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NRA, D.C. Attorney General Settle Lawsuit Concerning Foundation Spending
By Todd McElwee
Settling a lawsuit brought by the D.C. Attorney General’s Office, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has agreed to reform its foundation’s financial practices.
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Industry Movers
Marsha Ray
Marsha Ray is now Concord Hospitality’s Executive Vice President of Operations. Ray brings more than three decades of hospitality experience to her latest endeavor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and is fluent in both English and French. She resides in Chicago. Her extensive industry background spans various hospitality sectors, including branded and independent hotels, luxury resorts, lifestyle accommodations, and convention centers.
Meredith McIsaac
Meredith McIsaac is the new Director of Lodging at the Enchantment Resort. The property is in Arizona’s Boynton Canyon. Hailing from Texas, McIsaac has more than a decade of experience in the industry, working in both the east and southwest. She was director of operations at Archer Hotel in Austin. She’s held a number of roles, including assistant general manager, director of rooms and director of housekeeping.
Travis Cryan
Travis Cryan, CEM, will join Association and Society Management International (ASMI). The firm said he will add value across all departments and serve with the International Association of Emergency Managers in the role of chief of staff. Cryan has more than 25 years of industry experience in different aspects of public safety and emergency preparedness. Cryan has served as a principal consultant for Bent Ear Solutions.
Grant Hart
Grant Hart has been promoted to Mainsail Lodging & Development’s Director of Sales at the Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, Florida. She has more than a decade of experience. Most recently, Hart was director of sales at Hotel Forty Five in Macon, Georgia, where she was responsible for securing room blocks for corporate and leisure groups, and generating leads for the hotel’s 1,600 square feet of event space.
Association NEWS
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PCMA Southwest & Pacific Chapter Hosting Las Vegas Spring Fling… On May 21, the PCMA Southwest & Pacific Chapter will hold its Las Vegas Spring Fling with a GoCar tour.
“Spring has sprung so let’s get outside in the Arts District to experience Vegas differently,” the chapter said. “You’ll get a taste of the unique GoCar sightseeing experience, which allows you to drive your own three wheeled electric vehicle while following a GPS-guided route that takes you to all the top attractions and landmarks in the area. When you aren’t off exploring, enjoy the sounds of Justin Centeno while networking and enjoying light bites and beverages.”
PCMA members pay $55 with non-members paying $65. Find more information at southwest.pcma.org.
Hotel NEWS
Checking Inn
Hyatt Hotels Corporation broke ground on the new Caption by Hyatt Chattanooga in Tennessee on April 10.
The 123-room Caption by Hyatt hotel is set to open in early 2026 and is being developed by 3H Group under a franchise agreement, according to the hotel giant. The Caption hotel brand from Hyatt is a select-service property “and is poised to grow in several more key markets this year,” Hyatt said.
“The Chattanooga hotel is the ideal location for the brand, set in a dense residential area with high foot traffic where the property can create a welcoming meeting place for the community,” said Jim Tierney, Senior Vice President of Development at Hyatt.
IHG Hotels & Resorts announced on April 9 plans to build a new travel planner powered by Google Cloud artificial intelligence.
The partnership will create an option within IHG’s One Rewards mobil app that makes travel recommendations using generative AI-powered suggestions. IHG said it expects to launch the new feature “in the second half of 2024.”
“Working with Google Cloud as an AI innovation partner, we’re making trip planning easier and more interactive for prospective travelers. Our customized travel planner will use GenAI to help people discover destinations among our more than 6,000 IHG hotels across 19 brands in over 100 countries,” said Jolie Fleming, Chief Product and Technology Officer at IHG.
Using IHG’s Travel Planner, guests can receive recommendations based on broad or detailed requests, ranging from “Give me four late-night dinner options near the InterContinental London Park Lane” or “Does the Kimpton Shinjuku Hotel in Tokyo allow pets?” to “What jazz shows are happening near the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Times Square South the weekend of October 12?”
Convention Bureau/Center NEWS
CVB Update
Visit Tampa Bay won an eTSY Award for Best Partnership Marketing Campaign at the 2024 eTourism Summit in Las Vegas on April 4.
Connecting communities and showcasing Tampa’s warm and welcoming hospitality came naturally for Visit Tampa Bay when in December 2022 they brought an entire town—Tampa, Kansas—to experience some of the best Tampa, Florida, had to offer.
The Tampa-to-Tampa campaign, a collaboration between Tampa Bay, Florida, and Tampa, Kansas, gave residents of the namesake Midwestern city a chance to experience the vibrant culture and attractions in Tampa Bay.
The eTSY Awards, presented annually at the eTourism Summit, recognize the best in digital tourism marketing and are judged by a panel of industry experts. Visit Tampa Bay’s win for Best Partnership Marketing Campaign highlights the organization’s leadership and excellence in destination marketing.
“This is just another example of our forward-thinking and creative marketing outreach. From our team and our amazing partners, we have been able to develop a human connection between two communities and raise the profile of both,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President & CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.
