regard to desirability, indicating just how important the first two are across all regions.

When asked to rank how important certain intangible benefits of incentive travel are to them, “cherished memories” and “quality time with spouse” took the top spots for all regions. For Asia Pacific and Latin America, “exposure to new destinations and cultures” took the No. 2 spot.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated June 11, 2023, to reflect more hotel and ride-sharing partnerships.

Thanks to a partnership with Uber, Hilton and Marriott loyalty members can book directly through the brands and earn points. Guests that have downloaded Hilton’s HHonors app can bypass the Uber app entirely and book their transportation directly through the HHonors app. Additionally, the hotel app will automatically encourage users to set up notification alerts to remind them, for example, to schedule an Uber pick-up for a meeting across town or an early morning lift to the airport.

This is an expansion of Hilton’s innovative HHonors app, which already allowed customers to use it to book, check into and unlock their guest rooms.

More Features to Come

The Hilton app will also integrate Uber’s aggregate rider data in some cities, giving Hilton guests information about local hotspots. The feature. christened “Local Scene,” initially will roll out in 20 U.S. locations. The recommendations will emanate from Uber data indicating how many riders are requesting to go to a particular restaurant, nightclub or bar at any given time. This part of the Uber/Hilton partnership is particularly unique, as it represents the first time Uber is allowing another company to utilize its rider location data.

Uber assures Hilton guests that their private information, including destinations Uber may have taken them to, will remain confidential. Likewise, personal information contained in the Hilton app is also protected so Uber cannot access it.

Uber Loves Partnerships

As hotelmanagement.net points out, Hilton is not the first company to partner with the popular ride-sharing service. Earlier this year, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide began allowing travelers to link their Starwood Preferred Guest program with Uber to earn points for use at any Starwood property. Marriott Bonvoy and Uber launched a partnership in 2021, enabling members to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for food delivery and rides. Once a member’s accounts are linked, they will be able to earn a varied amount of points in the United States, depending on a tiered system of purchase types. Uber also has relationships with OpenTable, Starbucks, Foursquare and United Airlines.

Grubhub and Hilton

Mobile food-ordering platform Grubhub has partnered with Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton’s extended-stay brand. Through the Grubhub app, guests will have access to off-property dining options at nearly 500 Homewood Suites locations across the U.S.

Bill Jordan

man wearing light blue sport coat and white dress shirt

Jordan is director of sales and marketing for The Kimpton Pittman Hotel Dallas. Jordan comes from Omni Houston Hotel at Westside as director of operations. He also worked on the opening team at Houston’s Texas Medical Center, as well as director of sales at Omni Fort Worth Hotel and director of sales and marketing at Omni Richmond Hotel in Virginia, where he was awarded Director of Sales and Marketing of the Year in 2008.

Nestor Nuñez, Colleen Buchanan and Karen Bippert, CTE, CTA

woman wearing black coat with white threading — Nestor Nuñez (left), Colleen Buchanan (middle) and Karen Bippert (right)

Nuñez is director of corporate sales, citywide; Buchanan is senior sales manager; and Bippert is associate director of destination experience for Visit San Antonio.

Now handling Texas and the West Coast for citywides, Nunez most recently worked for the organization as senior sales manager for the Northeast U.S. and Canada.

Buchanan previously worked as Visit San Antonio’s national sales manager, in addition to other roles within the organization. Before joining Visit San Antonio, Buchanan worked as event manager for Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

Before her promotion, Bippert worked as Visit San Antonio’s destination experience manager. Before Visit San Antonio, Bippert worked as director of sales and marketing for The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum and Texas Ranger Museum, and sales and marketing manager for Alamo IMAX Theatre Rivercenter, both in San Antonio.

Juan Calderon

man smiling wearing blue suit

Marriott Marquis Houston has named Calderon hotel manager. Calderon has been with Marriott International for 20 years, most recently as general manager at Marriott Dallas Downtown. His hospitality experience in the Dallas-Fort Worth region extends even further, holding other leading positions such as general manager of Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Westlake Solana and director of hotel operations for The Renaissance Dallas. He also served on the board of the North Texas Hotel Association.

Eric Rozenberg

man sitting head in plam, wearing black long sleeve dress shirt

Rozenberg is international consultant for Associated Luxury Hotel International’s Strategic Consulting Services division. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies for more than two decades and has produced sales meetings, incentive trips and conferences in more than 50 countries.

Mustafa Bulmus

man sitting down wearing black suit

Bulmus has been named general manager for The Bodrum Edition in Yalikavak, Turkey. This marks a return to the property as he previously worked as hotel manager in 2021. Most recently, he worked as opening general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Residences Istanbul and general manager for W Istanbul.

Trevor Ferguson and Michelle Brown

man on left wearing white dress shirt and black sport coat and woman on right black sport coat and white dress shirt — Trevor Ferguson (left) and Michelle Brown (right)

Ferguson is chief operating officer and Brown is senior vice president of operations and customer excellence at Encore.

Ferguson comes from Aramark, where he worked as president and chief operating officer for the company’s higher education program.

Brown previously worked with United Airlines, where she was vice president of digital products and analytics. She also worked as the airline’s chief finance officer of commercial business units, managing director of airport operations and managing director of its MileagePlus loyalty program.

Alyssa Robin

woman wearing green coat and light brown dress shirt

Robin is campus general manager for the dual-branded Hotel Citrine and AC Hotel Palo Alto in Northern California. Robin comes from Radiate Hospitality as regional director of operations, where she oversaw operations for three Bay Area properties. She also worked as assistant general manager for Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel, and director of restaurants and bars for Westin Savannah Harbor Golf and Resort in Georgia.

Tauseen Malik

man leaning on wall, wearing blue suit

Malik is general manager of The Morrow Hotel in Washington, D.C. Malik comes from another D.C.-based property, Yours Truly DC Hotel, where he worked as general manager. Before this, he worked as complex general manager at Hilton Portland Downtown and The Duniway Hotel in Oregon.

He also worked as general manager for The Adolphus in Dallas and The Drury Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has been involved with numerous travel associations, including Travel Portland, Hotel Association of North Texas and Santa Fe Lodgers Associations.

Scott McArdle

man wearing white dress shirt and blue sport coat

McArdle is general manager for Alaia Belize, Autograph Collection in Ambergris Caye, Belize. McArdle comes from the United Kingdom, where he worked as general manager at Virgin Hotels in Edinburgh, Scotland. He also worked as general manager at Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina in British Virgin Islands and Perle Oban Hotel & Spa in Glasgow, Scotland.

Irene Campana

woman wearing mesh white shirt

Campana is director of spa at the newly opened Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Campana previously worked at Mexico’s Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal as spa director. She also worked as spa director in Caribbean-based hotels, such as Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana in Havana, Cuba, and Chable Maroma in Mexico.

New York City’s Smoke Haze Clears, but Officials Warn of “New Normal”

New York City’s smoke haze cleared to “moderate” levels on Friday, however, officials warn of potential “new normal” similar circumstances as Canada’s wildfire season doesn’t officially start until August.

In New York City, officials were warning that minute particles toxic to the body are still in the air and that, as of Friday, people should consider staying indoors.

The situation is set to clear to more normal levels over the weekend with Governor Kathy Hochul saying that outdoor events over the weekend would likely resume. Mayor Eric Adams asked both public and private groups to cancel outdoor events on Thursday and Friday.

Meantime, the Javits Center remained open this week. Tony Sclafani, senior vice president and chief communications officer told Smart Meetings,” No events have been canceled due to the air quality concerns in New York City. However, the Javits Center is equipped with hospital-grade air filters to reduce any air pollutants.”

Canadian CVB officials in Toronto and Quebec told Smart Meetings that they were monitoring the situation closely but that in both cities, smoke was not affecting either destination to the extent that it was in NY and on the Eastern Seaboard.

Over 5,000 flights were delayed or canceled this week due to smoke conditions in the Eastern part of the United States.

American Airlines Ups Summer Travel Extras

American Airlines has announced that it will increase Wi-Fi connectivity this summer and offer free Wi-Fi to T-Mobile customers. The airline is also adding food options to transcontinental flights.

By July, the airline will offer T-Mobile In-Flight Connection On Us which allows eligible T-Mobile customers to get complimentary streaming services inflight. The airline is also promising faster Wi-Fi speeds and increased bandwidth on its widebody aircraft this summer.

Health-conscious customers flying on transcontinental American Flagship service flights have a new premium entrée to choose from with American’s new plant-based bulgogi noodle bowl. Customers flying in premium cabins to Europe from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport this summer can choose dishes from Avli on the Park, a Michelin 2023 honoree Greek restaurant based in Chicago.

The airline is also adding options to its Buy on Board program.

IHG Hotels & Resorts Launches New Mobile Product

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), has announced the launch of a new mobile product feature—IHG Wi-Fi Auto Connect. Available at scale in hotels, the feature is now available exclusively in the IHG One Rewards mobile app for both iOS and Android users and will automatically connect IHG One Rewards members to Wi-Fi upon arrival at over 5,000 IHG hotels worldwide.

IHG Wi-Fi Auto Connect is enabled by the newly redesigned IHG app and IHG’s proprietary internet solution, IHG One Rewards Wi-Fi. Guests who opt-in via their mobile devices will join the internet upon entering a hotel without needing separate login codes or passwords. A one-time set-up is required via the app. New app booking features also allow guests to select room enhancements during booking, including rooms with specific views or more space.