USAEXtra
Holiday Showcase Going to NEXT LEVEL in Chicago
By Todd McElwee
It’s beginning to look a lot like Holiday Showcase in Chicago.
On December 3–4, Association Forum will host the largest event for association professionals and industry partners in the Midwest, under the tagline of “NEXT LEVEL.” Holiday Showcase regularly attracts north of 1,500, with the 37th edition to feature two days of education, commerce and community at McCormick Place.
“NEXT LEVEL is about investing in yourself and your organization,” says Artesha Moore, FASAE, CAE, President & CEO of Association Forum, “Holiday Showcase isn’t just another event—it’s your launchpad to the NEXT LEVEL. This is where we break old patterns, own our voice, and forge the connections that will redefine leadership in our industry. And the timing couldn’t be more critical—we
need this energy, this action, and this community now.”
Organizers call the exhibit hall— which is decked with booths featuring boughs of holly and other seasonal décor—the “pulse” of Holiday Showcase, with 146 entries listed on the show’s exhibitors directory. Along with the booths, the hall will feature the Career Center and Career Advising Appointments, which are confidential 20-minute meetings with association executives to discuss one’s aspirations, job options and more. HR counseling and headshots from Chuck Fazio will also be available.
Situated at the heart of the exhibit hall, the “One Idea Can Change the World” stage is where attendees can “come together to share groundbreaking ideas—each with the potential to revolutionize the way we think and operate,” organizers said.
A pair of keynote sessions head-
line Holiday Showcase’s expansive educational lineup. On December 3, “Truth Amid Disruption: Leading Change in the Next-Level Era” will feature a panel of industry leaders looking at navigating disruption, governance, membership and more.
Erin Fuller, FASAE, CAE, Global Head, Association Solutions, MCI USA; Greg Moore, Director - Regional Sales, United Airlines; Rob Wenger, CEO, Higher Logic; Sherrif Karamat, CAE, President & CEO, PCMA and CEMA; and David Saef, CEM, SVP, Strategy, Freeman, are leading the discussion.
The December 3 opening session is powered by Higher Logic.
Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE, author, CEO, Avenue M Group, is presenting “The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Rethinking the Rules, Risk and Real Drivers of Innovation” on December 4. Choose Chicago and Visit
The culinary team at Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is hard at work on the property’s 12-foot by 12-foot gingerbread house to celebrate the holiday season. Fairmont’s Executive Pastry Chef Lyndsey Barton (center) and her pastry elves will finish building and decorating the ambitious piece of confectionery in time
unveil it at the hotel’s 22nd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 2.
NEWS NEWS
AHLA Leader Rosanna Maietta Testifies Before Congress
By Jordan Bradley
American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) President and CEO Rosanna Maietta testified before Congress on November 20, advocating for policies that would benefit the travel and tourism industry.
Maietta’s address to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade focused on “the central role hotels play in the U.S. economy” and urged the committee to take action on key policy issues, including increasing the number of supplemental H-2B visas, restoring full funding to Brand USA, reaching a longterm funding package to avoid another government shutdown at the end of January, and advocating for support of the American Franchise Act.
Advocates for Tourism and Travel Industry
“The decisions Congress will make in the coming weeks and months on government funding, support for international travel, and workforce stability, will determine whether our industry is in the best position to welcome the millions of guests set to come to our country for the World Cup, America 250 and beyond,” she said.
The industry’s current challenges include “rising operating expenses—from insurance premiums and interest rates to labor and healthcare costs— have increased four times faster than revenues,” staffing shortages, and high interest rates curbing new hotel development and renovations.
“The majority of U.S. hotels are small businesses and vital economic engines in their communities,” Maietta said in her address. “Yet five years after the onset of the pandemic, our industry is still on the path to recovery.”
According to Maietta and AHLA, these policies “will shape the future of American travel and tourism,” especially with national and global events such as the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations next year, and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
According to Maietta in her address, the tourism and travel industry supports one in 25 jobs throughout the United States, and while the “industry is fundamentally strong,” the current challenges facing hoteliers make government support for the sector essential.
“The majority of U.S. hotels are small businesses and vital economic engines in their communities,” Maietta said in her address. “Yet five years after the onset of the pandemic, our industry is still on the path to recovery.”
According to multiple industry surveys, 32% of hoteliers are delaying projects, 24% are scaling projects back, and 8% are canceling project plans entirely, Maietta said.
In her address, she noted that though the industry needs more support from lawmakers, the passing of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” this summer had supported hoteliers.
“The new law delivered the clarity and permanence that hotel owners and small businesses across the coun-
try urgently needed,” Maietta said in her written testimony to the committee. “A central pillar of economic stability for the hotel and lodging sector has long been a predictable and pro-growth federal tax environment. Prior to the law’s enactment, hoteliers faced millions of dollars in tax hikes as critical provisions pertaining to business operations, accounting, and real estate were set to expire. These entrepreneurs had already endured unprecedented economic challenges in recent years, and prolonged uncertainty in federal tax policy threatened their ability to reinvest, hire workers, and support their communities.”
to the overall travel and hospitality sector.”
In her advocacy for the passage of the American Franchise Act that was introduced this September, Maietta said “the franchise business model lowers barriers to entry, fosters economic mobility, and supports thousands of small business owners who serve as pillars of their communities.”
Maietta also detailed the impact that the most recent shutdown had on hoteliers, noting it cost the American economy “more than $1.2 billion in losses to the economy from a lack of hotel stays and over $6 billion in losses
Holiday Showcase
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KC are sponsors.
“We’ve all been told the same thing: Think outside the box,” Association Forum said. “But what if the real breakthrough comes from defining the box? In this high-energy, story-packed keynote, bestselling author and innovation strategist Sheri Jacobs flips the script on everything we think we know about creativity and growth. Drawing on wild adventures (literally—ask her about the polar bear), real-world
“When the shutdown hit, the financial loss was not abstract or gradual; it was immediate, stunning, and in many cases irreversible” for hoteliers, Maietta said while urging Congress to work together to avoid another shutdown next month.
“The American people deserve a stable and predictable budgeting process that supports, rather than interrupts, the economic activity generated by travel and tourism,” Maietta said. “Preventing another shutdown must be a top priority for lawmakers across the aisle.”
business turnarounds, and surprising research, Sheri reveals why clear boundaries don’t limit innovation— they ignite it.”
This year’s Forty Under 40 honorees will be honored at the Next Level Networking Lunch on December 3. Singer/songwriter Charlie Worsham will perform, courtesy of the Nashville CVC. Visit Anchorage is provide live entertainment by jazz musician KillBill Sax at the opening reception later that night.
Find more on Holiday Showcase at associationforum.org
Rosanna Maietta, President and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, testified before members of Congress on November 20.
The Historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, California, held its 33rd Annual Festival of Lights Switch On Ceremony presented by Kelly and the late Duane Roberts, the Keepers of the Mission Inn, on November 22. As part of the ceremony, the Mission Inn hosts holiday carnival rides and live music. Throughout the season, the Historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa will be alight in more than 10 million lights through January 6.
HOTS Super Sale… A rare copy of the first ever Superman comic sold at auction for $9.12 million in Texas this week, according to the AP According to the auction house that facilitated the sale, it’s the most expensive comic book ever sold. The comic book was found by three brothers in a box under a collection of old newspapers while they were cleaning out their late mother’s attic at her home in San Francisco. “It was just in an attic, sitting in a box, could have easily been thrown away, could’ve easily been destroyed in a thousand different ways,” said Lon Allen, one of the brothers. “A lot of people got excited because it’s just every factor in collecting that you could possibly want all rolled into one.” The “Superman No. 1” comic was released in 1939 by Detective Comics and is only
USAE
Publisher & Executive Editor 1982 –
Anne Daly Heller
Publisher-Emeritus Ross E. Heller ross@usaenews.com
Publisher James Heller james@usaenews.com
Associate Publisher Todd McElwee todd@usaenews.com
Managing Editor Jonathan Trager jon@usaenews.com
Hotel Editor Jordan Bradley jordan@usaenews.com
Creative Director Diane Nichols dkn@usaenews.com
Marketing
Christy Pumphrey christy@usaenews.com
HOTS HOTS
one of a small number of copies to still be in existence today. According to AP, the Allens’ comic was in excellent condition, despite not having been given any kind of special treatment. HOTS thinks that’s one “super” inheritance.
HOTS Space Bear Hunt… A school in England is seeking the public’s help in locating a teddy bear that fell back to earth after being suspended in the stratosphere, UPI reports. Students in seventh and eight grade at the Walhampton School in Lymington, Hampshire, worked together to send Bradfield Bear into the stratosphere using a weather balloon on November 10. The bear reached the stratosphere and was expected to parachute to safety in the Basingstoke area, but it was quite turbulent, according to video feed from Bradfield’s flight. Eventually, he lost his grip on the weather balloon, tumbling some 16.7
miles back to earth. Bradfield Bear is believed to be somewhere between Earley and Fawley in the Henley-onThames. “If you have any information regarding his wherabouts, no matter how small, please let us know,” Wal-
hampton said on its social media in a November 21 post. “Video footage of any details would be hugely appreciated.” HOTS is wishing Bradfield and the Walhampton students a beary speedy reunion!
NRF Forecasts $1 Trillion Record Holiday Sales
By Todd McElwee
Between $1.01 and $1.02 trillion in retail sales are expected in November and December—the first time the $1 trillion mark will have been eclipsed, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual holiday forecast.
NRF is predicting retail sales will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over the same period in 2024. NRF defines the holiday season as November 1–December 31.
“American consumers may be cautious in sentiment yet remain fundamentally strong and continue
to drive U.S. economic activity,” said Matthew Shay, President & CEO, NRF. “We remain bullish about the holiday shopping season and expect that consumers will continue to seek savings in nonessential categories to be able to spend on gifts for loved ones.”
NRF expects retailers to hire between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal workers, in line with a slower-paced labor market. By comparison, there were 442,000 seasonal hires in 2024.
“The economy has continued to show surprising resilience in a year marked by trade uncertainty and persistent inflation. As tariffs have
Developers
induced an uptick in consumer prices, retailers have tried to hold the line on prices given the uncertainty about trade policies,” said Mark Mathews, Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research, NRF.
NRF’s holiday forecast is based on economic modeling using a variety of key economic indicators, including consumer spending, disposable personal income, employment, wages, inflation and previous monthly retail sales releases. NRF’s calculation excludes automobile dealers, gas stations and restaurants.
Step Forward with Proposal for Historic Chicago Hotel
By Jordan Bradley
The historic Hotel Florence in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood has been closed to the public for stays since 2000, but this year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has been on the hunt for a development team to breathe new life into the property. In late November, developers with a potential plan for the hotel stepped forward. Though it’s in the early development phases and details are sparse, Chicago YIMBY reported on November 25 the Harvey Clarke Development Company and partner Celadon Partners have proposed an $85 million redevelopment plan. As part of the initial plan, the pair is expected to rehabilitate the hotel into a boutique property complete with a new bar and
restaurant. Local architecture firm Farr & Associates has been tapped as the design team.
According to the IDNR, the Hotel Florence was built by railroad car manufacturer and founder of the Pullman Company, George M. Pullman, in 1881 with just 50 rooms. It cost $100,000 to build, and was designed by Solon Spencer Beman in the Queen Ann style. The hotel was named after
Gaylord Hotels host ICE! immersive attractions at several of their hotels, each with a different theme. The property pictured is the Gaylord National in National Harbor Maryland, which featured scenes from The Polar Express
The historic Hotel Florence in Chicago was built in 1881.
Women Leading the Way
OCMD Hospitality Association’s Susan Jones Leans on “The Golden Rule”
By Jordan Bradley
The 10-mile barrier island of Ocean City, Maryland, has spent 2025 celebrating its 150th anniversary.
According to Susan Jones, Executive Director of the Ocean City, Maryland (OCMD) Hospitality Association (formerly the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association) and an Ocean City-native, the city’s history is filled with hospitality.
“The interesting thing about Ocean City is that it started with all the men going off and fishing,” said Jones. “While the men were fishing, the women would open their homes to visitors so they had something to do. A lot of them would literally make their children sleep in the attic room so they could rent out their [bed]rooms. It was the women who founded hospitality in Ocean City.”
According to Ocean City’s official website, European settlers began establishing themselves on the island in the 17th century, building “a sleepy fishing village” until the Atlantic Hotel began welcoming visitors in 1875, and expansion continued from there.
To celebrate this history, Ocean City’s tourism department is throwing the 150th Anniversary Gala on December 12 at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. Alongside dinner and dancing, the event will feature six themed rooms highlighting important Ocean City industries and memories, including OCMD’s hospitality history room, which will highlight the women who helped shape the city’s hotel industry, and long-running family restaurants such as Fagers Island.
Jones has a special appreciation for the city’s history, having been born and raised in Ocean City. She has acted
as the head of OCMD since 1995. It’s not a leap to say that she knows the city and its hospitality scene well.
“I’ve seen development for sure, and really, when I started most of our hotel members were independently owned and not franchised, so that’s really the change that I’ve seen over the years on top of overall growth and expansion,” Jones told USAE. As for the island’s restaurants: “You’re not going to find a chain other than the Subway,” Jones said, adding that almost every single parcel of land has been developed.
As a popular tourist destination with a small yearround population of around 8,000 permanent residents, Ocean City is a tight-knit community, and advocacy is an important aspect of that.
In the past, OCMD has advocated to keep gambling out of the state of Maryland—“we fought it tooth and nail for 15 years,” Jones told USAE, “and then we lost”—arguing that gambling would ruin the state’s tourism model.
“Has it ruined tourism? No,” Jones said. “It gives visitors something else to do, so we were wrong and I’ll admit it.”
Currently, the OCMD Hospitality Association is advocating for alternatives to offshore wind turbines. These were planned to be installed approximately 10 nautical miles offshore Ocean City as part of the Maryland Offshore Wind project, which was approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in December 2024.
Because of its small size, she said, “Ocean City doesn’t really get much attention” when it comes to larger policymaking decisions. Because of the prevalence of larger counties with big cities such as Baltimore, Annapolis, and Frederick on the western shore that act as “sleeper cities” for federal workers in Washington, D.C., not much heed is given to cities on the eastern shore like Ocean City, Jones said.
The community still relies on its roots in commercial fishing and its tourism economy, Jones said, and Ocean City organizations are concerned about the potential for unintended negative consequences of the wind turbines.
“The state [of Maryland] never really came to our local mayor and city council to talk about it, or to find out what effect it would have on our commercial fishing industry,” Jones said.
The state also didn’t look into the impact of turbines on the local tourism economy, she added, so Ocean City stakeholders such as the OCMD Hospitality Association, the city council, and the mayor’s office aligned to form a coalition called Stop Offshore Wind. The city initiated a lawsuit against BOEM in an effort to address the way the project was handled “because they issued permits under the Biden administration without doing all the due diligence,” said Jones.
“Whatever we need to speak out about, we will,” Jones said. “We’re not afraid to speak out.”
That kind of gumption was not intrinsic to Jones’ skillset when she took the helm of the association at 26, but it was something she learned to do over the years, she told USAE
“I was not as eager to speak out at that age as I am now,” she said.
Looking back at how she stepped into the leadership role with the OCMD Hospitality Association, Jones said how she was raised played a major part in how she approached the job.
“When I stepped in—because I was so young—I went with: How was I raised? What kind of person do I need to be? And it was the Golden Rule that I was taught growing up,” Jones said. “So I would choose every day to be nice to people and to be kind and to answer the telephone when they call and not blow people off. When I was young and green, I stepped right into [the role] how I was raised as a person.”
About 10 years before Jones joined the association then called the Ocean
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Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex Hosts Soup-Packing Event
By Jonathan Trager
More than 11,800 servings of soup were packed for donation to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at a November 25 event at North Carolina’s Raleigh Convention Center.
Staff from the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex (RCPAC) and catering partner Sodexo Live!, as well as volunteers from the Greater Raleigh CVB, hospitality partners, and other city departments lent their time and hands to supporting the effort.
“We’re incredibly proud to be part of something that brings real care to our community,” said Kerry Painter, Executive Director of the RCPAC. “There’s a special kind of energy that comes from doing good together, and our team feels it deeply. We believe in the power of kindness to create memorable mo-
ments, and we’re excited to see more events in our venue embrace that same spirit. It’s a beautiful reminder that what we do here can reach far beyond the walls of our building.”
In addition, two Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts resident companies, the North Carolina Symphony and PineCone, joined as first partners to support this initiative, bringing the total number of meals to 13,000.
This volunteer event launched a larger, ongoing effort from the RCPAC to provide visitors to conventions and other events at the venues the opportunity to “leave their mark on Raleigh with a soup-packing event of their own,” according to the group. RCPAC and Sodexo Live! will facilitate this giving opportunity for events visiting Raleigh that want to add an impact-oriented element to their event.
Volunteers packed thousands of servings of soup to feed Raleigh residents at the Raleigh Convention Center on November 25.
Kenyan Conservationist Sues Marriott Over Luxury Safari Camp
By Jordan Bradley
Marriott International and its luxury Ritz-Carlton brand have been sued by a conservation leader and member of the Maasai people of Kenya, who is seeking the demolition of the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp.
The safari camp, which opened in August, is comprised of 20 tented suites located on the banks of the Sand River in the Maasai Mara game reserve for guests to “connect with the untamed beauty” of the area, according to the property’s website. The Ritz-Carlton camp charges up to $3,500 per guest per night during peak
Chicago Hotel
continued from page 3 Pullman’s favorite daughter, the Pullman Historic Foundation said.
The Hotel Florence is part of the Pullman Historic District at the Pullman National Historical Park on the far south side of Chicago. The historical campus centers around the Pullman Company, and along with the Hotel Florence and its annex, includes the Pullman Factory and a visitors center.
Developers are reportedly proposing an entertainment center in one of the shuttered factory buildings, and would make use of the Hotel Florence Annex, built in 1914, as a potential site for an affordable housing project, according to Chicago YIMBY.
Beginning on February 15, the IDNR issued a Request for Solicitations, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The IDNR hopes to restore the hotel and its annex in order to welcome guests and “provide an economic asset to the greater Pullman community,” the organization said.
“Preserving Hotel Florence is about much more than saving a building,” said Robert Montgomery, Executive Director for the Historic Pullman Foundation, earlier this year. “It’s about safeguarding a cornerstone of American history, where stories of innovation, community, and progress continue to inspire future generations to appreciate the Pullman National Historical Park.”
Through the terms of the project, the operator would be required to keep the hotel running for 75 years. The state has also set aside $21 million in infrastructure funding to help support the property’s reinvigoration.
The proposal is still in the early stages. Any project brought forth must make it through the state of Illinois’ procurement process before work can begin.
migration season in July and August, promising “a front row seat” to the annual phenomenon of the Great Migration, when millions of animals cross the Serengeti.
Meitamai Olol Dapash, leader of the Institute for Maasai Education, Research and Conservation (MERC), claims the luxury Ritz-Carlton camp sits directly in a key migration path for wildebeests, according to reports.
Dapash has been pushing back against the property since before its opening. He sought a court order this August to stop the camp’s opening, according to reports. In his lawsuit, Dapash alleged there was no evidence that an environmental impact assessment has been conducted and asked the Environment and Land Court in Narok, Kenya to halt the Ritz-Carlton’s opening.
The lawsuit named Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, the property’s local developer, Lazizi Mara Limited, the Narok County government, and the
National Environment Management Authority. A local court is scheduled to hear the case this month.
“Without the county government regulating the tourist behaviours, the tourist activities, we saw the habitat, the environment degraded so badly,” Dapash told Reuters.
According to researchers, developments of safari camps along key migration paths have surged in the last 15 years, and local conservationists are increasingly concerned about the impact of unregulated or poorly regulated safari tourism on the reserve.
In 2023, Kenya placed a moratorium on new developments in the Maasai Mara reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site, because of these concerns.
Marriott said in a statement to Reuters the company was dedicated to respecting the environment and that Lazizi Mara Limited had secured all approvals necessary for the project to move forward.
Dapash’s request to the court
to shut down the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp ahead of its mid-August opening was denied.
In his latest attempt, Dapash filed another lawsuit in late October against Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Lazizi Mara Limited, and Kenyan authorities, seeking a court order now to demolish the property in order to preserve the area’s delicate ecosystem. He again asserted the camp didn’t conduct the proper assessments to build and it goes against the moratorium on developments in the reserve.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Shivan Patel, Director of Lazizi Mara Limited, said in its first few months, the camp has seen less than half of its anticipated occupancy.
“The impact on the bookings has been quite hard,” Patel told the Journal, calling the lawsuit “groundless.”
Marriott did not return USAE request for comment as of press deadline.
USAE xchange
Conversation with Don Welsh, President & CEO, Destinations International
By Jonathan Trager
With 2025 winding down, USAE caught up with the head of Destinations International (DI), Don Welsh, for a year-in-review discussion about the association as well as a preview of what lies ahead.
USAE: How would you characterize the year of 2025 for DI?
Welsh: I would characterize it as reacting to the needs of our members during a transition to some degree that we didn’t expect. That has to do with the change of administration and some challenges we dealt with. We have over 70 members in Canada, and we had Canadian members who were rightly upset and offended by things that were said, and today they continue to voice their opinion by not traveling to the United States to the degree they used to. That was the first thing we had to contend with and we did what we could, including running editorials to show the power of tourism. Brand USA Is also one of our big partners, and they have gone through a period of time with lack of funding. If I had to characterize 2025, it would be in real time we understood the new
challenges and unexpected challenges our members were experiencing in North America and we did whatever we could to support them during that time period. Unfortunately, to some degree, it’s still taking place. But I think that showed our adaptability and ability to pivot. You have work you think you’re going to do, but then you need to modify it and move in new directions.
USAE: Can you tell me about some DI accomplishments in 2025?
Welsh: I think our biggest report card has to do with retention of membership—both existing ones and new ones coming onboard. Members have a choice to join us and stay with us, and we’re honored we have a 95%-plus retention rate of U.S. and Canadian members—we’re very focused on that and we never take it for granted. Just a few years ago, we had no members in Europe, and now we have about 35.
We’re in completion of our third year in working with Saudi Tourism Authority, and we believe that will open other opportunities in the Middle East—that’s a tribute to a couple of destinations that are up and running in Saudi as part of their investment strategy.
We held our first global forum last
Trump Administration Seeks to Intervene Against Hawaii Cruise Tax
By Jonathan Trager
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a motion to intervene in a federal court case against Hawaii’s plan to impose a surcharge on cruise ship passenger fares starting on January 1, calling it a “scheme to extort American citizens and businesses.”
In the motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii in November, DoJ states the “green fee,” aimed at combating costs of climate change, “flies in the face of federal law twice over.” The first-of-its-kind levy conflicts with the Tonnage Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1884, the government claims.
DOJ’s move comes as the Trump administration has “stepped up efforts to battle state initiatives aimed at holding the energy industry financially responsible for the costs of adapting to rising temperatures,” according to E&E News
The Cruise Lines International Association filed suit against Hawaii in August, seeking to block the state from placing an 11% surcharge on the gross fare paid by a cruise ship’s passengers,
February in Dublin, invitation only, and we had about 125 destinations from around the world there, including destinations that were not members. Paris, France, was not a member but we invited them; the CEO came and was very engaged and Paris is now a member. One of the more respected destinations from a thought leadership standpoint has been Vienna, and [Vienna Tourism Board CEO] Norbert Kettner has agreed to become our European representative on our board of directors.
The other area that’s very important to us are all the events. Our Annual Convention in Chicago was a record for us—over than 2100 people. Our CMO Summit in Austin, Texas, got over 400 people there. Our CEO Summit in Savannah, Georgia, had a record of over 350 CEOs there. When we put together agendas based on their needs, our members show up. The second annual Global Leaders Forum will take place in Geneva in September and will have increased attendance of 150.
prorated by the portion of its voyage spent docked in Hawaii ports. The law also authorizes Hawaii counties to collect an additional 3% surcharge.
The 14% total adds up “to hundreds of millions of dollars in new fees over the next decade on out-of-state cruise lines and, by extension, their American citizen customers, seeking to visit one of our nation’s most beautiful lands,” DOJ said.
Hawaii has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the cruise association and companies lack standing to challenge it. The state also claims the measure does not violate the Tonnage Clause and the Rivers and Harbors Act does not provide for individuals or organizations to bring lawsuits.
A spokesperson for Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez, a Democrat, said the state is “vigorously defending the legality” of the tax law “and will continue to do so,” E&E News reported.
The measure was proposed by Democratic Gov. Josh Green and passed the state legislature in May. It was one of the recommendations made by a climate advisory panel that Green convened after the 2023 Maui wildfires.
Also important is the Foundation, which is moving to being nearly a $3 million a year business with the investment now made by members and partners. We defined specific grants of the foundation and in 2025 alone we funded 16 specific grants, such as the Destination Reputation Study. If we only had the association budget to work with we wouldn’t have been able to do that. The Foundation also funds scholarships like for HBCU students and allows smaller budgeted DMOs to attend our functions. Chelsea Welter, our Managing Director, has done a great job along with a very active and engaged executive board.
USAE: Where is the association organizationally coming out of 2025?
Welsh: Part of our success in 2025
Susan
Jones
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City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, she got her first job waiting tables at a local restaurant at 14.
“I really had a hard work ethic from the beginning,” Jones said, “but I think that holds true to any leader. You’ve got to lead by example, and if you want your people under you to work hard, then you’ve got to show that there’s nothing wrong with working hard.”
Intrinsic in good leadership is the ability to find a healthy balance between work and a personal life, Jones added, noting that she raised two
had to do with the fact there was very little turnover of our entire team. We have 38 full-time employees, and for the most part every one of our team members understands their responsibilities. We are 100% remote at DI, and we will not be renewing an office lease in Washington, D.C., in 2026. We see each other on the road at our events and that has led to operating efficiencies, so we will go into 2026 without a physical office. I don’t know if we’d be able to do it if we didn’t travel as much as we do. When you factor in rent, parking, and other expenses that’s a hard savings of up to half a million a year.
Our revenues continue to grow but not super-fast. In the 10 years I’ve been [with DI], we now have stabilized revenues and have a very engaged board of directors, a very engaged finance committee, and a very active audit committee, and we have purposely built a lot of checks and balances to make sure this organization never goes through again what it did a decade ago.
USAE: What’s the vision for the
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children throughout her career with the association, as well as the need for humility in the face of mistakes, and overall integrity.
“If I say I’m going to do something, I do it,” Jones said. “There’s nothing more annoying that somebody who doesn’t follow through, in my opinion.”
Over the course of her tenure with OCMD, Jones said her number one leadership principle is the “Three Cs,” which stand for “connect,” “communicate,” and “collaborate.”
“Don’t think that your way is the only way—or the best way,” Jones said. “You have to be open to listening to other opinions.”
By Rob Adams, CEO & Partner, Bishop-McCann
This year has been defined by transformation, acceleration, and, more than anything, a renewed desire for community in the meetings and events industry. We’ve always known the power of bringing people together, but 2025 reminded us just how essential that purpose really is.
As we look toward 2026, one thing is clear: none of us can do this alone. Associations, CVBs/DMOs, agencies, and hotel partners all have a role to play
Don Welsh
continued from page 6
association moving forward?
Welsh: [Chief Advocacy Officer] Jack Johnson is retiring, and when you look at our organization going forward, we need to continue to have subject experts help our members navigate multiple needs of advocacy, such as securing funding and dealing with political challenges. Right now, [Chief Impact Officer] Sophia Hyder-Hock is working with [Vice President of Research and Advocacy] Andreas Weissenborn in figuring out what we want that department to look like.
We ask ourselves, “How can we work with Greg Staley and his team at US Travel Association and Fred Dixon and his team at Brand USA to make sure we’re not replicating the efforts of each other?” We’ve had clear lines of communication since I’ve been here with other industry associations. We’re making sure we’re complementing rather than competing where possible. The other thing we want to pursue is continued professional development, which is educational content for people who are starting their journey
THE FINAL WORD
The Power of Together
in shaping what comes next. Our future depends on how well we collaborate, listen, and support one another in an increasingly complex environment.
Here’s what I foresee for our industry in 2026:
Associations: The New Era of Belonging
If there was one unmistakable trend this year, it was the resurgence of membership growth across associations. Serving as MPI Chair in 2025 only amplified what I’ve long believed: mentorship matters, professional development matters, and purpose-driven communities matter. Communities are strengthening and becoming powerful outlets for our industry professionals to thrive.
Associations will play an even more essential role in 2026 as the workforce continues to shift, generations blend, and people search for deeper meaning in their professional lives. Those who invest in building belonging, and demonstrate it authentically, will win.
DMOs: The Essential Strategic Partners
One of the biggest opportunities in front of us is the evolving relationship between agencies and DMOs. For years, we’ve operated adjacent to each other. But 2025 signaled a turning point.
In today’s complex meeting land-
in our industry. CDME continues to grow. We also want to provide value in convention sales and resources and provide value to the CEOs.
The complexities in our industry are requiring us to continue to evolve our educational offerings. We’re getting a lot of people new to our industry who are joining our membership. I think it also helps when you have a couple of former destination organization CEOs such as myself and [Chief Operating Officer] Gretchen Hall—we become a hands on resource because we’ve done their jobs.
I think like a lot of our members we are entering into 2026 with optimism, but cautious optimism. We’re hopeful that some of the global challenges settle down in the new year and we get back to having a higher number of global visitors to the U.S. because they mean so much financially, but also travel is the ultimate form of diplomacy. The more people travel to other countries and experience different cultures, we all benefit.
We think the World Cup events in North America next year are an incredible opportunity to kickstart global visitation. Sec. Duffy and Sec.
scape, DMOs have become indispensable partners. They offer a macro view of the city and a micro view of how to craft meaningful experiences within it. They understand community dynamics, policy shifts, development pipelines, and the unique qualities that shape an attendee’s sense of place.
When agencies tap into that knowledge early and regularly, the entire outcome changes. The industry is beginning to recognize that we rise higher and faster when we help one another. In 2026, collaboration between DMOs, agencies, and venues will be a competitive advantage. We’re finally realizing the power of working as a unified ecosystem.
Hotels: Moving From Transactions to True Partnership
In 2025, we saw the best success when we brought hotel partners into the conversation earlier in the process before RFPs, before logistics, before finalizing the event strategy. When we sit down with hotel teams to understand their strategic priorities, where they’re seeing compression, where they have growth goals, what time periods offer mutual opportunity, we can elevate the relationship to something far more powerful than vendor and client. It becomes a partnership and a shared strategy.
Looking ahead to 2026, strategic co-planning with hotel partners will be essential because, most importantly, the client will experience the difference.
Rubio have gotten behind people coming to the U.S. to see their teams play and getting their visas on time to attend. So many other cities other
Navigating the Intensity of Change
Change has been relentless. The expectations on planners, suppliers, hoteliers, and association leaders have never been higher. Everyone wants clarity, but the pace of innovation and adaptation makes clarity feel harder to grasp.
In these moments, it’s important to go back to the basics and think about the reason so many of us entered this industry in the first place. We create experiences that bring people together. We help them learn, grow, celebrate, solve problems, and feel inspired. That purpose is still our foundation.
But none of that matters if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. When we are burned out, everything else suffers: our creativity, our decision-making, our empathy. As we prepare for 2026, I encourage all of us to give ourselves the same care we give our attendees.
As we close out 2025 and look ahead, I’m filled with gratitude for our partners, our clients, our teams, and this industry that continues to evolve with courage and openness. The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities.
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that when we choose to rise together, we elevate not only our own organizations but the entire meetings and events community. That is the kind of future worth looking forward to.
than the host cities will benefit—the impact will be felt far beyond where the games will be.
