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Industry Associations, Hotels Launch Relief Efforts for Wildfire Recovery
By Jonathan Trager, Todd McElwee, and Jordan Bradley
In the wake of the destruction caused by the deadly California wildfires this month, industry associations and hotels have stepped up to provide crucial aid to those most impacted by the disaster.
On January 14, Destinations International (DI) launched the Destinations International LA Wildfire Recovery Fund. The response from members was fast, with more than $100,000 raised in the first 72 hours, including $10,000 from the association and an equal amount from the DI Foundation.
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Industry Movers
Lindsay Hill
Lindsay Hill is now Director, Visitor Experience and Group Tour at Destination DC. Since joining the organization in 2012, Hill has piloted programs such as member onboarding, travel agent training, accessibility, luxury and an extensive university and welcome center portfolio. Hill is the primary contact for all group tour operators and leads the charge working with students. In 2015, she received the Group Travel Leader’s “Next Gen in Group Travel” award.
Keisha Smith
Keisha Smith is now Four Seasons’ Executive Vice President and Chief People and Culture Officer. Based at the corporate office in Miami, she joins the Executive Leadership Team and reports directly to President & CEO Alejandro Reynal. Keisha served as the chief people officer at Tory Burch. She held roles at News Corp and Morgan Stanley as chief human resources officer and global co-head of talent management.
Shannon Foster
Shannon Foster is now General Manager of Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel in Nashville. The property is slated for a 2026 grand opening. Most recently, Foster served as the vice president of operations of hotel equities at Greenwood Hospitality Division, where she oversaw several lifestyle properties under the Hilton and Marriott brands. As a longtime Nashville resident, Foster has held various executive roles at Noelle and Holston House hotels.
Robert Donis
Robert Donis is now Executive Chef of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in Cambridge, Maryland. He has served as executive chef at Hyatt Regency Austin. Since joining the hotel company is 1996, Donis has worked in Washington, D.C. and Florida. For nearly a decade, he served as the University Chef for the Office of the President at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington D.C.
Andrew Casperson
Andrew Casperson has been promoted to President of Coury Hospitality in Dallas. Coury has a portfolio of hotels, bars and restaurants within Marriott’s Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio, Curio and Tapestry Collections by Hilton. Casperson joined Coury in 2023 and has led operations strategies for its portfolio of hotels, bars and restaurant concepts, which have received multiple industry awards and recognition including Marriott International’s F&B Excellence Award.
Kelly Comboni
Kelly Comboni has been promoted to CEO of Clarion Connect. As CEO of Clarion Connect, Comboni will oversee brands within the division, which include Quartz Network, Consero Events, Connect Events, Eaton Hall, and LeftField Media. Comboni joined Clarion Events in 2017, following Clarion’s acquisition of LeftField Media, where she was a co-founder and built the company’s reputation for delivering fan-first events, according to her hiring announcement.
Association NEWS
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Consumer Technology Association Announces New Global Innovation Champions… At CES 2025, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced the 2025 Global Innovation Scorecard, measuring the political, economic, and demographic factors that foster innovation.
In its biennial global scorecard, CTA grades countries for which public, verifiable, and independent third-party data exists; comparable data across nations is available; and governments can influence public policy.
“Technology drives solutions to global challenges, from access to health care and mobility to energy and sustainability,” said Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair, CTA. “Our Innovation Champions exemplify the transformative power of collaboration between government and industry to enhance lives worldwide. We aspire for global leaders to learn from each other and fully harness the benefits of technology in the future.”
The Innovation Champions were honored during the State of the Industry keynote, including the following country representatives accepting their awards on stage:
- Erkki Keldo, Minister of Economy and Industry, Estonia
- Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Ambassador of Finland to the United States
- Volker Wissing, Federal Minister of Justice and Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Germany
- Dirk Beljaarts, Minister of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands
- Ebba Busch, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister, Sweden
- Ralf Heckner, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States
Find more information at ces.tech.
Hotel NEWS
Checking Inn
Kelly Gleeson Smith
Caesars Entertainment announced on January 10 that Kelly Gleeson Smith has been appointed the company’s next Sr. Vice President of Sales.
Gleeson Smith has been with Caesars since 2017 and has more than 20 years of experience in sales. According to Caesars, she “has transformed our meeting and events sales strategy, leading a powerhouse team of over 120 sales executives who have consistently set new production records.”
Gleeson Smith is “an active member of the professional community,” Caesars said, and is involved with PCMA, MPI, IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum, the US Travel Sustainability Council, and ASAE.
The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is set to celebrate Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday all year long. Throughout 2025, the Westgate kicked off “The King Lives On” celebration with a three-hour Elvis DJ set, tribute show by the cast of “The King Comes Home Elvis Tribute Show,” and specialty Elvis-themed cocktails, photo opportunities with the property’s iconic Elvis Statue, a memorabilia display, and giant Elvis birthday card signings.
“Elvis’s presence is still felt throughout the halls of Westgate,” said David Stanley, Elvis’ step-brother and star of the Westgate show “My Brother Elvis: An Evening with David Stanley.”
Later this year, the Westgate will honor Elvis with the “Love Me Tender” tribute in February, including new romance packages, dining specials, and Elvis-inspired celebrations; a Viva Las Vegas tribute in July, including live music, themed events and exclusive promotions; and the Viva Las Vegas Suite, “a newly designed suite inspired by Elvis’ time at the property, his style, music, and history” available to book throughout the summer, Westgate said.
“This celebration is a testament to his enduring legacy and the special connection he had with this property, the city, and his fans,” Stanley said.
Convention Bureau/Center NEWS
CVB Update
Visit Tampa Bay is inviting out-of-state travelers to “escape the chill and discover unforgettable adventures in the world-class destination of Tampa Bay with its new winter sales and marketing campaign,” the group announced on January 13.
Running now through the end of March, the campaign highlights the region’s mix of adventurous experiences and laidback vibes in the key markets of New York, Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Atlanta. In addition, the campaign includes key international markets in Canada, the U.K., and Germany.
The creative prominently showcases the ways Tampa Bay is “Ready to Play,” “Ready to Relax,” and “Ready to Go Wild” by spotlighting the area’s many attractions, including The Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
“Our marketing efforts from the ‘Tampa Bay is Ready’ campaign proved overwhelmingly successful in helping Tampa Bay’s hospitality industry navigate weather-related challenges last fall, leading to record tourism numbers in November and propelling us past $1 billion in hotel revenue for the third-straight year,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President & CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “We realize that maintaining that momentum requires diligent work and renewed investment, and our latest campaign is designed with the goal of ensuring Tampa Bay remains a destination of choice.”
