Education & Inspiration

Industry Updates

ALHI

Connecting the Dots: How Supply, Demand Impact Travel, Hotels, Meetings Mar 15
  • 5 min read

Editor’s Note: Connecting the Dots is a series of monthly conversations with Michael Dominguez, President and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International. The series examines issues in the global economy in 2024 that will “connect the dots” to be helpful…

Connecting the Dots: How Supply, Demand Impact Travel, Hotels, Meetings Feb 08
  • 6 min read

Editor’s Note: Connecting the Dots is a series of monthly conversations with Michael Dominguez, President and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International. The series examines issues in the global economy in 2024 that will “connect the dots” to be helpful…

Connecting the Dots: How Supply, Demand Impact Travel, Hotels, Meetings Jan 15
Industry Updates

New ALHI Series to Examine Key Global Issues

  • 5 min read

Editor’s Note: Welcome to the first installment of Connecting the Dots, a series of monthly conversations with Michael Dominguez, President and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International. The series will examine issues in the global economy in 2024 that will…

10 Most Read ALHI Insider Stories in 2023 Dec 11
Industry Updates

10 Most Read ALHI Insider Stories in 2023

  • 1 min read

A look back at the 10 most read stories from the ALHI Insider newsletter in 2023. 1. Planners Get Creative in Wake of Price Increases 2. Human Trafficking Survivor Shares Story 3. Pickleball Draws Hotels' Interest 4. GMID Unites Meeting Industry for Day of Advocacy 5…

Sustainable Skies Oct 09
Industry Updates

Sustainable Skies

  • 6 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a…

Sustainable Fashion Brand Authenticity Sep 19
Industry Updates

Sustainable Fashion Brand Authenticity

  • 2 min read

Editor’s note: This bonus content compliments this article first published in the summer edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the…

ASAE, Atlanta Showcase Power of Face-to-Face Meetings Sep 13
  • 5 min read

Need more proof that face-to-face business meetings and events are back? Look no further than the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) annual conference in Atlanta which delivered another resounding validation that in-person business meetings are not only bringing…

The Growth of Flag Football Sep 12
Industry Updates

The Growth of Flag Football

  • 3 min read

Editor’s note: This bonus content compliments this article first published in the summer edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the…

Changing the Menu Aug 28
Culinary

Changing the Menu

  • 5 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond…

How Associations Advocate for Meetings Industry Aug 28
  • 1 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond…

How Associations Advocate for Meetings Industry Aug 28
Leadership

Carrying the Torch of Advocacy

  • 6 min read

This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room, ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a…

Atlanta to Philadelphia: Day in the Life of a Planner Aug 28
  • 1 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond…

Atlanta to Philadelphia: Day in the Life of a Planner Aug 28
  • 8 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond…

Changing the Menu Aug 28
  • 2 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 State of the Industry Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond…

Meeting Industry Recovery: It’s No Longer a Buzzword Aug 03
  • 6 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a…

Meeting Industry Recovery: It’s No Longer a Buzzword Aug 03
Industry Updates

Meetings Are a Hot Ticket

  • 1 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a…

Meeting Planners Need Creative Strategies to Protect Clients Aug 02
  • 1 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a…

Hotels, Hospitality Industry Focus on Workforce Training, Development Aug 02
  • 1 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the June 2023 Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a…

Luxury Travel Continues Surge Jun 14
Leadership

Luxury Travel Continues Surge

  • 2 min read

Editor’s note: This report accompanies an article, Forecast Sunny for Hotels, first published in the June 2023 Special Edition of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and…

EIC, Oxford Economics Release 2023 Global Business Meetings Report May 22
  • 4 min read

The $1.6 trillion global business meeting and event industry recovered at about 80% of pre-COVID pandemic levels in 2022 according to a signature research report released Monday by the Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics. The 2023 Global Economic Significance of Business…

Travel, Meeting Industry Leaders Lobby Congress on Critical Issues May 08
  • 4 min read

The business meeting and travel industry has long emphasized the benefits that result from face-to-face interactions, a resolve that was on display when more than 250 industry representatives met with legislative leaders for Destination Capitol Hill. Four key…

Is Buying Clothes Out of Style? May 05
Industry Updates

Is Buying Clothes Out of Style?

  • 4 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the Fall 2022 issue of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four…

Part 2: Industry Veteran Cindy Villa’s Packing Tips May 04
  • 3 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the Fall 2022 issue of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a meeting room…

#TravelForward Benefits Both the Economy and the Soul Apr 14
  • 5 min read

Faith Long didn’t know what to expect when she boarded a plane to Hawaii in February. After all, the 19-year-old freshman marketing major from the small town of Rusk, Texas, had never flown before. The farthest she’d ever traveled was to Colorado on a family road…

Lessons Learned on Global Meetings Industry Day 2023 Apr 12
  • 3 min read

What we learned on Global Meetings Industry Day 2023. #FaceToFaceMatters Whether the gatherings were big or small—several reported between 150 to 300 attendees—one clear message resonated: it’s all about face-to-face. While more than eight in 10 executives…

Industry Veteran Robert Heard’s Packing Tips Apr 12
  • 3 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the Fall 2022 issue of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a meeting room…

Q&A with U.S. Travel Association President, CEO Geoff Freeman Mar 24
  • 3 min read

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman shared his perspective for meeting planners about Global Meetings Industry Day, March 30, 2023. Why the theme #MeetingsMatter? Simply said, there's power in convening. This year’s theme aims to position the…

#MeetingsMatter: Global Meetings Industry Day 2023 Mar 16
  • 6 min read

The timing of a headline and article in the Wall Street Journal could not have been more apropos, appearing just days before the business meeting and event industry unites for its annual Global Meetings Industry Day. “There’s No Substitute for Meeting in Person…

GMID Facts, How to Participate Mar 14
Leadership

GMID Facts, How to Participate

  • 3 min read

The meeting and event industry will come together on March 30, to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day, an international day of advocacy and education designed to spotlight the importance and economic impact of business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions…

GMID Unites Meeting Industry for Day of Advocacy Mar 14
  • 5 min read

Editor’s Note: This story, originally published in April 2022, has been updated for #GMID2023. When a group of meeting professionals in Edmonton, Canada, came up with the idea to have a day devoted to the professional, little did they know their gathering would be the…

Jobs Report Boosts Hospitality, Meeting Industry Confidence Feb 15
  • 3 min read

Nearly two full months into 2023 and indicators are increasingly positive for the hospitality industry, with the latest jobs report further boosting industry confidence. The January employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics saw the overall economy add 517,000…

ALHI, Hosts Global Enter into Strategic Partnership Feb 15
  • 2 min read

Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) and Hosts Global, a strategic partner for meeting and event planners worldwide, have entered a strategic partnership designed to bring expanded destination service support to sought-after locations across the globe. The alignment…

5 Questions for Hotel Industry, Meeting Planners to Ponder Entering 2023 Jan 13
  • 7 min read

Jan Freitag is National Director, Hospitality Analytics for the CoStar Group. He oversees a variety of projects, all charged with the accumulation and interpretation of U.S. lodging data. He is a sought-after public speaker and is frequently quoted in trade publications and the…

Five Predictions for Long-Term Investors Jan 12
  • 6 min read

Editor’s note: This article first published in the Fall 2022 issue of Beyond the Meeting Room , ALHI’s printed magazine, a luxury lifestyle publication focused on sharing compelling, inspirational and educational stories from beyond the four walls of a meeting room…

Human Trafficking Survivor Shares Her Story Jan 10
  • 7 min read

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, observed on Wednesday, Jan. 11, are intended to raise awareness and provide education on the prevention of human trafficking. ALHI is a proud member and endorser of The Tourism…

Top 10: Most Read ALHI Insider Stories in 2022 Dec 06
  • 1 min read

Here’s a look back at the 10 most read stories from the ALHI Insider newsletter in 2022. 1. Interview with a Planner: How the Delos Wellness Certificate Can Improve the Meetings Experience 2. Group Incentive Travel is Back in a Big Way 3. Delos Nutrition Expert Offers…

Optimism, Transformation Drive Industry Leader Goals for 2023 Dec 06
  • 6 min read

Meeting and event industry leaders share with ALHI Insider their aspirations for 2023. Rob Adams, President & Owner, Bishop-McCann What book would you like to read by the end of 2023? Atomic Habits by James Clear. (The book is a comprehensive, practical guide on how to change…

ALHI Plants More Than 1,000 Trees to Support Healthier Environment Nov 15
  • 3 min read

Tree planting programs are part of a larger trend toward “greener” meetings, one so widespread that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes its own “Green Meetings” guide where meeting planners can find tips, tools and resources to make…

Visa Delays Stymie International Visitors Oct 12
  • 8 min read

Outrageous and shameful. Unacceptable and excessive. The words from Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, sum up the travel and hospitality industry’s increasing frustration with the wait times for international visitors to obtain U.S. visas. A…

A New Kind of Disruption for Meeting, Event Industry Sep 13
  • 3 min read

Is the meeting and event industry ready for more disruption, this time in a good way? The answer was a resounding yes when association executives gathered for ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Nashville under the banner of “Disruption = Opportunity…

U.S. Travel Association Launches Sustainability Initiative Aug 10
  • 5 min read

Sustainability in the meeting and event industry is a long-term strategy, one that necessitates the launching of 20- to 30-year plan. A new effort led by the U.S. Travel Association just might the start of such an initiative. “The new science around removing carbon from…

Meeting Professionals Rally on GMID Apr 14
Industry Updates

Meeting Professionals Rally on GMID

  • 6 min read

Meeting professionals gathered in force on Global Meetings Industry Day 2022, delivering a resounding affirmation of the importance of business meetings and events. Meetings Mean Business, the coalition focused on raising awareness on the value of face-to-face meetings, reported…

GMID Roots Are in Canada Apr 05
Industry Updates

GMID Roots Are in Canada

  • 5 min read

When a group of meeting professionals in Edmonton, Canada, came up with the idea to have a day devoted to the profession, little did they know their gathering would be the genesis of what is now known as Global Meetings Industry Day. Meeting professionals will gather Thursday for…

How to Participate in Global Meetings Industry Day Apr 05
  • 3 min read

This Thursday, April 7, the meeting and event industry will come together to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day, an international day of advocacy and education designed to spotlight the importance and economic impact of business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel…

Masks Optional on U.S. Airlines Following Court Ruling Mar 28
  • 10 min read

The federal mask mandate for travelers on U.S. airlines has ended. Less than two weeks after meeting professionals gathered for Global Meetings Industry Day with a sense of optimism about the recovery of business meetings and events, a federal judge in Florida struck down the…

Delta Commits to Being the First Carbon Neutral Airline Globally Mar 10
  • 1 min read

“Travelers should not have to choose between seeing the world and saving the world.” With that mantra in mind, Delta in March 2020 became the first carbon neutral airline on a global basis with a commitment to carbon neutrality by balancing emissions with…

Global Easing of COVID Rules Underway Mar 04
  • 3 min read

Mask mandates are all but gone. The mandates, across the United States and around the world, were synonymous with the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. As vaccination rates have increased and hospitalizations decreased, the mask mandates have been ending, too. In the U.S…

More Destinations Announce Changes to COVID Restrictions Mar 02
  • 4 min read

And then there were none. Hawaii became the final state to drops its mask mandate when Gov. David Ige said the mask rules, travel quarantine and Safe Travels Hawaii program will end March 25, welcome news for meeting professionals that mask mandates have ended in all 50 states…

Group Incentive Travel is Back in a Big Way Feb 28
Industry Updates

Group Incentive Travel is Back in a Big Way

  • 6 min read

Incentive travel is back, and in a big way. At InterContinental Boston, groups on incentive trips can embark on a memorable whale-watching tour, spotting acrobatic humpback and finback whales in the Stellwagen Bank. At Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe in Texas , a…

D.C. Drops Mask Mandate Feb 15
Washington

D.C. Drops Mask Mandate

  • 2 min read

Indoor venues in the District of Columbia will no longer be required as of March 1 to verify if patrons are vaccinated against COVID or be required to wear a mask. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced she will not extend the indoor mask mandate, which expires Feb. 28. Instead…

Destination: Chicago Feb 08
Industry Updates

Destination: Chicago

  • 15 min read

Long before French settlers arrived in 1673, tall prairie grass and forests of spruce and poplar covered the land by Lake Michigan. Native Americans named this fertile earth “Chicagoua” after the wild garlic that still grows in the region. Redolent with history…

Upward Trend in Bookings Leads Airlines to Expanding Routes and Services Feb 08
  • 9 min read

Airlines expanding routes and services as the world’s airline industry is seeing an upward trajectory in bookings, leading to an optimistic expansion of routes and services in 2022. With some airlines offering more capacity and new tickets sales rising, one industry…

Eye on Europe: The 2022 MICE Outlook Dec 23
United Kingdom

Eye on Europe: The 2022 MICE Outlook

  • 11 min read

With restrictions dropping across Europe, planners can start looking ahead to transatlantic meetings Denmark, home to Tivoli Hotel and Copenhagen Island, became the first European Union (EU) country to lift all COVID-19 restrictions at the beginning of February. By the third week…

In Memoriam of David Feder Nov 01
Industry Updates

In Memoriam of David Feder

  • 1 min read

The hospitality industry lost one of its most prestigious leaders last week with the passing of David Feder, Vice President and Managing Director of the Trump National Doral Miami since 2014. Prior to his position at Trump National Doral, Feder presided over several top-tier…

Should I Require Vaccine Proof and More Top Questions Oct 21
  • 13 min read

There are positive reports regarding COVID numbers, with 47 states counting transmission rates at less than 1 percent as of late October, and based on meeting planner sentiment voiced in the latest PULSE survey, the forecast for 2022 is for a strong comeback. As corporations and…

Below the Headline: Putting the COVID Surge in Perspective Aug 17
  • 4 min read

While news outlets continue to blare warnings about the latest COVID surge with headlines like "Delta Variant Rages," a closer look at current reports and projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) puts the situation in a different light…

The Big Apple is Ripe for Group Business Jun 16
  • 2 min read

New York joined the growing list of states that are now fully reopened when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced June 15 that COVID restrictions would be lifted statewide immediately. The move to fully reopen was based on a 70 percent rate for New Yorkers 18 or older receiving their first…

Chicago Opens Its Doors to Group Business Jun 09
  • 2 min read

As Chicago transitions into its new status as fully reopened, businesses are now free to welcome guests at full capacity, including hotels, convention centers, restaurants and bars. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot moved up the city's planned reopening by three weeks to coincide…

Vegas is Back to Full Capacity on June 1 May 19
  • 1 min read

Hot off the press: Las Vegas To Lift Capacity Restrictions June 1, 2021 Today Clark County announced that all business operations may return to pre-pandemic guidelines beginning June 1, with 100% capacity and no social distancing. Las Vegas will fully reopen and return to…

Learn State by State Reopening Data with This Tool May 19
  • 1 min read

The good news: Things are reopening in a hurry. The bad news: It is tough to keep track of all the update and changes in individual states and municipalities as we get back to business. American Express Global Business Travel's Travel Vitals, with data powered by Riskline…

D.C. Welcomes Back Group Business May 05
Washington

D.C. Welcomes Back Group Business

  • 2 min read

On May 10, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city is reopening for business beginning May 21. The reopening plan includes lifting restrictions on public and commercial activity, including capacity limits and time restrictions on business meetings, seated…

California and Nevada Green Light Full Reopening in June Apr 16
  • 6 min read

California and Nevada are both targeting June as the timeline to fully get back to business, including meetings and conventions. "This is a great opportunity to plan in the year for the year and look ahead for the fall," said Michael Dominguez, ALHI President & CEO…

California Update: Meetings up to 5k beginning June 15 Apr 07
  • 2 min read

Editor's note: ALHI will continue to monitor and report on the status of meetings and gatherings in California. California is aiming to fully reopen its economy according to the Beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy from the California Department of Public Health released…

ALHI Update: Leisure to Lead the Recovery Apr 02
Industry Updates

ALHI Update: Leisure to Lead the Recovery

  • 4 min read

Forget what you know about how the travel industry rebounds from crises. Traditionally, though 9/11, the Great Recession and other disruptive events, corporate gatherings and group business travel has flown in to the save the day. COVID-19 isn't necessarily Kryptonite for…

Industry Update: All Signs Pointing Upward Mar 15
  • 2 min read

For better or worse, anecdotal evidence has been a precursor to trends in the events and hospitality industries throughout the pandemic. Finally a year later! the whispers before the numbers foretell some well-needed good news. Vaccines are being distributed to millions every…

Great Ways ALHI Hotels are Adapting Amenities Amid COVID-19 Dec 05
  • 5 min read

ALHI member hotels have been busy developing innovative amenities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They've reinvented outdoor dining, wellness and meeting spaces and created in-room fitness programs. One hotel even built a production set that's designed to stream meetings…