Winning strategies for making the most of mega sporting events By Cathleen Draper By the time the final whistle blew on Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, CA, one thing was certain: Mega sporting events don’t just arrive for a weekend – they reshape entire markets long before the first fan checks in. From the NBA All-Star Weekend and the MLB World Series, major sporting … [Read more...] about The Long Game
Events
Beyond the Banquet
How hotels are reimagining event dining By Elsbeth W. Russell For decades, hotel event dining followed a predictable playbook: Abundance-driven buffets, plated entrées designed for speed, and service that prioritized logistics over experience. That model no longer holds. Today’s event guests – whether corporate attendees, association members, or wedding guests – … [Read more...] about Beyond the Banquet
By the Masses
Securing group bookings takes planning, flexibility, and technology By Tom Gresham Group business is the hallmark of many successful hotels, a provider of predictable revenue that fills rooms and helps operations on a variety of other fronts. However, securing that group business requires savvy sales and marketing strategies, powerful tech tools, and flexible, appealing … [Read more...] about By the Masses
Optimizing Events
Independent hotel strategies for the events economy By Aaryan Patel and Jin Laxmidas Major events – concerts, festivals, sporting tournaments, conventions, and city-wide activations – can transform a market’s demand curve overnight. For independents, the events economy represents both risk and outsized opportunity. While national brands benefit from centralized sales … [Read more...] about Optimizing Events
Championing Capitol Hill
AAHOA Elevates Hotel Owners’ Voices in Washington, D.C. By AAHOA Staff Hotel owners from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. on September 16 and 17 for AAHOA’s Fall National Advocacy Conference (FNAC). There, they met directly with lawmakers to discuss the key federal issues impacting the hospitality industry. This year’s FNAC, which was the largest to … [Read more...] about Championing Capitol Hill