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Healthcare Associations Sue Government Over Deleted Health Data & Websites
By Todd McElwee
Nine co-plaintiffs, including multiple healthcare associations, sued Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the federal government on May 20 to stop the deletion of public health and science data.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Co-plaintiffs say that since January, the executive branch has deleted dozens, if not more, websites that physicians, nurses, healthcare providers, scientists and public health professionals rely upon, removing data on a wide range of medical topics.
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Photos of the Week
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Industry Movers
Abby Poeske
Abby Poeske is now Meet Minneapolis’ Vice President of Destination Development and Public Affairs. In this role, Poeske will oversee the implementation of the new 10-year destination master plan as well as lead government relations and community engagement work. Most recently, Poeske served as a senior advisor to Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb, where she oversaw a portfolio of transformative initiatives, including the city’s 10-year strategic plan.
Ashley Moore
Ashley Moore has joined Visit Wichita’s sales team. As a Convention Sales Manager, Moore will identify associations and companies that could select Wichita as a meeting destination. Moore has more than a decade of experience in sales and is an entrepreneur in Wichita. She began her journey with Events and Design by Ashley, a company she purchased in 2021 after gaining experience working for a wedding planner.
Stephanie Lechuga
Stephanie Lechuga has been appointed Sr. Sous Chef of Kembara at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. She has been a member of Kembara’s team since its opening in 2023. Her background includes roles at the Desert Highlands Golf Club and at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass. Lechuga earned her associate degree in baking and pastry arts from The Art Institute of Tuscon.
Veronica Torres Vorgas
Veronica Torres Vorgas has become Director of Rooms at InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. She has had a 15-year career in global luxury properties, including her role at Auberge Resorts Collection Etéreo in Riviera Maya, Mexico. She also spent nine years with St. Regis Hotels & Resorts in a variety of roles including chief head butler in Dubai. She earned a Master’s of Management in Hospitality degree from Cornell University.
Mark Kirsch
Mark Kirsch is now the General Manager at the dual-branded AC Hotel by Marriott Symphony Park and Element by Westin Symphony Park in Las Vegas. Jackson-Shaw, a national real estate developer made the announcement. He previously spent four years with Tharaldson Hospitality Management in a variety of roles including regional director of operations. He also worked for Dimenson Development and is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University.
Melissa Egan
Melissa Egan has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at The Statler, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel managed by Aimbridge Hospitality. The Statler in Dallas was built in 1956 and is recognized on the Historic Hotels of America registry. Egan has held sales roles across brands including Sonesta, Marriott, Renaissance and Sheraton. While at the Renaissance Dallas Addison, she grew the corporate national account segment.
Association NEWS
Around Associations
AMPs Summer Bash Coming to D.C… On June 11, the Association of Meeting Professionals (AMPs) will hold its Summer Bash at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C.
“Mark your calendars for June 11, 2025, and join us for the event of the season at the iconic Omni Shoreham!” the association said.
Find more information at ampsweb.org.
GBTA: Canadian Business Travel Spending Surpassed Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2024 but 2025 Outlook Tempered by Uncertainty… The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) unveiled new insights and outlooks for the Canadian business travel sector during its 2025 Canada Conference held late last month in Toronto.
In her main stage presentation, GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang highlighted Canada’s 15% year-over-year spending growth in 2024 but cautioned that optimism has waned, particularly in Canada, versus what GBTA measured in November 2024.
“Canada’s business travel sector showed significant growth in spending last year,” said Neufang. “But just as we are now seeing globally, Canadian business travel professionals are feeling the pressure of U.S. trade uncertainty, shaping a more cautious outlook for the year ahead.”
As revealed in data from the GBTA Business Travel Index (BTI) Outlook report, in 2024 Canada ranked as the 13th largest global business travel market, with spending estimated at roughly $25 billion—reaching 102% of pre-pandemic levels. That figure was forecast to rise 17.7% to roughly $31 billion in 2025, outperforming the global growth average.
However, GBTA’s global industry poll last month revealed 71% of Canadian travel buyers surveyed expect a decrease in their company’s business travel spending for 2025, and 53% anticipate volume decreases, driven by factors such as U.S. government actions, economic headwinds, rising travel costs and increased travel administration such as documentation and visas.
Find the complete report at gbta.org.
Hotel NEWS
Checking Inn
Omni Hotels & Resorts Tiki Social with cocktails created in collaboration with Tiki Historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
Omni Hotels & Resorts launched a Tiki-inspired cocktail experience for summer 2025. Beginning Memorial Day Weekend and running through Labor Day, Omni properties across the country are offering guests and the public curated tropical cocktails “designed to capture the spirit of paradise and elevate their summer stay” with the Tiki Social.
Curated by Tiki Historian, cocktail author and owner of New Orleans’ Latitude 29 Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Omni’s Tiki Social offers guests the opportunity to experience immersive pop-up bars that transform indoor and outdoor bar spaces at select properties into tropical tiki paradises.
“Tiki has always been about transporting people, if only for a moment, to someplace sunny, breezy, and far from the everyday,” said Berry. “Working with Omni Hotels & Resorts on Tiki Social let us bring that sense of fun to all kinds of spaces, whether you’re lounging at a resort or ducking into a city bar after work. These drinks were designed to make every sip feel like a mini vacation.”
Omni properties participating in Tiki Social include the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa, Fernandina Beach, Florida; the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park, Atlanta, Georgia; the Omni Berkshire Place, New York, New York; the Omni Las Colinas Hotel Irving, Texas; the Omni San Diego Hotel, San Diego, California; and more. For more information, visit omnihotels.com/tiki-social.
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, a collection of waterpark resort and conference hotels, announced on May 13 the launch of its Kalahari Adventure Collection, a collection of distinctive, experience-driven accommodations designed to get guests closer to nature.
The first property in the Kalahari portfolio to receive the Adventure Collection treatment is the Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Kalahari location. New offerings will include treehouses designed by Nelson Treehouse, lake cabins, and villas; and a new restaurant, Daylene’s Supper Club, which broke ground on May 19.
“The Kalahari Adventure Collection is a natural extension of the Kalahari brand,” said Todd Nelson, CEO and Founder of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. “While we’ll always be known for our indoor waterparks and convention experiences, we’re continuing to evolve – creating destination stays that are as unique as the memories they inspire. This new tier gives us room to dream bigger.”
The Wisconsin Dells Kalahari Adventure Collection is expected to open in 2026.
CVB Updates
Visit Anaheim announced earlier this month it has partnered with actress, entrepreneur, and mother Tia Mowry to launch Imaginagency—the world’s first-ever travel agency with itineraries designed entirely by children.
Helmed by six “Imaginagents,” including Tia’s own kids, Cree and Cairo Mowry-Hardrict, the campaign features six bookable, kid-designed itineraries filled with Anaheim adventures. Starting today, families can visit the Imaginagency website to explore the itineraries and enter to win the ultimate Anaheim getaway.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Visit Anaheim on this fun, imaginative project,” said Mowry. “Anaheim is special to me—it’s where I lived while working in LA, and now I get to return with my kids to create something magical. It’s a full-circle moment for me, and I can’t wait for families to experience Anaheim through the eyes of kids because it’s a place where imagination can run wild. The cherry on top was being able to collaborate with my own children and seeing their over-the-top vacation ideas!”
Families can explore itineraries or build their own at imaginagency.com—and enter to win a $10,000 Anaheim vacation package.
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