GLOBAL: For the first time in its history, The BRIT Awards with Mastercard will leave the capital and make its way north. The iconic celebration of British music is set to take over Manchester’s Co-op Live in 2026 and 2027, marking a bold new chapter for the event, after nearly five decades in London. The BRIT Awards 2026 will take place on Feb. 28. The 2026 show will be the first of three years under the stewardship of Sony Music UK, who picked up the baton from Warner Music UK after this year’s show.
AUSTIN, TEXAS: Hyatt Regency Austin, a full-service hotel located in the heart of downtown Austin, has embarked on a full-hotel renovation of the property, with completion expected in September. The hotel remains open during the refresh, with the reimagined spaces reopening in phases. The renovation includes a comprehensive redesign of the hotel’s 448 guest rooms and suites, corridors, meeting facilities, and public spaces. The refresh will also include the addition of two guest rooms, one being a luxurious suite with a balcony displaying views of Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline.
BOSTON: The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority announced that the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center will be renamed as the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in honor of Thomas Menino, who served as the mayor of Boston from 1993 to 2014 and was the city’s longest-serving mayor. An event to officially mark the name change will be held on July 12.
KEY WEST, FLA.: Ed Simon has been selected as the executive vice president and chief sales officer for Visit Florida Keys & Key West. With more than three decades of expertise in travel and tourism and a deep and powerful network of industry relationships, Simon aims to further position the Florida Keys and Key West as a premier global travel destination. He will drive the strategic direction of both sales and business development efforts, with a keen focus on leisure sales, group meetings, events, and long-term partnerships.
PITTSBURGH: The Hutton Group, a woman-owned and -operated boutique company specializing in meeting and incentive planning and site selection, announced the addition of Beth Wickramasuriya, CMP, as director of destination sales and meetings. In this role, Wickramasuriya leads destination management services, collaborating with community partners to curate attendee experiences and support clients through every step of the event-planning process.
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